The Desire!

The Desire!

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

In these times when it seems that man keeps finding new and novel ways to perpetrate evil and iniquity, the words of today's verse remind us of God's views on this present life and the one we are expecting. It had been made very clear by God that even our human bodies are not built to last forever, and that is why we report births and deaths. We are born; we live up to a certain age and then we die, with an account to be rendered to God for how we lived our lives. If our human bodies are limited as God's Word has made clear, it is also clear that this present earth is on a timer too, and will expire at some point. God has made that absolutely clear. I cannot pick and choose that which is convenient for me to accept and then reject the others which make me feel uncomfortable. As long as God has said it, He is bound by the power of His name and the integrity of His Word to do as He has said.

If I have seen many of His prrsonal promises to me come to pass, and I have seen prophecies from long ago all coming to pass in the world, I have a template and framework that proves that God is real and can be trusted. God has promised punishment for sin and eternal separation from God for anyone who dies in sin. It would appear sometimes that God is slow in punishing sin, and that is why men of the world are quick to perpetuate evil. It would appear that God is silent when even His own children, who do what is right, are treated unfairly, and sometimes killed? This is why you find believers sometimes becoming despondent, wondering where God is in the midst of their pain and discomfort. This is the mercy and grace of God at work, as well as His justice. If He were to mark and punish sin immediately it was committed, how many of us would be alive now? 

As He shows mercy for the one who tells a lie, so does He extend grace for the one who has committed murder. I cannot label one sin as small and another as big. Before God, sin is sin, and as His Word has said, liars, as well as murderers, will have their part in the lake of fire if they do not repent. He gives all of us, His creation, the same opportunity to hear His Word, repent from sin and return to Him. Would it not then amount to foolishness to take such grace and mercy for granted? It is not His desire that a life, in which He has invested a lot, should perish and be lost forever. He may appear slow, but not the way we define it. All men will stand before the throne of God for judgment at some point, and the just God would be able to say He gave all men the opportunity to hear His Word. His Word has again gone out here; how would you respond? God's time of favour is here. 

No Worries!

No Worries!

Philippians 4 : 6 AMP

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

Paul and Timothy wrote this etter to the church in Phiippi, and it is always important to consider the audience, because you can only place a demand on those who recognize your authority. How would you command obedience and allegiance from people who do not even know you exist, or who refuse to accept your position as superior? The audience here are 'all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons'. These are the people the verse above addresses. Holiness isn't available for sale on the open market; it is something you are given based on your total surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. It is both internal and external, because it is the conviction of the heart that will determine the profession of the life. I must therefore be careful about whatever it is I allow to make or leave an impression on my heart. At some point in life, those impressions will manifest.

If I have indeed given my life to Jesus, it is again a misnomer for there to be room in my heart for worry and anxiety. God and anxiety cannot exist in the same heart all at the same time. One must give way to the other. If God is in charge, He will take care of all the things that may cause worry. If worry is in charge, it is hard for God to dictate terms. This is where I have to be careful about the One to whom I yield my heart to. To be careful for nothing is to have God in charge of everything. It is to place God first and foremost before anything else. It is to know that God can take care of anything and everything that can take his place in my heart. The right attitude is to go before God with a heart of appreciation and gratitude. He is able and capable to do all He has promised to do, so there is nothing to be anxious about. The new year ahead has its own thrills and threats; the only One who can help me navigate is the One who knows the end from the beginning. Trust Him totally. God's time of favour is here. 

Listen; Respond!

Listen; Respond!

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Mark‬ ‭4:9‬ ‭TPT‬‬

If you understand this, then you need to respond.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:9‬ ‭AMP‬‬

And He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.”

Jesus was speaking to both the disciples and the crowd about the parable of the sower. Some deep insights into the quality of the ground and the infallible fruitfulness of the seed were laid down by Jesus. Time will nor permit a full breakdown of the lessons from this parable, but a few reflections will aid the understanding of this verse before us today. First, the secret to a life of impact lies in what and how you hear. In a generation of itching ears and convenient messages, the Truth of God's Word is becoming unpalatable. The people of the world do not like to be told that they are wrong, and there are not too many people who can call sin what God calls it, because they are afraid of losing popularity or acceptance. Unfortunately, God's views are not subject to man's acceptance or approval; what He calls sin remains so, no matter the level of expertise, experience, exposure, earning or elocution of the sinner. God's Word goes out again right now, reminding me of the standard God accepts. What have I heard God say to me? 

