Right Fruit!

Right Fruit!

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5:44 KJV

Context:

This is the account of the first full sermon that Jesus preached after choosing his disciples. He went up to a mountain, gathered his disciples around him, and began to teach them. There was a big crowd at the foot of the mountain also listening to him, but the words here were not for the crowd. As popular as the crowd may be, there is no conviction, no clear thought and no personal relationship. That is the danger of following the crowd, where a man gets lost in the midst of so many people who do not have an idea of what is truly important.

The top of the mountain is visible; it takes time and effort to climb up. All who strive to get there have to travel light and carefully so you do not fall. You can't go with the garbage and baggage that belongs to the foot of the mountain. Jesus sits at the top of the mountain, waiting for the true disciples who have made up their minds to walk with and listen to him. It's not like Jesus is not at the foot of the mountain; he meets all of us at the point of despair, where we think we are at our lowest, but he does not leave us there. When I have realised my need for him, He wants me to come with him, away from the valley of despair to the place where He can shape, teach and prepare me for service and impact in the world where he has placed me. Part of that preparation is today's extract. 

Message and Response:

For all who have stepped up to the mountain, there is a code of conduct that is fitting for the place where you are now. You cannot be at the top of the mountain, and still envy the 'freedom and liberty' of those at the foot of the mountain. If I have climbed up that mountain to sit with the Lord to listen to him, I have signed up to his code of conduct. One of the major things that my being on the mountain does is a change of heart. The air is different there, as well as the demands and expectations. 

The world's response to enemies is hate/revenge; the response of those on the mountain is love. As hard as this may sound, there are accounts of people who had broken through a stony heart simply by love, even when the target had hurt their family by killing a member. It is not an expectation from everyone; it is only from those who are sitting with Jesus at the top of the mountain. 

The world will curse and abuse that which it does not understand or cannot control. The world will hate all those who do not align with its standards. The world will seek to exploit your lack of understanding of how the world works, and mock you when it seems that you cannot make gains that others in the world are making. It is hard when you have colleagues who seem to have moved on to better things simply because they knew how to pay the right people the right price to get the right prize. However, for those on the mountain, sitting with Jesus, there is a call to a higher standard. I am called to live better, do better and be better. 

I don't meet an action with the same action; I respond with what I have received from God, which is love. You can only give out that which you have. If indeed I have encountered God, I cannot flow out with hate or revenge to anyone. It does not matter what the person had done; each gives what s/he has. It is the world's duty to act out in anger; after all, what do you expect a system under the control and influence of the devil to produce? If I am then under the control and influence of God, my life's output must reflect that. 

I cannot do anything about your reaction to me, but I have power over my own reaction to you. One big reason why I must allow God work in and through me is because I cannot read people's minds. I have no way of knowing if your actions towards me are steeped in eye-service, deceit, hypocrisy or sincerity. I need God to sort out my heart so it can always flow out with the grace of God. It is only God that can work in a human heart so much that it will produce love in the face of hate, blessing in the face of curses, and prayer in the face of persecution. Has God done that kind of work in you yet? If I will flow out with his presence and power, I must allow him do the work only he can do in a surrendered heart. His time of favour is here. 

Be Still!

 Be Still!

The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14 KJV

Context:

The background to today's extract is a promise that God made to Abraham more than 500 years before this extract. Abraham received the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey, and he settled in the land as a stranger. His own children also settled in the land, but at a time, famine came and his grandson Jacob had to leave with his family to settle in Egypt. There they were for more than 400 years, in slavery and servitude. It is easy to think that because God has promised you something, it has to be smooth. It seems that from God's perspective, you appreciate what you get more when you have to be tried and tested for it. It seems that God would try my heart to see if he can commit such mighty blessings into my hands. What is that promise that you are certain God has made to you? He is able to bring it to pass, but can he trust your heart? Can he trust mine? 

Israel had slaved in Egypt for more than 400 years, but God had sent a Moses to deliver them from Egypt and take them to the land of promise. God led them out, yet the army of Egypt followed them. There they were, no experience of war at all, with the Red Sea in front and the Egyptian army coming after them. How could they avoid either of them? Going forward was into the sea and certain death, going backwards was falling into the hands of the Egyptians who had just lost family members. The fact that God leads me out does not guarantee that I will not face trials. Thr certainty of God's presence also means the certainty of tests. What I do is then defined by my understanding of who God is, and the Word he had spoken to me. 

Message and Response:

Just as God did for Israel here, so does he do for all who He sends out. He is not defined by the tests in front of me, but by the power that is able to conquer all. My victory is not in the ability to understand what I am going through, but to simply obey the instructions I receive from God. Imagine: army behind and sea ahead, and all that God can say is: hold your peace. Be still. In a world that is defined by activity, labour and exertion, this message seems to be out of time. 

How do I hold my peace when life is threatening to capsize my boat? How do I remain calm in a storm, or relax when the winds are contrary? Let's turn this around and ask: if I fret, what outcome can I change? If I worry, what difference can I make to the final outcome? If I complain and grumble about my lot, how does that in any way change the direction of my life? That is the biggest lesson of my life: I am indeed safe when I am in God's hands, no matter where or how he leads me. I am limited in knowledge, power and wisdom, and I need the help, direction and wisdom of the One who is limitless to keep me focused. 

It is clear that life is a battle. God does not indicate otherwise anywhere in His Word. He refers to himself as the Man of War, asks me to stand with the full armour of God in place, and Paul further emphasies this by charging me to fight the good fight of faith. There is just this one point that must be made: the battle to be fought is not mine to sort out. It is God's to fight, but it is mine to stand in that certain victory and uphold it. That is the thrust of today's extract: I can do nothing about the tests that will come, but I can determine the outcome by completely trusting in the ability of God to make it end well. Holding my peace is not being careless, but completely depending on God to help me. If I can help myself, I don't need God. If I will depend on God, I cannot seek glory for myself. I cannot sit on the throne of my heart and still expect God to be in charge. I must let him have his way, taking charge of all that is ahead. He is God; he has not lost any war yet, and he will not lose any. His time of favour is here. 

Witnesses!

Witnesses!

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8 KJV

Context:

Jesus had fulfilled the purpose for which he was sent as man to earth. He had died and resurrected, sealing our salvation from sin and securing eternal life for us. Here he was, speaking to the disciples for the last time while on earth, laying down the specific assignment that disciples must be engaged in. He does not leave us without guidance as to what he expects from us; we are not called into uncertainty or indecision, but he has made it very clear what he wants from us. Do I know why I have been saved and spared? Have I taken time to sit before God to ask for clear direction on his purpose and plan for my life in these end times? 

The assignment is such that flesh and blood cannot successfully carry it out. I need the help of the One who owns and commissions the assignment in order to successfully carry it out. The world will emphasise on strength, knowledge, ability, connection and influence, but when it comes to the things of the Spirit, you need another kind of supply if you are to succeed. The world has tools for the work it inspires, and in the same way, the Spirit has tools for the work that it inspires. You cannot interchange the tools; these are parallel lines that can never meet, no matter how long you draw them or how hard you pull them. What work am I engaged in or pursuing at the moment? Do I even know the tools I need for the assignment I am on at the moment? 

Message and Response:

The one and only important tool for the work birthed by the Holy Spirit is the Spirit Himself and all he represents. As ordinary as it may sound, for all who have experienced the Presence of the Holy Spirit, you know that there is nothing you can achieve without his help. The work of the Spirit is so complex that it can defeat man's best intentions. How can I seek the Holy Spirit, and then try to finish his work by my own strength and wisdom? How do I begin an assignment from the Holy Spirit, and then try to finish it in my own way? That is why Jesus asked the disciples to wait in Jerusalem. They were not to try and start anything until the power of the Holy Spirit came. 

It is that power that is the source of all possibilities for a disciple. That statement makes it clear that it is only a disciple who can draw on that power. It does not matter how good it looks on you, or what people around you say: if you are not a child of God, what you have is not the Holy Spirit. Yes, miracles can still happen; after all, what makes miracles possible is not me, but the power of God. God will honour his name, but the vessel may be dumped at the end of it all. I need the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, if I am to achieve the work that has been laid out for me. 

That presence and power are not for me to glory in, but to do the work that has been assigned. What is that work: to be a witness. A witness does not have to argue his or her position, but to simply state the things that have been seen, felt, touched, tasted or smelt. When my account is straight, it does not matter how much the opposing counsel tries to trip me up. I am a witness, called to testify of the great things that I have experienced on a personal level as a disciple of Jesus. 

