Light!

Light!

Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” JOHN 8:12 AMP

As always, Jesus would always address the foundations of life in ways that make it easy for us to see what we stand to gain or lose, depending on our reaction to what He says. As always, everywhere Jesus went, there was always a crowd around him. Some came for what they could get, some came because they knew who He was; what would be your reason for accepting or rejecting Jesus?

A statement of fact is made in today's extract, and it is Jesus referring to Himself as the Light of the world. First, it could only mean that the world is in darkness. It does not matter how enlightened or educated the world is; there is more to life than technological innovation and AI; when all of these things pass away with time and are replaced by even more advanced things, what will I be left with, if they were all I had? Jesus calls himself the Light of the world, because there is more to this earthly phase than we could ever imagine, and only in and through Him would life be worth living.

He longs to guide, he longs to lead, he wants to show me the right path that leads to life. This present earthly life is full of uncertainty and evil; everywhere you turn, the signs of the end of time stare back at you. Can I continue to hold on to the temporal comforts of this world, ignoring the realities of eternal life? Can I dare ignore the silent voice in my heart, warning me to take hold of true life, before this present life ceases?

Having Jesus in me secures true life. My life was not built to end, and one way or another, it will continue either in heaven or hell. He gives me the options, and asks me to follow Him; he won't force himself on me,  but he desires my heart and life. As he spoke to the crowd back then, he speaks to all of us today: "Come to me". Would I heed? His time of favour is here.

One Mind!

One Mind!

Now may the God who gives endurance and who supplies encouragement grant that you be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify and praise and honor the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ROMANS 15:5‭-‬6 AMP

There is something amazing about the God who calls us to Himself and there is also something mysterious about the grace upon the church, the representation of all Christ is and should be upon the earth. God is many things at the same time, but presented in today's extract as the one who gives endurance and also supplies encouragement. Why is this important? Could it mean that nowhere else can a man learn patience except in God? Could it mean that nothing else can give a man courage and strength to face the day except the grace that only God can give in full and abundant measure? He allows the trials to teach us patience and other virtues, but he also supplies the encouragement to stand up under the experiences.

Why is this endurance and encouragement so important? Is it because the race ahead of us requires us to be fully reliant on God? Could it be that just ahead of us are trials and tests of faith, things that may raise questions in our minds? Could it be that past testimonies of God's grace and power would help us stay the course and hold on to God? When I have settled the inner, then the outer falls in place. When God has the inner in his control, the outer must follow suit. Being of one mind with several other people is only possible when there is one person reigning and ruling in the hearts of all these people. It does not mean you have no opinion of your own, but you have placed  the good of all over and above your own.

There is nothing easy about all that God commands, but he supplies grace that makes it all possible. Imagine the power that is made available when millions speak in the same voice or agree on the same thing. Imagine the praise and thanksgiving that will go up to God when men see people of several races and cultures speak of the grace of God. Imagine the impact my life will have if I'm able to join hearts, hands and voice with other people to testify of the power, love and grace that God alone can birth and sustain in and through me.

If indeed I have received comfort from God, it will show in my interactions with other people. If truly I am encouraged in my union with Christ, it will show in my union with other people. Can I truly say that I have met with this God of patience and comfort? His time of favour is here.

The Password!

The Password!

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalms 100:4 KJV

As I read this passage, I am reminded of the picture of the tabernacle God asked Moses to set up, with strict warnings to build it exactly as God showed him. In the New Testament, we read that the old tabernacle and its practices was just a shadow of the real deal that God was preparing. What are those things that made the old tabernacle so special?

First, God gave clear instructions as to what should be used for the gates. There had to be a curtain, about 30 feet wide, which was taller than anyone in all Israel, and had to be parted by all who came in to worship. All had to go in through the curtain: priest, prophet and people. It had nothing to do with class, prestige, wealth or connections; all used the same opening. Access is given freely to all men today. I can't buy access with money. The gate also faced a particular direction, and anyone who desired to approach God had to go in the direction of the gate.

The access into the gate is thanksgiving, as seen in today's extract. It is the one thing that secures you access into those courts, where you meet with God and get answers to your many requests. The gates and the court under the old tabernacle represent the place of meeting with God, where men brought sacrifices to atone for sins. Under the new dispensation, rather than blood and bulls, God demands thanksgiving and praise  as the passwords. Under this new dispensation, we speak about sacrifice of praise, and thank offerings, which get God's attention like nothing else can.

So God calls me to draw near, and all I need is the right password into his Presence. He's not asking for blood or bulls; all he's asking for is the right heart, one full of praise & thanksgiving, an acknowledgement of his power, might and authority. When I apply the password, I open up the treasures of his Presence and can access the greatness, glory and grace only He can provide and sustain. His time of favour is here.

Testify!

Testify!

I will give thanks and praise the Lord, with all my heart; I will tell aloud all Your wonders and marvelous deeds. PSALM 9:1 AMP

Again, we see David expressing a decision to offer praise and thanks to God. There is something about the life God has given us that demands that we offer something of value back to God. When I take stock of all that has gone before me, or the things that are happening at the moment, it is almost impossible not to find reasons to be very grateful. If I am unable to find even one good reason why I would offer praise and thanks to God, then maybe I am blind, deaf and dead to the realities of the grace and mercy I have received from God.

