Truth!

Truth!

John 8:32 AMPC

[32] And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

We start with a definition of truth. The word "true" means matching facts and reality instead of being false. The challenge with the definition above is that the world is able to define what it qualifies as true, and it will hold on to that position, no matter how silly its view is, or what God's word says. We live in a world that celebrates 'alternative facts" and claims these facts to be true, even when everyone else can see it to be false. This is also why it cannot be the world that defines what is true, but that which has been proven to be consistent and absolute in its constant consistency. God is the only One who has remained true through changing generations.

We encounter this truth when Jesus spoke to the crowd which always gathered anytime He was speaking. I note that in that crowd were Jews, as well as Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Some came sincerely to hear Him speak, but some also came to find ways to trip Him up, so they could have cause to accuse and arrest Him. As it was in those days, so is it today. Many come to Jesus with ulterior and sincere motives, but the warning here is: we deal with a God of absolute knowledge. Nothing catches Him by surprise; there are no secrets with Him; you cannot deceive Him. How can that which is created outwit He who is the Creator?

He cannot be mocked; whatever the motive for coming to Him may be, know that you will get the result that matches that motive. Think about the verse above; this was Jesus' words to the Jews who had come to believe in Him. In the same crowd where the Pharisees were looking for ways to trip Him, there were Jews that were receiving and responding to the Word of God. Who says God cannot move in the midst of the most oppressive regime? Who says God is limited by men's resistance to His Word? As it was then, so is it today. The Word still works wonders. The power of the Word of God is still active today. Is my heart receptive to the Word of God today?

These Jews who believed were introduced to the Truth: the person that gives true freedom. No knowledge of man is ever complete in man; no one can say he has known all there is to know of a body of knowledge. In the same way, if a man knows God, He is now exposed to a God who has no limits, and who can preserve all who hold on to Him to eternity. This is the truth of the person of Christ: He does not just give life. He is Life. He does not just show the way; He is the Way. He is not one of many options; He is the One who makes the Father known. He will not force Himself on anyone, but knowing Him is true freedom that preserves all the way to eternal life. Do you know Him? God's time of favour is here. 

Walk Right!

Walk Right!

1 John 2:6 AMP

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

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

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

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

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

God's Supply!

God's Supply!

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

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

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

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

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