Power will not come without the Holy Spirit. The power is not for personal glory, but for the work that is birthed and sustained by the Holy Spirit. The work must start where I am right now. I am to be a witness for Jesus in the place I have been planted now. I am not a witness to the drama of the world but the truths of Jesus as laid out in the Word. I cannot be a witness to anything that is contrary to the Word of God. Is my life aligned with the Word of God? Can God trust me with his Spirit and the power he gives? I must remember that with great power comes great responsibility too. God will always demand an account for whatever it is that he has given me. If he calls me as his witness, it means he has an obligation to show me the truth. As his witness, I am speaking of my personal encounter, not what I heard another person say. Do I have that personal encounter? If I do not, I have nothing to witness about. 

And the journey will start where I am now, but it will spread beyond where I am right now. Where is my Jerusalem now? Do I want to impact the world, yet have no good reputation in my present location? Am I all about a good impression outside, yet have no personal encounter to speak about as a witness? God will start with where I am now, but he will not keep me on the same spot. I may remain in the same location, but He will never leave me the same way, as long as I depend on the Holy Spirit for the work that is ahead. Who is inspiring my present assignment, and who is the focus for that which is ahead? May the Holy Spirit be my constant companion and help, as I look ahead to the great and mighty things that are ahead. His time I'd favour is here. 

The Greatest Commandment!

The Greatest Commandment!

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Matthew 22:37‭-‬39 KJV

Context:

Throughout the earthly life of Jesus, you would always find men who wanted to trip him up so he could say something they found offensive, and which they could use as grounds of charges against him. Today's extract follows the same pattern. Truth is very expensive and at the same time also quite scarce. It is not popular or widely accepted, and anyone who would seek, find and hold on to it must be willing to pay the price for it. Why do I seek Jesus: for the optics (how) it looks, or for the true life he offers? 

The Saducees had just been put in their place. The Pharisees felt it was their time to shine. A lawyer from the sect asked a question, wanting to know which of all the law, was the greatest commandment. At the time the law was given, God never did say that one was the greatest. He laid down the law for his people, defining terms and conditions for engagement with him, as well as man's relationship with other men also. What lessons does the response of Jesus hold for me today? 

Message and Response:

1. Love is a Command: if Jesus' response to the question on the greatest commandment is love, it means that love is a command. Like all commands, it does not give me room to choose which part I like or am comfortable with, but it demands total obedience from me. From God's perspective, partial obedience is the same as outright disobedience, so I must audit my heart and be sure I am aligned with God's command.

2. Love is a Choice: as much as God lays it down as a command, it is still first and foremost a matter of choice for me. God does not go against the exercise of my free will. If I will love, it is because I have come to understand what it entails, what it will demand from me. The opposite is also true: if I cannot love, it is because I have not experienced the genuine thing yet. 

3. Love makes contact: love does not exist in a vacuum; it has to be felt for it to be true. I cannot claim to love God or people, yet there is no outward proof of that contact or connection with God or people. Can I claim to love God, yet there is no desire to do the things that glorify him? Can I claim to love people, yet nobody can point to any contact or personal connection? What kind of love exists from afar, with no direct impact on the life of the recipient of love? 

For us, a life was given as proof of God's love. Even when we reject him, he does not withhold his love from us until we do not have time to respond to the love anymore. It is also from what I have received and responded to that I can share with other people. I cannot give what I do not have, and I cannot draw out of an account into which I have not made any deposit. 

4. Love is complete: if it is not the whole, I must not bother giving it. If it does not demand all of my heart, I must not waste my time with half-hearted devotion. My greatest response to God's love is to give him ALL my heart, soul and mind. He is God, so I cannot get away with less than my all. He sees my heart, so there is no room for hypocrisy, deceit or eye-service. He knows; that understanding must keep me sane, humble and ever-dependent on God for his help. 

5. Love is connected to the divine and the earthly: it is when the divine is healthy that the earthly can be impacted. I take from that which God has birthed in me and use it to impact the lives of the people around me. That is why today's extract cannot be complete without the impact on man: first the God-connection, then the man-connection. The order is important; I cannot take the earthly first, because it is the divine that controls the earthly. 

When the divine is settled and in place, earthly Impact is non-negotiable. No wonder these are the greatest commandments: Love for God and love for man. No earthly law can make it an offence. Man can resist it but it cannot kill that which he does not understand. All I can do is have it and show it and let God do his utmost and mighty with the life that is surrendered to him. His time of favour is here. 

Seed of Discipline!

Seed of Discipline!

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11 NIV

Context:

The writer of Hebrews addresses different parts of the Christian walk. This chapter starts with a lesson on the value of walking with God and being open to his dealings as a child of his. There is a grave danger that is brewing these days, and it is the risk of raising pampered, entitled and self-centred children. We have moved from the days when it was okay to scold or correct a child, to times where we just keep quiet and pray that the child knows and does what is right. How do I know truth if it is not shown or taught to me? 

Discipline is now being presented as a negative word. We want to find more acceptable terms for it, but if it is to serve the purpose for which it was instituted by God, it must work as God intends. Why does God speak a lot about discipline from his own perspective? What value does it hold for me as a child of God? 

Message and Response:

At the heart of discipline is a heart of love. As an earthly parent, I show that I love my child when I am quick and willing to correct wrong behaviour. If I keep quiet and refuse or neglect to correct bad behaviour, I am saying it is okay for the child to engage in that bad behaviour. I cannot then wait until the child is older to complain that the child is rebellious and disobedient. The same applies to God: he cannot afford to keep quiet when we do wrong, because it is his name that we bear that is at stake here. 

Discipline is also a seed. It is planted towards an expected harvest of a life of impact. At the time it is planted, it is not pleasant. No child loves it at the time, and most children may actively resist it. But the benefits are seen in the lives of all who were impacted by it in a good way. You cannot be looking for a good harvest in a place where you have not sown anything good. If I will harvest righteousness, I must have sown the type of fruit that will guarantee that harvest. What am I sowing at the moment?

And I must allow the process of time to perfect its work in me. The benefits of discipline may not be seen in the immediate, which is why we do not do it once and then stop. It is a continuous process, a life long commitment. As an earthly parent never stops wishing his or her child well, so does God not stop doing all he can to ensure that we end well.

For me as a child of God, I do not become perfect overnight. I submit to the pain and the process, as God's nature of peace and righteousness is birthed and sustained in me. I do not learn all of God at once; in fact, an entire lifetime is not enough to know all about God, and that is why I must allow God to deal with whatever it is in me that will not lead to his full expression in me.

Training takes time and effort, but the benefits and blessings attached to it make the process and sacrifice worth it. God does not place a burden on a man he has not trained, and he makes no demand on a man who has not submitted to the process. If I submit to God, I am saying to him that I will submit to his discipline. If I surrender my life to God, I am saying that I will embrace whatever lessons he wants me to learn, so that I can partake of his divine nature. That must be the default setting for every one who claims to be a child of God. God has to run the rule over my life so I can be all he has created, gifted and planted me to be. Would i let him? Would you? His time of favour is here. 

New Order!

New Order!

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Revelation 21:4 KJV

Context:

The apostle John had been given the grace to see insights into the future, and he was asked to write the things he saw. Today's extract speaks to the end of all things, when all that we see and know now will change. All the familiar, regular, usual and the predictable will all give way to the new eternal. John testified that he saw a new heaven and a new earth, with the first heaven and the first earth passing away. That is proof that nothing of the earth was built to outlast the earth. There is nothing I lay hold of on earth that I can take to heaven; they all will be used on and for the earth and will perish with the earth. 

God says all of these to me so I can order my priorities aright. I cannot keep my heart on the earth's resources and still be focused on eternity. The earth's resources are good, as they are required for living on earth, but they must not take the place of God in my heart. I must use the resources, bless the earth with the gifts I have been given, but I must spend them in the service of the earth, and for the glory of the One who owns and gives them as he pleases. If he does not give me something, it does not make me any less than the one who has it. At some point, all of us would have to leave the earth and answer to God for all the resources he has given us. What would my account of the things he has given me look like? 

Message and Response:

Is my heart free from the pull and attraction of the earth's resources? Have I set my heart on them so much that I cannot hear God speak about my pursuits and priorities? What lies ahead is not the normal or the usual, and I need to prepare for it. God promises that a time is coming when He will wipe away all tears. Whether it is that I will have no capacity to produce tears, or that my new position will generate so much joy that tears will not be necessary, God's promise is one of indescribable joy. It is the joy of the Holy Spirit when he is in a life. 