David is a classical example of the lesson on praise, no matter what comes. For me, is my life an offering of thanksgiving and praise to God? Do men have to cajole me into gratitude or does it flow willingly out of my heart and life? You see, it does not matter what I tell myself; if it is not from a sincerely grateful heart, I am not sure God will accept. Everywhere you turn to in the Bible, you find accounts of men who either served God with all their hearts, or men who have halfhearted devotion. Check out the end of either group, and you will know that if it is not total, it is not accepted.

Is all my heart given over to God, or are there areas I am holding on to tightly, afraid to let go? David also was willing and ready to testify aloud about God's mighty works. You see, routine is the greatest danger to a life of thanksgiving. You get to wake up every day, go to work/school and all seems well. You get so used to the routine that it stops to amaze you. That's the danger. May I never get so used to God and his mercies that I take them for granted. May I not be so full of myself that God has no place to work in and through me. May I not be so full of complaints and grumblings that men cannot see God in me. My life was made for God's glory, and my life is only lived well if it leads men to praise God. His time of favour is here.

Faithful God!

Faithful God!

O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise and give thanks to Your name; For You have done miraculous things, Plans formed long, long ago, [fulfilled] with perfect faithfulness. ISAIAH 25:1 AMP

First and foremost, nothing I do can change the identity, power, wisdom, authority and dominion of God himself. He is higher than the highest king, and greater than all of the great men of the world put together. However, there is a decison that becomes personal to me in this walk, and it is that I make God the Lord of my life. God is God, but when He becomes personal, he becomes my Lord, Master and Saviour. He longs to have a personal encounter with me, because only then can I truly appreciate his worth and the work he does in and through me.

The writer here also knew the appropriate response to God. For this writer, praise and thanksgiving were due to God. These are the natural outflow from a life with a deep understanding of the power and grace that God can input into that life. When I sit down in those quiet times to reflect on my life, what do I recall? Do i remember the days when God came through for me, even in the midst of the fiercest storms? Do I even remember how the winds were made calm by God, even when all hope seemed lost? Do I even record any of God's dealings with me, or have I simply come to take them for granted?

There are indeed several things to praise and thank God for, but today's extract speaks on something fundamental: the efficacy of God's Word. There is nothing He says that is said in vain; you have the greatest power anywhere in the universe made manifest by the Word of God, and because it is against God's nature to lie or change his mind, I have the assurance that if he said it, it is coming to pass. Years make no difference; we count in years because we are limited by time; God counts by His Word, because time and circumstances are under his control and they answer to Him. In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, every purpose of His heart is established.

That is the God I am called upon today to praise. Have you met this God? Does He know you as His own? His time of favour is here.

God's Help 2

God's Help 2

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. So will I bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. PSALM 63:3‭-‬4 AMP

David again in trouble. Well, this time, it was not due to any thing bad he had done, but you could also argue that some of his past sins were catching up with him. Here was a man who has cunningly taken over another man's wife; not just any man, but one who was faithfully serving in his army. He had slept with the wife, plotted the death of the soldier-husband and had moved the woman into his palace.

Men didn't know the full details; God knew all that had happened, and punishment duly followed. With God, there is nothing like favouritism. You don't get away with sin, simply because you are a faithful and worthy servant, or because you work hard for God. David was running away from his own son, Absalom, and God had already promised that all that David in secret to another man's wife would be done in full view of all Israel to his own wives. Sin always has a high price.

For David, the reality of the punishment for sin had come, but it didn't take anything away from who God is. Nothing I go through changes who God is. David was able to see God's lovingkindness, even in the most distressing circumstances. When things go wrong, how do I see? What do I see? Do I look so long on the problems, admiring the enormity of the problem, or do I recall the amazing power and might of the God who is called the Lord God Almighty? Who and how I see determine what I get.

David knew the secret of getting God's attention, and he offered God praise so often that you could ascribe a song/psalm to all of David's recorded experiences. When trials make a demand on your life, what would your life produce: praise or complaints; thankagiving or rebellion? The choice is mine; his time of favour is here.

God's Help!

4God's Help!

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory [and my honor], and the One who lifts my head. PSALM 3:3 AMP

It appears that David the Psalmist was always in trouble, but it is also amazing that some of the most distressing situations of his life led to some of the most emotional songs from David. For David, his priorities were known from his focus, which was always God. He didn't always do well, but he always found his way back. For me, when troubles come, where do I go? Troubles will definitely come; nowhere does God promise an easy ride; but the promise of his Presence and Power is the greatest thing a man can have.

Check out the names God is referred to here: a shield, glory, honour and the lifter of heads. You can't refer to the glory of man outside the One who is the God of Glory. All that man has- possessions, connections, influence, prestige and power are all a mist; here now, gone the next moment. Men who were called 'great' at a time have been consigned to the dustbin of history, whilst other men are making their own stories at the moment. If my life will indeed be defined as making impact or of any use, my experience of God has got to be its defining moment.

If there was never any danger, you will never appreciate the value of a shield. The shield is a protective/defensive weapon, though in some instances, it can be used as a weapon. If God is your shield, you have both an offensive and a defensive weapon. You have someone who protects you from harm and also fights on your behalf. When my head drops due to stress, trials and troubles, he's there to lift me up. One amazing thing about God is that if he's the one doing the lifting, there is no limit to the great things that are ahead. If man does the lifting, the best you get is the height of the man's hands. Who's your defence? What's  holding you up? Who's sustaining your life? His time of favour is here.