This Love!

This Love!

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9 KJV

The Inspiration:

John would know what he was talking about here. Whether it was John the beloved or any other John, one thing is clear: it takes a personal encounter with the love of God to be able to write this way. Men generally go to school and get an education in specific areas of knowledge, and just as it applies to the physical, so does it apply to the spiritual. God is using this earthly life to show us our eternal need of Him. It may look ordinary or maybe one of those many things, but we know now that God would not let any of us go down without a fight. He moved the whole of the heavens and the earth just to lay out a plan and path for the salvation of all men. That plan is eternal in nature, but it needed to come at God's appointed time. That plan was and is still all about Jesus. 

The Contention:

This plan remains in place until Jesus returns, which means that I do not have forever to make up my mind what I want to do. It does not matter what I do or not do; it will not change the fact that the love of God is available to me. This love was not subject to me earning or working hard for it; it simply was available. I could not afford to pay for it, because it was not the kind of thing you could pay for with any type of earthly currency. It was not love by words alone, but love brought to life in the person of Jesus. Jesus was not sent for any other part of God's creation, but for us human beings. No other part of creation needs salvation. We are God's focus, His heart. He wants us to come to Him in full assurance of faith, sure and certain that the life of Jesus given for free is all I need. 

The Conclusion:

I note the reward for the right response to the love of God defines eternal life for me. Life without end lies at the end of my response. It must be pointed out that this eternity is without end, and there are only two choices: with God or without God. There is no middle ground or fence to sit on as I must either go with God or settle with the devil. The way to God is through Jesus; there is no other person accredited by God to be the channel of salvation for mankind. I must make the approach today, while I still have time. Life is available in and through the Son. The danger here is to make assumptions about how much time we have; now is the acceptable time; today is the day of salvation. There are no guarantees about tomorrow. Have you embraced the love of God? Have I? God's time of favour is here.

The New 7!

The New 7!

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34 NIV

The Inspiration:

Again, we read here the words of the greatest leaders of all time. Jesus speaks here to His disciples: men at the time, as well as all who have surrendered their lives to the total control of Jesus. Whatever it is you may have heard in the past, this is the season of the new. Whatever it was that we thought we knew or were familiar with, Jesus charges us to follow a new path. It is easy to go down the old beaten road of the familiar, but anyone who will walk with and work for God must be ready for the challenge of the new. God is both very  predictable and unpredictable, because truth is His nature, but the path He takes me to encounter and experience that truth will be different from yours. I must be ready to listen to and learn from Him, so I  can be all He wants me to be. Are you a disciple? After all, I came to Him because I needed help; if I know I do, I should then not struggle to obey whatever it is He commands.

The Contention:

Today's verse is one of his commands, and it is to LOVE. Love here does not wait for acceptance, and it is not given subject to conditions, but simply because it is a command from the leader. If I recognize the authority of the leader, I will strive to do all He commands. He will not place on me a demand for something He has not supplied grace for. To make matters even better, He doesn't just tell me what to do; He shows me what and how. His own life is the perfect example of love that I can emulate. He doesn't hide expectations from me, and His life has many examples I can emulate. He doesn't just say; He leads from the front and as I follow his lead, I know I cannot go wrong.It is a new command, because it comes from the One whose life bears allegiance to what He demands. The old way was about reciprocal arrangements, where I responded in kind to what you did to me. 

The Conclusion:

The old way of life allowed hypocrisy and eye-service, and there was really no way to measure the sincerity gauge of the affection shown. The new way here makes it clear: the example to follow is that of Jesus. He didn't wait for me to deserve it; He showed me love. Even for all who reject Him today, His love still waits. He is there until it is too late, and then, it really is too late. Whilst I still have time, I must embrace the love I have been shown. It is from what I have received that I can also give, as a man cannot give that which he does not have. When I have embraced His Love, then my own life becomes a visible and audible expression of God's love. He is the real deal, and all who come to Him receive the grace required to live out this love. What are you waiting for? If you are not yet His child, the fact that you are able to read this means it is not too late for you. Whilst you still can, make the approach and embrace God's love. By this, you would have secured eternal life with God for yourself. He has spoken, and He waits on all of us. How do you plead? God's time of favour is here..

The New 5!

The New 5!

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11 KJV

The Inspiration:

Sin always has a high price. Judah would know, because at the time the verse above was sent to Jeremiah, Judah was already in captivity. It was the price to be paid for rebellion and disobedience to God's command. Let it be known that the same God who dealt with Judah's sin so many centuries ago is still the same God demanding obedience from us today. What he said was sin so many centuries ago is still sin today, no matter the level of education, exposure, experience or earnings we may claim. Man's greatest achievement will then be the discovery and pursuit of God's perfect will. I cannot afford to go below the standard; God does not show favouritism to any one when it comes to sin. His love is amazing, but so is His hatred of sin. 