Of course, when God's eternal life promised here is in operation, there can be no death, sorrow, crying or pain. When these no longer exist, where then is the basis for tears? God cannot be in a life and there will still be a fear of death. The two cannot co-exist together in the same heart. Sin led to the breach of the first perfect life, where even nakedness was not an issue because God's nature of holiness provided all the cover needed. Sin broke that hedge, but Jesus' death and resurrection assures us of the restoration of that same cover. If I will look forward to that cover, I must be found in Jesus. It is his life that guarantees the cover, not my possessions, power, position or political influence. 

The qualification for entering into the new heaven and the new earth is just what it is: holiness, which is God's nature. I cannot deceive this God with mere mouth confession; it has to be the sincere conversion and daily walk with God. Everything I know about this present earthly phase is only good down here. As I live my life down here, I am preparing for the life to come. At some point in the future, everything I see now will be termed as the former things, because they will all pass away, either by death or total destruction by fire. 

With that understanding, what kind of person then must I be, if not one who is standing guard, aware of and alert to everything that is happening around me. I cannot sleep off or become insensitive to God's warnings about the world I live in. Just as the world and its desire are passing away, so must their attraction and pull pass away in my heart. I must set my heart on the things that glorify and promote God, and I must seek to make God known. God is calling out to all of us, asking that we tune our hearts to him. His gift of life is available to all men, but it is a gift that is time-based. I can only take advantage of the gift while I am still alive. Once death comes, it is too late to change my mind. Am I sure that I am a candidate for the new heaven and the new earth? My eternity hangs on the answer. His time of favour is here. 

Planted and Pointed!

Planted and Pointed! 

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

Psalms 8:3‭-‬4 NIV

Context:

David is credited with the words of this psalm, and when you consider his relationship with God, the words of this psalm will not be a surprise. How can a man speak so eloquently about a God he has no relationship with? How do you extol the virtues of a God you know nothing about, or be able to know your limits around a God you do not acknowledge as such? It is easy to speak about God publicly, as so many people can, but it is a different thing for your heart to bear witness to a personal relationship with this God. Which one do I have: just a mouth profession alone or in addition, a heart confirmation, a life affirmation and an eye on eternity? 

David took a good look, or maybe two, at God and the wonders of his hands, as well as the place of man in all of creation, and he just had to wonder why man plays a critical and fundamental role in everything. Man sits at the heart of all that is called earth, and there are even borders beyond the planet earth that man is also seeking to conquer. All the advancements in science, technology and space exploration all point to the amazing mind that is man's, which is not really a surprise considering he is made in the image of the amazing God. That is the thrust of today's extract. 

Message and Response:

As I take a careful look at all of creation, what do I see: my special place in all these, or God's mighty hand in all these? It matters what I see, because my response and reaction will be based on my reality. Men have gone to the extreme of worshipping the things their hands have made, forgetting that the created WILL ALWAYS be inferior to the Creator. We seem to place more emphasis on what our hands can achieve for us, forgetting that it is only by God that our hands can even try to achieve anything. The psalmist knew the origins of all things, which is why he could say: your heavens, the work of your fingers, the things you have set in place. There was no doubt as to the source; do I share the same mind as David here? 

God created all things; this is the start of all good things. Until I come to this reality, I am only wasting my time pursuing any other reality. The world has its own version of things; the Word of God has its own version of things. Have I taken time to consider all that my eyes see, so I can come to the same conclusion as David here? And when I have considered all that my eyes see, there is only obr conclusion: God is God over all. If there is any other conclusion different from this, then it means I do not yet know the God that David talks about here. 

It is not a wonder then that David could speak about man this way. When God created man, he called the whole heaven to bear witness to the greatness that was about to unfold. He made man in his own image, after his likeness, and gave him dominion and authority over all that had been made. Take a look at even the simplest of things around you, maybe the flowers. We do not know how the beautiful flowers come to be, yet, at the snip of a knife, they are cut down and begin to wither. The lush green grass looks healthy, yet at the start of autumn or winter, all the green disappears. If God could still clothe such objects with so much beauty, imagine what it is for those whom he breathed upon and gave a measure of himself. That is the value of man, and let no other person like yourself tell you otherwise. 

It is not man's opinion that should drive my focus, but the view of the God who made, formed and placed me where I would be pointedly efficient for him. The value of my life is best seen when I live for the pleasure of the one who created me. I have listened long enough to people who cannot guarantee the next minute, instead of seeking the pleasure and purpose of the one who is eternal. As long as I have life, I can still make amends. As long as I still breathe, it is not too late to make changes. I am planted and pointed by the one who made me and my life's pursuit must be to discover the reason and the environment for the fulfillment of God's purpose for my life. God will always play his part; I owe it to God to cooperate with him so his will can be established in me. God is too busy to create idle lives, or lives for which he has no use, but he will not go against the exercise of my own freewill. If I choose him, he will make my life a blessing; if I reject him, I cannot blame him for how my life turns out. His time of favour is here. 

Wait!

Wait!

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14 KJV

Context:

David, the man after God's heart, is credited with writing the words of this psalm. David knew God intimately, and that is why his words spoke very personally about who God was to him. It is my personal experience of God that will lead to a public walk with Him. I cannot give what I do not have, and I cannot call on resources I have not spent time cultivating and storing up. That is why it is very important to first cultivate the inner man of the heart, because the heart is the place of cultivation, preparation and manifestation. Whatever it is that God will do, the heart is his canvas. How's your heart?

It is the heart that must decide on the things it considers important and of eternal value. It is the heart that must choose its focus: worship, daily devotion and service are first settled in the heart. Dwelling in God's presence is a decision of the heart. Seeking God the way he wants to be sought is a decision of the heart. Deceit and hypocrisy are also decisions of the heart. God will not force himself on me, or compel me to choose him; that decision must flow out of a heart that knows and appreciates all it has received. 

Message and Response:

In the midst of all the drama going on in the world, today's extract is quite instructive. What lessons would God have me learn:

1. WAIT ON: it is tough to hear the word wait, when all that makes sense is haste and hurry. The world around us is not slowing down, and the world measures success by visible, tangible metrics. It peaches the value of the physical, because it is the only language it understands. For the man who wants to wait for the Lord, you cannot afford to be distracted by the world's definitions and standards. When God says wait, it is because he is the one who gives speed and accuracy, which will count. Joseph went from prison to the palace in the space of 24 hours. Simon the reed became Peter the rock, along with other disciples after waiting for enduement of power by the Holy Spirit. Waiting from God's perspective never ends in shame or regret. Is there anything God has asked you to wait for? Wait! 

And it is a picture of a waiter, waiting on the customer's instructions, so he can immediately attend. I am at the beck and call of the master, whose word must be my command. I have no other place to be, because it is the master's patronage and commendation that will move me on to the next level. My reward and wages are tied to the recommendation of the one I serve. If he says I have done well, it does not matter what anyone else says. If he does not approve of me, it also does not matter what anybody says. I must therefore live for the commendation of the only one whose view counts. All other views are just distractions. 

2. THE LORD: this is equally important, as it also matters who it is you are waiting for. Who asked you to wait? Was it really God? The one who does not have God must fight for himself. You have to be sure; it cannot be an assumption that it was God, or an uncertainty about the one directing your life. You have to be sure. Whatever this Lord ordains, he is able to sustain. If he did not birth it, he is not under any obligation to preserve it. Can I say, with every sense of certainty, that the Lord is the author and sustainer of my present life's pursuits and priorities? If he is not, it is not too late to get it right. 

3. BE OF GOOD COURAGE: Oh, things that will shake your faith will come, if they have not yet come. Tests are a part of my growth and maturity, and I cannot shortchange the process. As one test ends, another is loading. How do I claim maturity for the next level, if I am not fully prepared for that new level? The world itself has tests and exams for people; imagine then how it also applies to all who want to walk with God. However, before the tests come, God charges me to be of good courage. He speaks to my heart, because he knows that if he is able to capture the heart, storms, winds and waves have no impact. Courage does not mean the absence of things that could lead to fear, but it is the decision to focus on the God who rules and reigns over the things that could lead to fear. 

When the points above are aligned, then there is strength for my heart. My heart is at peace, because I have sorted out its allegiance and focus. Waiting is easy once my heart is settled on the eternal. I am not bothered about the things I do not have. I am not distracted by another person's story, but encouraged to seek God for who he is. I am not fussy about another man's hustle, because now I know that waiting on God gives me haste and access which no man can give me. Lord, teach me to wait on you, in line with your will. Help me to look away from the deceit of hurry, haste and hustle, and to hope in you alone. I know that no one who puts his trust in you is ever put to shame. His time of favour is here. 

No Fear!

No Fear!

