Faith is the Way!

Faith is the Way!

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” Romans 1:17 NLT

We live in a world that teaches merit and extols ability and capability. We operate in a world that teaches us that nothing is given free of charge, and we must fight and hustle for whatever we desire. Unfortunately, nobody talked about the effects of the hustle or how the hustle should be done in a way that God can bless. You find man pursuing an image of success handed down by word of mouth, outward manifestations and symbols determined by other human beings. God is not even considered or his opinions sought in the matter; it is a crazy race to be all you can be.

Today's extract seeks to draw our minds back to the foundations, to the things that really matter. When man fell into sin in the garden of Eden, his real life was exchanged with death and the relationship was severed. He lost his position with God and could no longer lay claim to the benefits accruing from that relationship. God however would not let the matter rest like that. On the same day that man fell into sin, God announced a plan of redemption to restore man back to him. It took a few centuries, but eventually the full price was paid and man was set free.

Now, that is where the issues start. The gift has been given, the sacrifices have been made, the price has been fully paid. Why, then, does it appear as if man is not taking advantage of this offer? Of God has made us right with him through the death of his Son on the cross, why do we have the level of rejection of God that we see in the world today? Why do we not cease from labour, striving and hustling, and turn to God simply in faith? Why do we not cease from seeking God's approval by good works, and simply walk into a new stand with him by faith in his finished work? That is the only standard acceptable to God- faith in his finished work of redemption and justification. You cannot earn it, you cannot buy it, you cannot inherit it or leave it as s legacy for anyone. It is a choice of faith, a walk of faith, a decision to receive life from Him that is called The Life himself.

What is it going to be for you? Is it the continued human efforts to please God or simple faith in God? Are you going to seek out the tokens of liars, who project a wrong notion of success and acceptance, or will you hold on to the truths of the Word of God, which has declared that faith is the only thing needed to please God and earn his approval? The choice is yours. Remember, all choices have eternal consequences. Eternity is too long a time not to be sure of your final destination. His time of favour is here.

His Presence or his presents?

His Presence or his Presents?

Joshua 1: 8-9(KJV) - 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. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Indeed, God is a good God.  He made a promise to a man called Abraham and long after Abraham had died, God was still working out the promise and seeking to fulfil it.  One major attribute of God which I have experienced is His ever-constant reliability to uphold his Word. Once he has said it, you can bet that it will come to pass.

But like every other person, we love to claim the good without doing good. We love the promises but we conveniently forget the conditions. Abraham walked with God to his dying day, armed only with the promise of great things in his future. Isaac held on to the promise too, and Jacob and Joseph kept reminding their offspring of the wonderful promises of God. These ones didn't see the promised land but they held on in faith and complete obedience to the promises of God, doing all that God asked them to do. If only we could learn from them.

Nowadays, sinners claim promises belonging to saints and believers, while even believers themselves simply confess a promise with their lips but their hearts have wandered away in search of other alternatives. Joshua was told: I am with you. Be strong and courageous. Stay connected to the Book of the Law, my statutes. That is the only guarantee of success. The Word of God gives the promise, it is our obedience and faith that activates the blessings attached to those promises.
If you want to be blessed, stay connected to the Word and stay obedient. His time of favour is here.

Standing the Test!

Standing the Test!

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23‭-‬24 KJV

Can you stand the test of the contents of your heart? Can I allow God disclose the contents of my heart to me or to someone else? As God moves from person to person and from place to place, seeking sincere and truthful hearts that he can work on and work through, can he count on you?

The Psalmist here understood the importance of God's work in and through a life. God does not commit his precious gifts into a life that has not been tested and found true. God does not lead a life that has not been absolutely surrendered to his control. The words SEARCH and TRY depict the sincere work of God in a life, where nothing can be hidden from God or kept away from him. When you give God total control, you tell him that whatever he says, wherever he leads and wherever he directs, you are willing and ready to obey wholeheartedly.

You may ask: Why can't I search myself and deal with any identified issue? The answer is that by nature, man is insincere, untruthful and hypocritical. We cannot own up to our faults unless we are forced to, and we will not admit our helplessness until it is sometimes too late. With God, you are confronted by love with what your life is, but also with what your life should be.

I must therefore walk and work with God to allow his purpose stand in my life. If I am to make eternity, the one who assures me of a home there is best suited to qualify me for that home. His time of favour is here.

Where to Go?

Where to Go?

For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6 KJV

It is important to consider the worth and place of wisdom. When you look at creation, you have to admit that deep wisdom was the foundation upon which creation was established. The trees, mountains, valleys, deserts and oceans all point to an extraordinary power at work. What we see on the outside point to a great work completed in the Spirit before being made manifest. It is not hard to know that theories of evolution or the big bang do not apply here- someone great planned and executed the amazing wonder we call the earth today.