The Contention:

God sent this message to Jeremiah, meant for the exiles from Jerusalem. He had punished them, but He would also show them mercy. They had been exiled to a strange land, but He had not forgotten them. He is a God of consistency, and from generation to generation, He would always be the same God: full of mercy and quick to bless. No matter my current experiences, I must know that God always thinks good thoughts towards me, My current experiences may be my fault even, but God does not abandon me to my own devices. My current experiences may not also be my fault, but it does not change who God is. His thoughts are always good, because He is a good God, and He is always constantly thinking and implementing good things for me as His child. Are you one too? 

The Conclusion:

This is a God who works from the end to where I am now. There will be times when I will struggle to understand the process, but there is no doubt that God is in charge of the process, ensuring it leads to His perfect will for me. What I call 'bad' is God working out His good and perfect will in my life. Even when everything around me is going to pieces, and it seems that the storm will overwhelm me, His word to me is peace. He is the only One who can sleep in the midst of the storm, and all who trust Him can also smile at the storm. In this new dispensation and season we are in, God wants to show forth His might if I let Him. He has spoken and made His will clear. As always, the response is mine to sort out. God's time of favour is here. 

The New 4!

The New 4!

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 KJV

The Inspiration:

Solomon, known as the wisest man that ever lived, is credited with writing most of the book of Proverbs. He was blessed by God with wisdom beyond his peers, as well as riches and wealth. He was known all over the world at his time, and the verse before us today help strengthen the point that it is only God that can truly bless a man and the man will indeed be blessed beyond limits. The verse before us makes it clear that God is the Source of help; the type that can last. The word 'trust' is quite deep, because it means 'a firm belief in the reliability, truth or ability of someone or something". It is a belief that is firm, not easily swayed or moved. It has to be fixed or founded on someone or something that is itself also immovable. In this new year, I have to sort out my foundation and anchor as this is the key to the rest of the verse. 

The Expectation:

It must also be ALL my heart that is engaged in this trust, if I am to access all that God is and offers. Hypocrisy or eye-service is a disservice to me, because they will rob me  of all the great things God has in store for me. Part of the problems of the fallen human nature is that it makes you think that you can make it on your own without any help. It must be known today that no man has ever achieved anything of eternal value on his/her own. God is the eternal One, and He is the only one qualified to provide guidance and leading for all who also want to make eternal impact. I am limited in every respect, and I must completely rely on the limitless God to achieve limitless possibilities. As I trust Him daily and regularly, He is faithful to His promise that He will provide direction. 

The Conclusion:

The One who makes the promises stakes his name and reputation. He wants me to trust Him with all my life, not just a part of it or almost all of it. Can I really take care of the part I seek to keep to myself? Can I secure for eternity the part I seek to control by myself? I am made in the image of God, with his creative ability, but sin came and tampered with that template. By the death and resurrection of Jesus, that ability is now fully restored. I have full and unfettered access to the riches of God's grace and can place a demand at any time. God is too invested in me to allow me go to waste. In this new year, I must take advantage of the resources of heaven that are now at my disposal. Can I dare trust God to keep me down here, and also secure eternal life with Him? God's time of favour is here.

The New 3!

The New 3!

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20 KJV

The Contention:

Just in case you were wondering, the words of today's extract were addressed to an actual church, located in Laodicea in the then Asia Minor. The Lord sent these words to the church, and they portray a God who cares about the condition of His church, and will do anything to preserve its integrity and holiness. God sent these words to remind the church that He sees and knows all, and nothing is hidden from Him. We can convince ourselves about anything, but we cannot ignore the words here: they warn us about becoming complacent or familiar with the things of God, so much so that we do not recognize His leading, direction or warning. That is a dangerous place for any 'child of God' to be, and it is something I must consistently guard my heart against. 

The Expectation:

Familiarity indeed breeds contempt. This is a church that had shut its doors against its Lord and Master, and who was now standing outside the door, seeking to be allowed to come in. How would a church survive if the presence of its Lord was not there? We do try and force it sometimes; we keep up appearances, go through the motions and just pretend all is well, but if the presence of the Lord of the church is not there, it is just a ceremony, empty of power, purpose and perfection. There is the power to choose the right response, which is to open the door to Him. Until I respond the right way, the rest of the verse will not happen. No matter how much I desire the presence of God, I have to be the one to invite Him of my own freewill. He does not force Himself on anyone. 