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

Context:

Paul writes to the young man Timothy, who was just getting to know God more, and reminding him to fan into flame the gift of God that had been given to him. Do I have spiritual mentors, who are able to hold my hand and guide me on this journey of faith? Am I a help to any one, who may be struggling with the challenge of living a holy life, or am I too full of myself to be of any help to anyone else? Can God entrust a life, just one life, into my hands, sure and certain that I can guide that life, under his guidance and direction, to the place where God is glorified? 

This journey will demand a lot from all who seek to undertake it. Nowhere does God promise that the journey will be free from storms, winds and detours. There will be times when it is easier to give up than press on. There will be times when it would seem that God is a bit too quiet for comfort; when you will seek for a sign that God is near and still in charge. Times will come when you will seek an assurance that what you hold is the real deal and not the fake. At those times, the words of today's extract is the message for the season of fear that the devil wants to entrench. 

Message and Response:

What would God have me do? What would he have me know? What steps would have me take, if I am to enjoy all that is made available in Him? First, remember that you must be IN Him to be able to enjoy all that he is and gives. How can I make a demand on resources that do not belong to the country I do not reside in lawfully? It is my residence status that defines my benefits. If I will lay claim to all that today's extract mentions, the secret is in my location. If I can sort that out, God will sort out the benefits that accrue. 

In addition, I must seek the knowledge of all that I am entitled to, and I can only know this through the Word of God. I may lawfully reside in the place I want to claim benefits in, but if I do not know what I am entitled to, what and how can I claim? The Word of God is the key to unlocking all that I seek, and the benefits will only be fully utilised when I know in full what the death and resurrection of Jesus has secured for me.

Of course, you have to give up something for another. It is not possible to hold on to the two at the same time. My human heart cannot take two competing interests at the same time. It is either the Spirit of power, love and a sound mind is operating in me, or it is the spirit of fear that is at work. And of course, the one you feed grows, and when fully grown, defines your eternal reality. 

God does not give fear, even though there is an element of good fear and awe that I must have for this God. God does not seek man's allegiance through fear, but he seeks man to worship him out of a heart of gratitude. When you know the end of the bad fear, you know that God has nothing to do with it. The bad version of fear cripples and limits; the good version sets free. He is a God of love, one who has all power, yet created a man and gave him the power of choice, and a mind of his own. He then makes a case for himself, telling man what he stands to gain if he chooses Him, and respecting man's choice. That is awesome responsibility and grace. I do not want to take such grace for granted. I do not want to reject that grace, because if God is the last defence against hell fire, what chance do I have if I reject him? 

God wants to give all of himself to me. I need to stretch out my hands and take hold of that which God offers. The devil has no free gift, and whatever he offers you for free, he will definitely take something of even greater value away from you. God gives all of himself to us, as well as the life that never ends, and then invites me to come to him. He has done all that is required; the response is left to me. His time of favour is here. 

Legacies!

Legacies!

The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

Proverbs 20:7 KJV

Context:

This is the book of one-liners, where each line is a message on its own. Today's verse is taken from a passage that speaks to the value of hard work, respect, respect to authority and careful consideration of life and decisions. It makes no sense to be given to rash and abrasive behaviour; it is a sign of maturity and growth that I am not given to frequent outbursts of anger and rage. How is my heart? Is it a place where God dwells? Is it a place where God has been able to impact with his Word and Presence, and where his grace and mercy have done a great work in? 

Message and Response:

Who is a just man? It is not one who earns commendation from God on the strength of personal labour or striving, but from the work of God done in his heart and manifesting in his daily life. Man focuses on the external, which is why he can be easily deceived. God focuses on the inside, which is why he is not moved by the outside. Which one am I spending time on to develop: the inner man of the heart or the external man of the flesh given to pretence and hypocrisy? 

Being just is an attribute of God given to men who are full surrendered to him. A just man is so defined by God, and the walk of that man will reflect his standing with God. Until I have learnt how to stand with God, it is difficult to stand before men to declare God's mind. What would I be declaring to men if God does not consider me as his own? 

It is important to note that the just man is said to walk in his integrity. There is really no place for corporate coverage when it comes to walking in God's righteousness. You cannot walk on my behalf, just as I cannot walk on your behalf. My life can show you a few lessons, and you emulate them, you are blessed by God but you cannot pass on your responsibility to walk with God to anyone else. 

It must also be noted that my walk also has an impact beyond my generation. We focus so much on what we can get out of life that we forget to ensure that the children coming after us have lessons to learn. We get caught up in the daily grind of life that we forget to be examples that are worthy of emulation. Today's extract says that for the just man, his children are blessed after him. When you look at some children who seem to be succeeding even though they do not seem to rever God, it could be that the parents had laid the foundations for the  success of their children by their own just ways. It will be pointless to envy such people, except to also learn the right lessons and take the necessary steps. And in the event that I am tempted to think that I can get away with relying on my own parents' walk with God alone, what legacies will I be leaving for my own children coming after me? If my own parents showed me the path of life, is it not expected of me to also strive to show my own children the way of the Lord too? 

Today's extract is true all the way down: just as it applies to my parents, so does it apply to me too. As I enjoy the favour and blessings that come from the worthy examples laid down by my own parents, I ask God for grace to also lay down the right examples for the children coming after me. It is not just about my biological children but every life that God will give me grace to impact. I cannot claim ignorance of the will of God as an excuse why I could not teach my children about God. I have access to the Word of God. I have access to opportunities for fellowship and growth. 

The benefits of knowing God far outweigh the pains, and the eternal reward of a life given to God make the experience worth it. His time of favour is here. 

Helped!

Helped!

The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.

Psalm 34:18 AMPC

Context:

In order to fully understand the basis of today's extract, it is good to look at a few verses just before it. I read the words: Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? So, for all who will learn the fear of God, there are a few things that are non-negotiable. If I desire life, want to enjoy good days and see good, then today's lesson is just a part of God's requirement for my life. God is not a genie, who, at the wave of a wand, must do as commanded, but he is the miracle working God, who has terms and conditions for dealing with man. If I will get all of him, I must obey all of his instructions. 

As I live my life, I may do wrong. Sometimes, I may cause offence to other people, or step on toes. Sometimes, I will know immediately that I have done wrong but sometimes, it may take other people telling me what I have done wrong. No matter how I come to know the truth, how I handle the information speaks a lot about my control centre and my priorities. 

Message and Response:

When I have sinned or done wrong, can God reach me immediately so he can correct me and set me on the right path? Am I quick to own up to my wrong, or do I need to be hit on the head over and over again before I make amends? Am I like Cain, that God had to warn that sin was crouching at his door, and he needed to be careful. He did not heed God's warning and we know how he ended up. Sin does not ring a bell, neither does it announce itself, but its effect and impact are eternal. 

Compare Cain with David: both sinned under the old testament, but we see how each had different reactions to sin and God's dealings. David was a bit heady but when he was shown the terrible nature of his sin with Uriah and Bathsheba, he was truly sorry. He could do nothing about the consequences of his own actions, but he made his way right with God, because he was a man who always craved God's presence. When God's presence is my daily pursuit, I will hate sin the same way God does. If I am careless about God's presence, then it means that I will be slow to respond to God's warning about sin in my life. If he can't warn me, how does he correct me? If he can't keep me, how do I make it to eternal life with him? 

God is close to those whose hearts are receptive to his warnings. He is not man who can be fooled by external devotion. He is not moved by pious service only, but by a heart that is totally devoted and receptive to him. Does that describe me? Today's extract says that God is close to such people, and the reason is simple: they are receptive and responsive to what God is saying. If I hate sin the same way God does, it means that God can easily convict my heart when I do wrong. If I am not hypocritical, but sincerely sorry for sin, it means that God can trust my heart will not be led astray by the deceit of sin. 

I must not be like Cain, difficult to reach and teach, but must be like David, quick to teach and ready to submit to God's leading, teaching and correction. If God cannot reach me, I am beyond help. If God cannot correct me, I am destined for destruction. If God's Word cannot convict my heart, it means I am beyond being saved. I take careful stock today;  where do I stand? His time of favour is here. 

Dwell!

Dwell!

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Psalm 91:1‭-‬2 KJV

Context:

Nothing is said of the person who wrote these words but there is no doubt as to the power behind the words. The times we live in now are scary; nothing seems to work. Principles are being whittled away, little by little. Standards keep falling, because it is easier for men to blend in than to stand out. The world offers protection for its own; the challenge is that the world cannot protect you from what it does not understand. You cannot give that which you do not have. How can the limited world offer you the life that it does not have? 