The second revolves around the question: "How do I wish to respond to what I have heard'? All I hear demands a response, whether good or bad. That is why I must also be conscious and deliberate about whatever I allow settle on my heart. The seed always has capacity to bear fruit, but maximum fruits come from right conditions. If I give the seed all that it needs to thrive, I cannot complain when it starts to bear fruit in line with the seed that I sowed and nurtured. Hard grounds will hinder the seed from reaching its full potential, so also would thorns and lack of good soil. Going forward, I must realise that everything I get exposed to is seed seeking a ground to be put in somewhere in my heart. If indeed I hear the right way, there is a time and place for response. Do I have an ear? Do I use it to listen well, so that my life can produce fruit that lead to praise and glory for God? He has done all He needs to do to make Himself known to the world; if I claim to be His representative, the world must see His mark upon my life by my words, actions, interactions and engagements. Does this describe me presently? God's time of favour is here.

That Day!

That Day!

‭‭Mark‬ ‭13:33‬ ‭TPT‬‬

This is why you must be waiting, watching and praying, because no one knows when that season of time will come.”

As you read the verse above, and the verses before it, you get the clear idea that life will not always continue as it is now. We live in the age the bible refers to as the end times, when there will be wars, earthquakes and different terrible experiences. We can see these happening on a regular basis now, and that makes it clear that the day of the return of the Lord is near. From the verse above, it is also clearly stated that no one knows when that season of time will come. There is no doubt that it will come, but no one can accurately predict when. This is why the verse above starts with an admonition or counsel, enjoining us to wait, watch and pray. 

All these are important. In bringing this home to us as Christians, waiting is 'to hope, to anticipate, and to trust'. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end. You do not wait for something that has already passed, and it will be too late to prepare for an event that has already happened. If I am asked to wait, it is because there is something amazing ahead. It also means that there is a particular code of conduct that is suitable for waiting. I am not allowed to act, speak or relate as I please, but my life's pursuits and priorities must show that I am waiting in hope for something great and also permanent. 

What am I really waiting for? Am I only interested in what I can get out of life, or am I willing to let go of the temporal so I can lay hold of the eternal? The verse above also mentions watching and praying. I note that there are no options given, or the power given to make a choice among the options. The AND makes it clear that I have to do ALL: wait, watch and pray. Watching means 'to keep awake, be vigilant'. We have spent a few days looking at prayer, which means communion with God. Natural sleep is important for the human body but spiritual sleep is dangerous. As I take time to treat my human body right, so must I take the time to treat my spiritual body right too. 

That the Lord will return one day soon is not in doubt. The Lord's reputation when it comes to doing what He has promised is solid. I cannot accept some promises as true because it is convenient to do so, and then reject others because they do not fit the narrative. If God has said it, He will bring it to pass. This is the season of preparation, when I must take stock and make sure I am on the right path. Eternity beckons on all of us; it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that comes judgment. Am I ready for that day or are there changes I need to make to bring me in line with the demands of that day? I must do all I must before it is too late. God's time of favour is here. 

Helped!

Helped!

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

[10] So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

In this season of fear, trepidation and uncertainty about the present and the future, the words of today's verse are quite relevant and critical. All over the world, the effect and impact of sin and rebellion against God are seen everywhere. Man keeps seeking new and novel ways to perpetrate evil, and interaction and influence between people keep getting strange and strained by the day. In the face of all the above, the message of God for this season is 'do not fear'. It may be difficult to understand or appreciate this message, but you would always test the ability and capacity of anyone who makes a promise by seeing previous testimonials. What has this person done in the past to deserve such trust? What proof do I have that this person's word can be trusted? The bible is filled with accounts of previous testimonies of men and women who experienced God's power firsthand. Their accounts provide us with encouragement and comfort that if God does not change, as He has said several times in His Word, then we know we can depend on His promises. 

Do I even seek out the Word of God for myself or am I totally reliant on what someone else says? God is a personal God first and foremost. It is great to be part of a group or fellowship where God moves, but it is really the sum of the individual parts that make the group what it is. It is my personal testimony that provides you with encouragement to hold on or press on. The message in the verse above is therefore personal. He wants to be with me, living inside me. He wants to be my Lord and Master; to dictate terms and supply all I need for life and Godliness. He wants to strengthen, help and uphold me, if I will allow Him work that which is His perfect will in and through me. He will not force Himself on me, or go against the exercise of my freewill. The offer has been made to all of us who are alive now; the offer remains in place as long as I have the breath of God in my nostrils. He waits for my response. He can keep safe and secure whatever has been committed into His hands. Is your life in His hands? Is mine? God's time of favour is here.