The Conclusion:

He wants to come in. As His patience has no limits, He will continue to knock until I  respond, or the need to open the door expires. From the passage the verse above was taken, you will see that time is very critical to this conversation. I need to make up my mind how I will respond. It is a new year, with its own challenges and peculiarities. It is a year that will demand a lot from me, but I need the help of the One who owns and holds times and seasons in His hands. He wants to come in and eat with me, showing that He is interested in every detail of my life. Of course, these decisions also have eternal consequences, and if I allow Him in, He will eat with me down here, and I will also eat with Him when He returns for the final judgement. It is not an appointment to be missed; I must accept it today. Tomorrow is not assured for anyone. God's time of favour is here.

The New 2!

The New 2!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

The Contention:

We are in the season of the new. A new year has just started, and for many of us, we are looking forward to new challenges, new inspirations and new heights. Yesterday's verse spoke about God's pronouncement, that as the Lord of all, whose authority cannot be questioned, He is making all things new. Today's verse goes ahead to lay out the context behind the new that God is seeking to do, and this has to do with the son of God Himself, the One who made the promise. God is faithful to His Word, and He will always keep His word, because it is His nature to be consistent and constant, but He does not force His will on anyone. We come to Him of our own freewill and surrender our lives to Him; only then can the promise in today's verse will come true. Am I truly in Christ? Are you?

The Inspiration:

The word IF tells me that it is a choice; I choose to come to God of my own freewill. Location will always define allocation; where I stand defines what I get. I must also ensure that I know where and in who I stand. My standing must be in Christ and Him alone, not in anyone or anything else. I also can't combine Him with anyone or anything else. He does not encounter a life and leave it the same way He met it; he changes that life from within, and the evidence cannot be denied. No life comes in contact with Him and remains the same. I must not be content with mere membership of a church, or being familiar with the tokens of Christianity, but I must make sure that I am IN Christ. If Jesus is not Lord of all I am and have, I do not have the right to make any claim on Jesus.

The Conclusion:

Whatever belongs to the old man cannot remain in place when the new comes in. I cannot also hold on to the old, whilst striving to align with the new. The old has to go completely, because the old cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The old has no place in the affairs of God's kingdom. The old man cannot be born again, and must give way to the new. The old must die, in line with the word of God, and the new life, which is born of God, must become my new life. God won't leave any part of me untouched but will keep working on me until men can see His reflection in me. This is the whole essence of the new work that God wants to do: that I become His image and ambassador. Does this describe me at the moment? Can men see God in me? God's time of favour is here.

The New!

The New!

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelation 21:5 KJV

The Contention:

The world understands that you do not seek prosperity or provision from a pauper. You want to see the physical evidence of that which you need from the one from whom you seek it. Position therefore would define provision. You cannot give what you do not have. The One who speaks here is the one who sits on the throne, and He is qualified as the King, the Lord over all and the One who cannot be unseated or displaced by anyone. Therefore, whatever He says has the full backing of His kingdom and authority, and no one can question Him or reverse his pronouncements. Today's pronouncement in the verse above is one of such authoritative and irreversible statements, where the authority in heaven declares he is making ALL things new. If He says it, who can deny or reverse it? If He says ALL who can limit Him?

The Inspiration:

In this world of turmoil, everyone is looking for a change; something different from the norm. The world has been in the throes of trouble since man fell in the garden of Eden, and man has been seeking alternatives to peace since then. Quite fortunately, God has declared that man will not find peace outside of the Prince of Peace Himself, who is Jesus. Is there anything God has said that has not come to pass? If there is anything he has said in the past and which has come true, then that gives me confidence that all the other promises too will surely be fulfilled. If I can seek out the One who sits on the throne and submit to His authority, I get access to all that He is and gives. That provision for all of life and Godliness, as well as eternal life with God at the end of it all, as promised, all become mine. 

The Conclusion:

If a man of authority asks you to write down his words, he is staking his name and reputation on His words. He is daring anyone to test him and see if He can keep his promises. We may have been used to seeing and hearing the same old news everyday, but on this first day of a new week, month and year, God is telling us that He makes all things new. He gives us a new slate on which to begin afresh, with no baggage from the past. His words are true and faithful, just like the one who said them. Can I dare trust Him completely, and surrender my life to Him? As a new phase starts, would I trust His power, and rely on Him for everything I need for this new phase? Welcome to the new, as backed up by the Authority Himself. God's time of favour is here.