The solution is found in today's extract. There is a God who owns and holds life in his hands. He gives life to all who come to him, and guarantees eternal life to all who put their trust in him to the end. He will not promise something he cannot deliver. He is not man, given to weaknesses and lies. He is not limited by time, circumstances and space and he's not subject to emotional uncertainties like man. That is why his Word can be trusted. Today's extract highlights some of his promises, and I will do well to look at these critically, so that I can fully understand what he needs me to do. 

Message and Response:

1. Choice: God has made an offer to all who seek the life he offers. He does not force his will on any one. That is what makes us different from every other creature on the earth: the power and freedom to make a choice. God gives me the full picture of the consequences of my choice. He leaves no doubt as to what I stand to gain or lose based on my choice. He does not hide anything from me. I can't claim ignorance of the consequences of my choice. Always, it is a choice between two eternal extremes: life and death. All I do from birth until death or rapture is a choice between these two extremes. 

2. Residence/location: it matters where I choose to live. As always, there is a choice between two extremes. Today's extract talks about the secret place of the Most High. That is an actual place of residence, which also means that there is a place away from the secret place of the Most High. There is no fence here, so you can't be in neither. Every day, from my decisions, I am dwelling either in God's secret place or anywhere else away from his presence. It does not matter how 'secure' a place is; if it is away from the secret place, it is open to attack at anytime, and there is no guarantee of safety. 

3. Status: the key word here is DWELL. It is not a temporary arrangement, whereby you come in and go out as and when you please. There is grave danger in that uncertainty. What if you go out of the secret place and you are attacked, unable to return? What if the owner of your life makes a demand for it while you are out of his secret place? How can he offer you his kind of life if you never submitted to his authority or took advantage of the grace and mercy he offered for free? Am I renting temporary space or am I dwelling? Dwelling gives me rights of residence. Temporary accommodation does not. Which one do I have? 

4. Personal Confession: there is a place for my own decision and action. In the light of the information I have been given; there is a decision I have to make. God offers me the place to stay, as well as the benefits of that stay, but I have to make a public confession and take a stand. Like the writer here, in light of all that God has done, I must align myself with his will and take advantage of that which he is and has. 

Anyone can say the words: He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. However, it is only true for all who have taken advantage of the offer in the earlier part of today's extract. Calling on God is the easy part; even people who do not care about him seek him out when trouble comes. This is not the emergency variety, good only for the times of trouble, but this is a call to a life of consistent faithfulness and commitment. Before I stand before men to make claims, have I knelt before God in total submission to his will? Before I claim familiarity with God, can I say of a truth that I have sorted out my devotion to Him? Does he know me as His own? Is He my all in all, or are there other possible 'viable' options? My claim on God is based on my stand with him. If he is my all, I get all that he is. If he does not know me, it does not matter what I claim. His time of favour is here. 

Fulfilled!

Fulfilled!

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Galatians 5:14 KJV

Context:

The law had its uses. It pointed us in the direction of God's idea of perfection under the old testament. However, the dispensation of the law had not much room for grace and mercy. It was not that mercy and grace were non-existent; it was just that the law demanded action and laid out the consequences for inaction or disobedience. It was as straight as it got; you knew what each action deserved.

Then comes in the dispensation of grace. It did not totally rule out the law; the righteous requirements of the law, which was God's whole idea from the start, were fulfilled in Christ Jesus. The law reminded us of sin and our helpless sinful nature, but Christ came to remind us of the blessings we were entitled to now in Christ. Christ did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfil it. He came to make God known to man, and man can only be totally reconciled to God when he comes through the One that has the mandate of God to draw men to him. 

Message and Response:

If the law was that imperfect and could not bring about God's perfect idea of righteousness, it means that nothing under that law can lead to God's perfect idea of relationships too. Under the law, all I needed to do was keep to a set of rules. It did not matter if my heart was not in it; I was judged on the basis of activity, action and reaction. That is why under the law, the rich young ruler would have got a pass, because even Jesus did not fault the man's assertion that he had kept the law since his youth. If all we had to do was to keep a set of rules and be justified, where then is the place of grace? Why would I need God if I could get his approval by labour?

Jesus' engagement with the rich young man is in line with today's extract. God's law of love is deeper than the scope of the old law. You can't get away with mere activities that lack heart devotion. In fact, from God's perspective, once your heart is not in it, it may well be a waste of time. That is why today's extract says all of the law is summarised in one word, and that word is love.

It is important to define this love from God's view, not the world's. The world's idea of love is messed up; there are quite a number of ways the word is used by men of the world which looks nothing like what God says here. It leaves no room for selfishness; it places the interests of other people over and above self. It does not promote itself at the expense of another. It does not keep a record of wrongs or remind others how it has been hurt. It is not the kind that first seeks what it may get from you before it gives you of itself. 

All of the law finds expression and fulfilment in the word love. If I love my neighbour, I will always seek his good. If I love him, I will not covet what he has, and I will not seek to harm him. The ten commandments, as well as the others, become easy when my heart is sold out on God's kind of love. I will honour God with all my heart when his love is all I have got. I will not have any other God apart from him when his love fills every available space. I will not steal, or bear false witness against someone I consider my friend. If I will live right, I just must love right. Just as I would love myself, and not seek harm to myself, so must I love other people and not seek harm to them. If God were to deal with me on the same level as I deal with other people, what would my fate be? May the Lord teach me how to live and love right, so I can be all that God has created me to be. His time of favour is here. 

Today's Thoughts!

Today's Thoughts!

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Matthew 6:25 KJV

Context:

This is part of the early  messages of Christ called the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus sat with his disciples up the mountain, with the crowd listening to him. He was speaking to his disciples, people who had made the conscious decision to follow him. As it was then, so is it now: there is a call of God upon every human life. It is a call that asks me to walk away from the crowd and come up the mountain. It is not a call to careless thought and action, but one of careful consideration and action.

The crowd is fickle and its commitment ebbs and flows like the waves of the sea. It is the crowd that shouts "Hossana" one week and "Crucify him" the next. The crowd is concerned only with the immediate; disciples are concerned about eternal impact. Which one am I: a disciple or part of the crowd? Am I content being at the foot of the mountain, clapping about all that I hear, or am I making that walk up the mountain so I can obtain direction and instructions for the impact my life has been formed to make, and being careful to obey? A careful check of my daily pursuits and priorities will show where I stand.

Message and Response:

Jesus speaks to his disciples, asking them not to worry about their lives. In a world of demand, it is quite hard to understand what Jesus means here. There are legitimate demands on my time and resources: rent, clothing, food and shelter. As human beings, we do need these things, but here is the catch: can worrying about it make any difference? Can I guarantee provision for my legitimate needs if I worry a lot about it? If I can't, then why do it? 

Take no thought does not mean do not plan. Take no thought does not mean do not save. Take no thought does not mean do not take responsibility for the legitimate needs of your family. The key thing is what I do and how I do it as I plan. Do I plan with the heart of total submission to God's will, knowing that he is the only one who can really take care of my needs? Do I leave room for him to disrupt my plans if he has to, since he would have better plans for me than I can ever imagine? 

It is the worry part I must avoid, because it kills faith in God's ability to come through for me. Worry is telling God that I am sure he can take care of me, so I have to scheme for myself. Worry and faith cannot exist in the same heart at the same time because both of them come from different sources. It is human to worry, but as soon as it comes, give it all to the God who has asked not to worry. He knows how to deal with it and set my heart at rest.

And really, life is more than food, clothing and shelter. At the end of the day, there is none of these things that will go with you into eternity. We only make use of these things down here to sustain the human life, but they are of no eternal value if one does not know God. A man's life does not consist of the abundance of the things that he possesses. The world defines a man's networth by the things it can measure. God defines a man's worth by both his present potential and his eternal value. That is why Jesus died for my sins, even before I was born, because he knew the value of my life. He does not give like the world gives: giving wealth and sometimes taking away peace, but he gives me all that I need for life and Godliness.

My life is of greater importance to God than the questions of food, drink and dressing. My body has become the temple of the Holy Spirit, and my first priority is to do what pleases God. I may not always have all that I think I need, but I am assured that God is able to take care of me and lead me into eternal life. His promise is that he will provide, and his Word has never been known to fail. I must focus on the eternal, not the earthly. God will play his part; I must play my part. His time of favour is here. 

Appropriate Help!

Appropriate Help!

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:26 KJV

Context:

Paul writes to the church in Rome, teaching about the value of faith in Christ and the benefits it brings. We are called into a new relationship with Christ, and brought into a good standing with him. Our sins are forgiven and washed away, and it is a whole new start, free from condemnation and guilt. That is what the law of the Spirit of life in Christ has secured for me and it will be unfortunate if I do not take advantage of these benefits. God has played his part; as we always say, the choice of response is mine to sort out. 