Approach!

Approach!

‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Since we have this confidence, we can also have great boldness before him, for if we ask anything agreeable to his will, he will hear us.

Confidence and boldness come from personal experience and encounters. You will not courage to face the fire or the storm if you not have a Father you have tested several times and found to be a refuge and protection even in the fire and the storm. You do not also stumble upon confidence or boldness; it comes over a period of time. It is not an occasional experience, but a lifestyle. It really does matter in whom your confidence and boldness are anchored, because there are earthly and eternal consequences to that fact. Confidence is defined as 'the feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something'. As can be seen in the extract above, there must be something or someone on whom that faith is anchored. 

It will be something, no matter what I try to tell myself or how much I strive to convince myself that I do not need anyone. Life will happen to all of us; the best way to go through life is to have the help and support of the One who knows what is ahead and can and has provided all that I need for life and Godliness. Of course, in that confidence lies the power and blessing of access. I know God as the Father who loves me and has given His all for me, so I have a settled heart that He will always do what is best for me. There are no accidents when it comes to me. There are no limits to what God can do with a life that has been fully surrendered to Him. Access to God guarantees his listening ears, so I can tell Him how I am, what I want and also ask Him how I can keep pleasing Him. 

Access to God means I am able to know what pleases Him, and my prayers and asking can be in line with what pleases Him. Access to God is a privilege, and it demands specific behaviours and actions. I cannot come before the Lord in the way He demands and I will go back the same way. In fact, no matter what His answer to me is, whether yes, no or wait, I am at peace because I trust the mind and heart of my Father. He will not deny me that which is necessary for the assignment He has given me, and He will also not give me that which will destroy me or deny me eternity with Him.  I come before the Lord with confidence, sure and comfortable in the knowledge of the love of God for me. The past is forgiven, the present is stable and the future is secure. What more could I want? God's time of favour is here.

Unity!

Unity!

‭‭Mark‬ ‭3:25‬ ‭AMP‬‬

[25] And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

As Jesus ministered to the needs of the crowd and the people around me, it was natural that He would make enemies of the people who were upset that he was disrupting the status quo. The Pharisees and Scribes of His day would make the accusation that He was using the power of the devil to perform the mighty miracles He was performing. The first lesson that is apparent here is that I must know the Truth for myself. It cannot be this inconsistent walk, where I am cold today and hot tomorrow. There are teachings, practices and popular opinions that the devil will promote, even using people who are close to me or in positions of knowledge and authority to push out falsehood. If I do not know the Truth, how do I uphold it? If I do not have the conviction that I hold the genuine, there will be many alternatives that will be presented to me as the genuine. I ask God to reveal Himself to me as the only valid Truth. That knowledge is what sustains a life of impact.

Jesus used the parable above to teach the Scribes, as well as His disciples, another truth, which is that unity is a fundamental part of a walk that can achieve mighty as well as terrible things. Whether it is for good, or evil intentions, God said that if as one, a crowd makes up its mind to pursue anything, nothing will be impossible for them. This was about the tower of Babel was started and later abandoned, and that is the secret to the other amazing things that have happened in the last few centuries. There is a power and purpose to unity that cannot be achieved any other way. Unity would win wars, and unity will also help make the message about Christ attractive to other people. Satan will always pursue disunity, because his best work is done in the midst of misunderstanding and confusion. You cannot defeat the devil by using his own tactics; it has to be something different. 

Even in a home, fighting amongst yourselves will not encourage peace. If I will enjoy the life God has given me, as well as the relationships He has placed around me, I must seek and pursue after unity. It is in unity that peace can thrive. Unity does not mean uniformity in views or opinions, but that, in the midst of differences, we still see ourselves as pursuing the same goals, even from different perspectives. We may not see the same thing as the same time, but we are headed in the same direction, because we know what is at stake, and what the repercussions of disunity and confusion can be. The devil also knows and will do anything to advance his own agenda too. There is perfect unity among the Trinity, and all who claim to submit to the Trinity must reflect that interaction. Am I a child of God? If yes, the fruit of that connection will reflect in my interactions with other people. God's time of favour is here. 

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