As we appreciate this work, we come to the conclusion above- God is the embodiment and personality of wisdom. Before you consider if a man can give you what he has promised, you look at his life for physical signs of capacity and capability. So also with God. When he says he can give you something, he's saying that He is whatever he promises. If he promises wisdom, it is because he is Wisdom. If he promises health, it is because he is our Health. If he promises us peace, it is because he is the Prince of Peace. All that we could ever hope to be have been settled in the person of Jesus Christ himself.

If we then accept him as Wisdom, it means we undertake to obey whatever he says and do whatever he commands. We wait for his words and instructions and we are careful to obey. When God speaks, we agree with his word and obey, so we can enjoy the benefits and blessings that come from knowing and understanding his ways. He speaks in various ways and by various means, establishing his purpose and desire for our lives. One Word from him can change our lives forever.

As we go out today, we must seek him out and know his will. He leads according to his own plan, not the realities that face us. His plans are not subject to economic realities; the economy will respond to his Word in our lives. Whatever you believe about his Word is what you receive. Go to God today; receive a word from him and be determined to obey. That is the way to knowing and understanding God, and enjoying the fullness of the blessings he has in store for us. His time of favour is here.

Sustained by His Spirit!

Sustained by His Spirit!

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:12 NIV

I wonder what the Psalmist must have been going through at the time these words were penned down. The account reveals that this words were written just after the events involving King David and Uriah's wife, Bathsheba. A king had done wrong- committed adultery with another man's wife and then murdered the husband. He had done all these and tried to cover it up, but he did not reckon with the one who sees even the most secret things. Here was a man who was favoured by God, sustained by his power, yet stooping so low to do such abominable things. But before we get too critical, when we take a good look at ourselves, do we not see these same vices in us too? We have a God who can supply our deepest desires, yet we scheme to get what we want by our own strength and wisdom. We have a God who owns heaven and earth, yet we labour in our power to claim a small portion of the earth, that we cannot even take with us to the next life.

What do we do? When we have done all the chasing and realised the futility of it all, what is next? When we have struggled in our power to amass what we think will sustain us, and yet feel empty and unfulfilled, where do we turn to? Today's extract focuses our attention on what is important- we can only be truly sustained by the Holy Spirit of God. When we have done all we can and are empty, God is the one who can fill us up. When we have reached the end of the rope, he is the one who keeps us hanging on, or throws a fresh rope to us. When we have done wrong too, he is watching and waiting, so we can return to him and he can restore us. No amount of sacrifice, self hate or regrets can restore you; only a return to God can. David was called a man after God's heart not because he was perfect, but because he would always run back to God when he ran out of ideas. He would go with his baggage and dirt, get cleaned up and then return to his ways.

God is not calling inherently perfect people to himself; he is the one who will perfect all that come to him through Christ. He is the one who grants a willing spirit, so we can be sustained through the hard and tough times. He is the one who can restore all that has been broken or damaged in us. He is the one who can put back in the joy that the world took out. Return to him, he will restore, repair and refresh you. His time of favour is here.

Fight!

Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 AMP

No demilitarized zone, where we could put our feet up and relax, away from the heart and heat of the battle. No free trade zone, where we could enjoy tax reliefs or tax breaks, living and enjoying the blessings' of life without stress. God did not call us to solely to earthly comfort, but to a responsible and responsive living that reflects careful attention to what is eternal.

My soul is the price at stake in this battle. Eternity is the reward for a good fight. God would not call it a fight if it was not really one. If what you hold now is not worth dying for, then maybe you need to re -examine again what you are holding.

What are you holding on to at the moment? Have you found true purpose as determined by God, not you? Are you holding on to eternal life, even through the tears and sorrow and pains, confident in God's ability, capacity and capability to give you the end that he has promised? His reputation can be trusted, as he has NEVER been found to be a liar.

Eternal Life

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life. John 5:24 ASV

There is an inexplicable yet unbreakable bond between God the Father and God the Son. Jesus does nothing of his own accord, but gets guidance and authority on assignments from the Father. No wonder he had a successful ministry. We cannot do anything by our own strength or assign tasks to ourselves on behalf of God. God owns our lives and determines the direction we go, and any task we engage in contrary to His ordained purpose will only end up in regrets.

It is no wonder then that Jesus says here that there is a strong link between hearing his words and believing in the One who sent him. If you accept his words as true, you cannot deny his source, origin and inspiration. If you deny God's authority, then you cannot claim to know Jesus. Both are eternally  linked.

The end of your hearing, obeying and believing is this: you have passed from death to life, even before physical death comes. You faith in Christ has guaranteed you eternal life, even whilst still in this earthly vessel. With that single decision, you have passed from death to life, secure that no matter what comes around or over you or under you, it cannot destroy the life that God has birthed inside you.

Why would I not rejoice?