The one person that is critical to my walk with God is the Holy Spirit. He is the third person of the Trinity, and he is the One promised to us by Jesus before he left the world physically. His earthly assignment has been laid out; He is not just to validate my feelings, but to reveal God's mind to me so I can align and always be at the centre of God's will. He is the divine presence that helps man impact the earthly phase. If I will ever be of use to God, I need the Holy Spirit. There is no work of God that can be done without him, no matter the applause it generates or the recognition you get for it. There are quite a lot of functions the Holy Spirit performs, but today's extract only looks at a few of them. 

Message and Response:

The first one today's extract speaks on is to help our infirmities. The best of us is weak. We build up physical muscles, but realise we do not really need them for the work that has eternal value. Physical exercise helps me keep fit and has some value for this present life but it has no place in my spiritual walk. I am weak; that is not negotiable. God knows my frame, and that is why he provides help from someone who is not limited by the human nature. He understands the things that make me weary, but is not limited by them. 

How was Elijah able to tuck his clothes into his belt and outrun a whole chariot if he was not helped? How did 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes feed over 5,000 people if God's hand was not on the food? How did Peter, a reed that denied Jesus 3 times a few days before, later preach a sermon where 3,000 people were saved, if God was not involved? There is nothing a mortal man can achieve in working for God, if he doesn't first have God working in him. It is my inner state that defines my outer impact. The natural man will always threaten to emerge, and its desires and priorities are always against what the Spirit wants. If I will please God, I have to find a way to keep the natural man and its desires under perpetual subjection. 

One of the ways I keep my natural man under subjection is by prayer. I am telling God that I cannot run my life by myself; I need his help to be able to please him. Even when I pray, my own personal desires and dreams may seek priority over those of God. That is why I need the help of the Holy Spirit: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought. There is a what and a how. We ask for things to make us feel good, or to make us better than the other person, forgetting that in God's school, there is no superior or inferior person, just vessels. It is in prayer that I tell God I need his help. The Holy Spirit, because He is God, knows how to channel my desires to reflect God's perfect will. He makes sure that my heart seeks after that which glorifies and promotes God. There is no room for selfish desires or self-promotion. I lay my life down on the altar of God's service, asking him to deal with me as he pleases. 

I tell myself to think very deeply about what this means before I desire it. The Spirit of God will not contend with me for control. He will offer me grace and help, and seek to show me what I stand to gain if I surrender all to him, but the decision to submit to him is mine alone to make. I will not turn around later on, and claim that I was forced. When I submit to the total control of the Holy Spirit, I get his full help, which is captured like this: He makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Interceding means standing in for someone else. Imagine then that God is already pleading your case; how would I not get what I need when it is God who is both pleading my case and also providing the answer? He does not stand aloof; he is involved in my daily life. He is not unaware of the times I live in; his help is always current, the ever-present help in trouble. 

He knows and sees my tears. He knows and sees my secret troubles. He is able to identify with my weaknesses. He supplies all that I lack, and stands in when I am unable to. The help of the Holy Spirit is central to all that I can ever become in the hands of God. If I know God's mind when I pray, I will spend less time struggling with my desires. If I know what God wants me to do, where and how he wants it done, I am free from any sense of comparison or competition with anyone. It is a personal walk with God, as well as a personal dealing by the Holy Spirit. I ask God again to help me, so that I can be all that he can make me. His time of favour is here. 

Dwell 2!

Dwell 2!

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:8 KJV

Context:

Moses the man of God was dead. He had walked with God for years, seen God do mighty things and had been used to impact history. Here was a man that God himself said he spoke with face to face. That was a relationship at its best; God finding expression in a man, and man being able to touch God and see him at work. What kind of relationship do I have with God? Is it the type where God has to really press me before I can create time to hear what he has to say, or have I deliberately set out time for me to seek him, so he can speak to me?

Then, a little problem of anger cost him entry into the promised land. It was right at the edge of Canaan; at the final tip just before the victory. Never think that the devil will give up on you simply because God has built a hedge around you. Sin is such a monster that it does not ring a bell when it wants to visit. I must be very careful about my daily pursuits and priorities so that I don't open myself up to the devil. God wants to preserve life; the devil wants to take it. What I consider important, and the things I pursue, will show whose side I am on. Today's extract tells me how to achieve this.

Message and Response:

1. This book of the law. It is not a book of suggestions, or options, but of the law of God. If it is law, it is not subject to my choice, but demands my obedience and alignment. If it is THE book, it has only one true copy and all others are pretenders. It refers to a specific book, of which Joshua knew precisely what God was talking about. Do I consider God's Word as binding upon my life? Do I take his Word as the law over my life or have I found other 'viable' options? Eventually, it is that which you trust that will work for you.

2. Not depart out of your mouth. We see the mouth, but nothing about the process that leads to the mouth. For my mouth to keep the book of the law, I must go through the process of preparation, processing, planning and production. Good food does not occur automatically; it is the product of commitment and dedication. I will go to the market, purchase food that lines up with what I want to eat, and then process. There are some that will require cooking, some frying, some roasting, some eaten as purchased. In the same way, God's Word has different applications: doctrine, reproof, instruction and training in righteousness. I must submit myself to the full works if I will enjoy the food of God's Word.

3. Day and Night. I cannot rely on one good meal for the rest of my life. As soon as it is time for the next meal, I have to go through the whole process again, in line with what I want to eat. That is why I have to meditate on God's law day and night. What served me as good food in the morning today will have to change or be prepared again for tomorrow morning. Most times, we love some foods so much that we try and preserve it for as long as we can, but the effect of time on food is usually felt in the taste. So is it with the book of the law: you keep at it. You read it daily, you strive to know what it says about your life and situations on a daily basis. Samson relied on how he had handled the past, and he paid a steep price for it. Joshua was warned not to become complacent and as long as he heeded that warning, he was fine. As it was then, so is it still now.

4. Careful to do according to ALL. It is not enough to be a good reader; I must also strive to be an obedient reader. In all of God's Word, the first step is always about the reading or listening. The next essential step is the doing. There is no blessing attached to just reading if you do not intend to obey. I cannot pick and choose only that which makes me comfortable, or that which does not demand anything from me. Total obedience is the key to unlocking all that God is and has.

5. Prosperity and good success. If God speaks about good success here, it means there is a bad version. We all claim the promises of God's prosperity; we want to see his best, but are we giving him our best? The world has its own version of success too, and it is quite a popular one, even if it is a confusing one. It relies on images and symbols, not on anything of substance. It is never static, but always changing to suit the current narrative. God also has his own version, and it is tied to his Word. I cannot start from the end of the verse and work backwards; I have to fulfil the conditions if I will enjoy the benefits.

How do I handle God's Word? Is it my most prized possession or is it just one of the many options I juggle? If God is not my first and foremost consideration, it means that the suggestions of the world has a place in my heart. May the Word of God be my constant companion, a joy to my heart and a continuous desire. That is the secret to the blessings I seek. His time of favour is here. 

Together!

Together!

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

1 Corinthians 12:25‭-‬26 KJV

Context:

Paul speaks extensively about the body, both the natural and the spiritual body. The natural body of man has different parts, each with its defined function and role in the body. No part is built to do the work that another part was formed to do, as the eye cannot chew food on behalf of the mouth. God has so designed each part of the human body to carry out specific functions, and one fundamental lesson learnt from this is: the beauty of the body isn't in each part working very well on its own, but that each part is working together with other parts for the good of the entire body.

This generation has raised the value of one part of the body over and above the whole body. We look at some gifts, and because they are visible and audible, we are tempted to think that this is what makes them more important than the other parts. If you do not function as a body, you don't get to be called a body. It is the sum of all parts working to a defined end that makes a body one, not that one part is very hardworking.

Message and Response:

This is the thrust of today's extract. God has so arranged the human body in a way that no part can be neglected. We have parts we do not need to cover, because it is their role to remain uncovered in carrying out their assignment. There are parts that MUST be covered, otherwise, there will be disgrace. There are parts that can never be exposed, yet we pay greater attention to these parts, while we do not have to pay that much attention to the parts that do not need to be covered. That is the wisdom of God in full display.

It is the power of that inter-connection that makes today's message tick. God knows the way the human mind works, and that if I do not have much regard for something, I won't pay too much attention to it. God has then ordained it that no part of the body can boast in its total independence, but that as each part works, it supplies what the other part lacks, and it gets back that which it needs. I was not made to function in a vacuum, and that is why there can be no schism in the body.

