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.