If my eye cannot dispense with the services of the hand, so also in the body of Christ, no part can dispense with another part. The joy of one part is the joy of the whole body, just as the pain in one part is the pain of all the parts of the body. Imagine what a simple ankle injury can do to the whole body; th eentire body will feel the pain. My life must be lived this way, if I will ever be a blessing, not a burden to the body of Christ.

After all, the gifts that I am to contribute to the body of Christ were never mine in the first place. They belong to the head, where control, impact and influence are determined. Am I happy to see other parts do well? Am I cross when others do well, or am I free from self-promotion and pride? Am I fine in my skin, location and function, so that nothing can push me into envy and self-pity? I have no control over the message, the audience, the platform or the response. The only thing I can control is my own contribution to the body, and when I do that well, God is glorified. May the Lord help me to walk worthy of the calling I have received and make full proof of my ministry. His time of favour is here. 

Power in the Word!

Power in the Word!

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalms 119:105 KJV

Context:

The writer of this psalm is not declared, but it is on record as the longest chapter in the Bible. It has a total of 176 verses divided into 22 sections of 8 verses each. All the sections bear reference in one way or another to God and His Word. What is the value of this information to me in this present generation? Of what use is a book written centuries ago to me living in this 21st century? What guidance can a book like this give to me, even though it was not written in my time? 

Message and Response:

The value of God's Word is seen from many dimensions. First you have its source and inspiration. The one who authored the words is the One called the First and the Last, the beginning and the end. Before Him, nothing existed, and there cannot be anything after the One who has no end. He is the same one who existed long before Lucifer became the devil; he still spoke to Adam and the generation after him, and he still speaks to my generation, if we only listen. 

The second dimension is about its effect and Impact. I am yet to meet any life that is not impacted one way or another by the power of the Word, either by the power of conviction for sin or a reminder to righteousness. You cannot meet the true Word of God and have no reaction. You either reject what you have heard or you embrace it; you cannot sit on the fence on this one as there is no fence. You have to decide what your response will be, as eternity lies on it. 

The third dimension has to do with its earthly and eternal reach. Any one who will reign with Christ in eternity must go through the Word. I am yet to see a phase of life that the Word of God does not cover. We read the words like a story, and we sometimes miss the message because we are so caught up in what it can do for us now, that we miss what it actually is supposed to do, which is to both make us relevant on earth and also prepare us for heaven. The Word of God is not a wand to be waved to deliver to me what I want alone, but also to know God's mind for my life. Am I all about what I can get, or do I make room for God to touch my heart with His Word?

This is important because I need guidance, light and direction for my journey of life. Life is too complex to be lived by instinct, education, enlightenment, connections, influence or all the other things the world considers as important. It is first a personal walk before it becomes a public declaration. It is of no value that men call me a child of God when God's Word cannot impact my life. If His Word does not guide my feet and direct my life, what is the point of being called a child of God? A child of God is known to the world by the outward evidence of the imprint of God's Word upon his heart. You can pretend for a while, but eventually, the proof of your control centre will be made known. 

Before I dare to stand before men, have I bowed my head and heart to the cleansing fire of God's Word? Before I stand to declare God's Word, has that same Word taken total control of my heart? You can only give what you have. You can fake it for a while, using high-sounding words and gymnastics, but a life without God's Word would always end up in shame. If God does not guide, how can I end where God desires? 

And it is the feet that represents motion, movement or direction. If the feet are right, the life is right. I am not the one to dictate terms to the Word; it is the Word that is the lamp and light. I am not the one providing the light, God's Word is capable, all by himself, to provide all that I need. May my life be receptive to the guidance of God's Word. May His Word be able to guide and guard my path on a daily basis. His time of favour is here. 

Live; Walk!

Live; Walk!

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25 KJV

Context:

Paul speaks of the strength of both the Spirit and the flesh. He had a personal experience of both extremes, so you could say he was qualified to speak on the matter. It is very clear that both the Spirit and the flesh are two extreme masters; none leaves room for the other to operate. 

If you are under the control of the Spirit, you cannot still please flesh. If the flesh is in control, the Spirit has no room to operate. These are parallel lines that can never meet, no matter how long you draw or try to manipulate them, because they are from two different sources and with different eternal consequences.

Message and Response:

The most important question then that a man will have to answer today is: Who is in charge? I must think and consider very carefully what the reality of my life is at the moment: what are the things able to hold and keep my attention; what are my present pursuits and priorities and who or what is the inspiration behind these?

And I note from the passage that there is no room for being passive; you will have to pursue after that which holds your heart. So that there is no confusion, Paul lays out what are the signs that the flesh is in charge: immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, divisions, party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), envy, drunkenness, carousing and the like. He then warns that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God, because none of these practices align with the dictates of the Spirit. 

Of course, God would not demand a thing from me without providing guidance on how to do it and what that thing looks like. The thing is called the fruit of the Spirit, and it manifests in various expressions such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. There is no law on earth, made by man, that can make any of the above a criminal offence. 

My life must be a daily walk of faith, in line with the presence and influence of the Spirit. I am not pushing my point of view as the right one, but as I live in line with the Spirit, the proof of his presence will be the loudest message that my life can produce. Even if men do not see my point of view now, as long as it is the Truth of God's Word that I live by, that truth will surely prevail. I do not fight to uphold my point of view; I simply allow the One who lives in me to speak out through me. I do not passively accept heresy; I speak out as led by the Spirit of God in me, but if there is no open heart to receive it, I do not leave room for bitterness, but allow the Spirit of God, inspiration behind the truth of God's Word, to do his work.

That is the message of today's extract. If the Spirit is in charge, my life will reflect that fact. If he lives in me, my walk and work will show it. There is no room for hypocrisy and self-deceit; I cannot fool God with external showmanship that is empty of the presence of God. If God is in charge, it will show. If he is not, it will also show. If I claim to be a child of God, my life must be a visible, daily expression and testament to that truth. 

Is my life's pursuits, priorities and conduct controlled by the Spirit? Note: the response will speak into eternity. I had better be sure. His time of favour is here. 

Rest!

Rest!

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John 14:1 KJV

Context:

The Word of God was made flesh, and dwelt among men. He came like man, so he could feel what man felt; he walked in our shoes, enduring the cold and heat, hunger and thirst that we all feel, so he could offer us hope that in and by him, we could face whatever challenges would come our way. He is God, yet he left all his glory in heaven, so he could identify with us, offer us salvation from sin and its consequences, and then guarantee us eternal life with him in heaven, when this earthly phase is over. I am not sure that there is an offer that can beat this, or if anyone can guarantee all that the life of Jesus has settled for us. 

It is in that light that today's extract makes sense. You do not get half-measures; you get the full package of all that Jesus is. Today's extract is taken from one of the final words of encouragement by Jesus to his disciples, just before he went to the cross. Of course, the disciples were troubled; how could a man who they had seen raise the dead and reverse the impossible then submit to dying? And not even an ordinary, respectable dying, but a death on a cross, which the Jews knew was a curse. How could the one they called Lord subject himself to that? That is why the way of the cross is foolishness to the natural man; for those who have seen the benefits of the cross, you can only be eternally grateful.

Message and Response:

It takes a heart that is under the influence and control of the Holy Spirit to live in the now. Today's extract is a reminder of that truth. When Jesus told his disciples to set their hearts at rest and not be troubled, they surely had no idea what he was talking about. The events around his betrayal and death show that the hearts of the disciples were certainly not at peace. The bible records that when Judas came with his band, all the disciples forsook him and fled. Even Peter, who later followed at a distance, denied knowing who Jesus was at the time. Are you going through tough and challenging times now? Hear God's Word again today: Let not your heart be troubled.

Easier said than done, right? Situations will arise that will test the quality of your faith in God; at no time does Jesus ever promise that you will have things easy and smooth. However, from today's extract, it is clear that my worry cannot stop what God has planned, and my fretting cannot change that which God intends to use to build me up. If there was no need for fear, Jesus would not speak the words of today's extract. If there was no risk of worry, I would not need the daily reassurance of God's presence. As I read the words, I am reminded that I am better off trusting in God than worrying about the unknown. Worry does not give you any hope about tomorrow; it only robs you of the joy of today.

For the disciples, they had no problem believing in God. The typical Jew was brought up to know God's law as taught by Moses. Maybe the disciples knew about God, but I am sure they could not fathom how a mortal man like Jesus standing before them could claim to be God. We are comfortable around the familiar; we do not like things that we do not understand. God invites us to a new level of experience, where we get a daily reminder of his power and grace, and we get to depend on him on a daily basis for all that we need. We find the answers to all of life's questions in Jesus; just as the disciples had Jesus with them, so do we have the presence of God in us, providing the assurance we need that all will end well.

God can only keep safe that which has been entrusted into his care. He does not go against the exercise of my freewill. If I surrender to him, I get all of him. If I hold on to certain areas of my life, I cannot turn around and blame him for how my life turns out. If I will be free of worry, my heart must be fixed on something else. If it is fixed on God, there is no room for worry. If it is not fixed on God, then there is plenty of room for other considerations. After all, Jesus came to offer me a way back to God. His life secures my own life. His victory over sin and death offers me hope about today and tomorrow. Have you met this Jesus? Does he know you as his own? Have you received the life of Jesus, the life that protects from worry and uncertainty? in Jesus lies the solution to worry. Know Jesus; know life. No Jesus; no life. His time of favour is here.

Refreshed!

Refreshed!

I will fully satisfy the needs of those who are weary and fully refresh the souls of those who are faint. Jeremiah 31:25 NET

Context:

The Lord seems to be constantly reminding us all that he hates sin and will punish unconfessed sin. It does not matter what we may have achieved for God, or how useful a tool we have been in his hands; sin will rubbish all of these and turn us into God's enemy. Yes, we may continue to show off all the signs of people being used, but the final judgment will show the truth about our status, and at that time, repentance will be too late. While there is time to repent, now is the time to check our ways and be sure that there is no sin in the camp. 

Israel and Judah had become complacent about sin, and judgment had come. Nations who could not withstand them in the past became their oppressors. It was hard to find victory anywhere, as God was the one fighting against his own people. However, for reasons best known to God, he decided he was going to restore his people to their own land. There may have been some sorrow for their sin, and maybe some repentance, but the timing of the decision to restore belonged solely to God. I must ask God earnestly for restoration. I must plead his grace and mercy so he can also do for me all that he did for Israel here. 

Message and Response:

I cannot claim good works; if there was no sin in the camp, there would not have been a need to punish and banish the people of Israel to exile. If there was no evil in the camp, God would not be fighting his people. In today's extract, I note that nothing is said about my own contribution to what God is going to do. In fact, the people had nothing to present as good arguments before God. What could a weary and faint soul offer to the Man of War, so that the Man of War could fight on his behalf? 

This is where you know that whatever it is you have is a function of the grace and mercy of God. When you have striven by your own strength and got nothing, it is time to turn to the Strength of Israel. When you have exhausted all the options that the wisdom and intellect of the world teach, it is time to turn to the Wisdom and Power of God. When bank account balances and circle of influence have failed, it is time to turn to the All-sufficient One. As long as I have a backup plan, I cannot fully understand my need and lack. Until I turn to the One who is all I need, I will keep struggling. 

Because he is the all-sufficient One, he really does not need my help to make me all that he wants me to be. His right hand can wrought miracles. After all, where was I when he was laying the foundations of the world? Do I know how he placed the oceans where they are, almost like natural boundaries for continents? If I cannot explain these mighty works, I am better off leaving how he will supply the needs of the weary and how he will refresh the faint to him. 

Now my own part: do I recognise and admit my weaknesses? Do I consider myself helpless and weary, and in need of God's help? That is my own contribution to the whole process: an admission of my inadequacies and total surrender to the God who is more than enough. And I see the word: FULLY in the extract. God does not do half-measures. He is a God of completion. He calls himself the author and finisher of our faith. How can I be expected to trust a God with a nice start but a bad ending? He does not start a thing that he cannot finish, and there is no power on earth that can prevent him from finishing whatever it is he starts. He is the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God: able and capable. 

What is that thing that is threatening your peace? Give it to God. What is that thing that is causing you pain and pressure? Hand it over to God. Make sure that there is no secret sin in your camp, and get a word of assurance of God's help from him. That Word is all you need, because the Help of Israel does not lie, and he lives and stands by whatever he says. He is all I need for life and Godliness. He is all I need for the challenges of this earthly phase. Would I allow him work? Would I deal with sin in my life so I can enjoy the fullness of his power and grace? The choice of response, as always, is mine to sort out. His time of favour is here. 

Password!

Password!

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100:4‭-‬5 KJV

Context:

The whole chapter 100 of Psalms is dedicated to the praise of God. It emphasizes the attitude with which God expects all who seek to come near must have: joy. You do not get it by paying a huge sum of money for it; you cannot get it by killing for it, or robbing others who have it. This is not something you can labour for by virtue of strength, network, net worth or intelligence; it is the product and evidence of the indwelling presence of God. Joy is part of the package called the FRUIT, not fruits of the Holy Spirit. You cannot pick and choose that which catches your fancy; when you get God, you get all that He is. If you do not have Him, it really does not matter what else you have. 

We have a God here who seeks men who will seek him, not for what they can get from him, but who know and understand who he is and what he can do. A personal question for me: have I met this God, or have I been following the wrong version? This is a God who introduces himself as 'Spirit' and all who will worship him must do so in spirit and in truth. Flesh cannot understand this need to fully submit to a God that is not visible, yet is all-powerful and omnipresent. The human nature in us seeks independence and self-promotion, but if my life will make any sense, it has to discover the God who owns it and then live life under the authority, control and direction of this God. I ask myself again: have I met this God?

Message and Response:

Think of a King in whose domain you dwell and whose authority you have accepted. Would you not do all that this king demands, if you wish to retain your residential status? If he lays out the terms and conditions for access into His presence, and you know that access gives you privileges and blessings you could not get otherwise;; would you not be quick to align with the terms and conditions? If this applies to a mortal, earthly king, imagine how much more relevant it is for an immortal, heavenly king, in whose hands are the riches and treasures of the whole world. If an earthly king can demand such total obedience, how can we imagine that it will be different for our heavenly king? 

He lays out the terms of access: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. I do not rush in like an armed robber or a stranger with no knowledge of the customs and traditions of the land I am seeking access into. I do not come in like an ungrateful child, only after the tokens of the kingdom, and not the joy of a personal knowledge of the king and ruler of the kingdom whose riches I am seeking to enjoy. I come into his gates with the attitude that guarantees that I will be welcomed in. I come into his courts with a heart that is tuned to the acknowledgement of his power, might, grace and awesome mercy. My heart bursts with thanksgiving because it knows all that it has received in the past and is still receiving.  

When I read the words: Bless His name - I could almost wonder how a mortal man can bless an immortal God, but then I realise that blessing God can only proceed out of a heart that is fully aware of the fact that all it is and has comes from this same God. I cannot out-give God; all that I already have or plan for can only come from him. My blessing God is adoring, worshipping and giving him all the praise and appreciation that is due Him. I acknowledge my helplessness in the face of the awesome power of God. I confess my inabilities, shortcomings and failures, and receive the enablement that only He can provide. 

The reasons for all I have been asked to do are also laid out in today's extract: For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting. By default, God is good. That is his nature. He does not do evil, even if the effects and consequences of my sin lead to evil. He cannot produce that which does not align with his nature, even though he may allow evil to happen, as a result of the exercise of my own freewill. His nature is mercy, and his mercy is eternal, just like he is. The problem is that, for mortal men, mercy expires. It was mercy that brought Abraham to the hall of faith, and it is mercy that has brought me also into faith. It is not about what I did to earn it, but all about what God did to bring me in. He has brought me in; I have the responsibility to embrace that mercy to the end, so I can get all that his mercy intends for me. 

His truth endureth to all generations. Of course, He is also the Way, the Truth and the Life. Anyone who makes any claim to any of these would be a liar. Truth is also his nature, and as it has been established earlier, God cannot produce what is against his nature. He does not lie. If he calls something a sin, no amount of bleach or human opinion and support can whitewash it. If he desires to bless a man who walks in his ways, no human opposition or support can influence him to change his mind. From generation to generation, mortal man has learnt that God's standards do not slip. Dispensations may differ, and the application and access to grace may mean different things to different people in different generations, but one thing is quite clear: the standards of God are like him: immovable and unchangeable. That is why he must be feared. That is why he can be trusted. That is why his judgement will always be based on truth, not deception. 

Now that I know who this God is, and how he desires to be approached, my best offering is to live in line with his expectations. If I have now known who this God, it will be folly to persist in my past ways which brought no profit to me. Ignorance may have worked at a time, but now, God makes himself known by the things that are happening around us. Financial structures, long-term plans and well laid out and fool-proof measures all fail; only God remains the same forever: faithful and true to his word. He can be trusted; I am safe with him. Does He know me as his own? Am I willing to pay the price for permanent access to his residence? The benefits of that access are eternal; there will be no regrets for the man who finds God. His time of favour is here.