New Rules!

New Rules!

‭‭Matthew 5:43-44 NIV‬‬

[43] “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 

[44] But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

As Jesus preached his first sermon on the mountain, it was clear who He was speaking to. There was a crowd at the foot of the mountain also listening to Him, but those who would follow and obey Him climbed up the mountain to listen as He spoke. I must also define who and where I am; there will be expectations and demands for all who would seek to follow and serve Jesus. This is the first question I have to sort out: who am I? When that is settled, the demands of the verses above can be met. The verses above also highlight the difference between the crowd and the disciple. One is permitted to love the neighbour and hate the enemy. That confusion is allowed in the lives of those who do not know who they are and who they follow. Hatred is such a strong word that must not be used for other people like myself who have been made in the image and likeness of God  

For those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus, the demands, pursuits and priorities are different. Hatred for people is not an option; the only thing such a life can produce is love. You do not wait for the target of love to work to deserve it. You show love because it is all your life can produce. A good tree will produce good fruit; unless you work to change the output, a bad tree will always produce bad fruit. I am to pray for those who even persecute me, because I understand that I win more when I pray more. I get things done better and with greater impact if I allow the God who has taken root in me to also flow out of me. Whatever it is that is the popular opinion these days, hear God clearly today. He wants me to live by different standards because I have the presence of God in me that the world cannot understand. I show love to everyone who comes my way, because it is also what I have received from God. God's time of favour is here. 

The Example!

The Example!

‭‭Ephesians 5:1-2 AMP‬‬

[1] Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; 

[2] and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

The physical plane provides great examples that are worthy of emulation. Great men in the fields of science, technology, arts, music and other areas of human endeavour have come and left impressions for us to emulate. Their lives have provided us with studies in focus, dedication and commitment to excellence. As spiritual beings too, we also have examples that we are required to follow. An impactful life must find and maintain that balance between the physical and the spiritual. I cannot be so focused on making heaven that I forget to live the life God has placed me on earth to live. I must also not be so focused on this earth and all it provides that I forget to make proper preparations for my eternal destination. Both are important and critical to the fulfilment of God's will for my life. How is my focus at the moment? Can I say I have a healthy balance in place: able to bless lives on earth as well as headed for eternity with God? 

God is presented as the perfect example that I must follow. The Bible is His revelation of His person, purpose and plan for my life. How would I know what to emulate or imitate if I do nor even know the original? You do not have an imitation if there is no perfect version. As I read the Word of God, I see the mind of God, and His expectations from and for me. I see a child and the father, and in most cases, even without words, the blood connection is evident. There are facial and behavioral similarities that will make it clear that these people are connected or related. That has to be the same for me and my heavenly Father. People must see me and by my actions, even without words, know who I belong to. When I speak, it is like God is speaking. I reflect God; I make Him known; I make God's heart rejoice when I represent Him well, and others are drawn to the love of God that is manifest in and through me. 

It is not a mistake that it is love that is used in the verses above to reflect the best way to show God off to others. It is love for others that seeks to place their interests over and above my own. It is also not something you do only when it is convenient, but what must be a lifestyle. It is a continuous walk which reflects my ownership and direction. Again, if I did not have an example to imitate, I could be forgiven for not getting it right, but long before I was born, the template for love had been put in place. Jesus came to the earth in human form, so He could walk in my shoes and be able to provide the grace I need to live right. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross represents the height, depth and scope of God's love. It is highlighted by God as the only sacrifice that is acceptable to Him, and by it, we are saved, and given the grace to be the visible and audible expression of that love. Does this describe me? God's time of favour is here.

Do Good!

Do Good!

‭‭Hebrews 13:16 AMP‬‬

[16] Do not neglect to do good, to contribute [to the needy of the church as an expression of fellowship], for such sacrifices are always pleasing to God.

Again, the target audience matters for any message or directive given. At the top of the chapter from where today's verse is taken, you read the words: 'brothers and sisters'. There is a common affinity by the blood of Jesus, where all who have come to the saving knowledge of Jesus become related by blood. That which binds us is stronger than anything that may divide us. From different races and cultures, we come into the family of God. From different backgrounds and experiences, we come into the family of God, where there is no discrimination based on possessions, position or earnings. The early church in the book of Act gives us a picture of the ideal by God's standards. None had too little and none had too much. Those who had a lot brought what was not needed to be shared to those in need. How different our lives would be today if we could find that place of surrender again today. 

How pleasant the message of Christ would be if we could reflect such love and care for people around us. Today's verse is a reminder of the standard. Several years would have passed between the events of the book of Act and this letter in Hebrews, yet the message and the demand remain the same. Just as the early church had needs, so does the present church have needs. Just as the members at that time understood what was required of them, so does God again remind us today of what is really important. Just as the church then was the place of succour and support, so does God expect the present church to be the same. I must not get so caught up in daily life that I forget to do good. Sometimes, it will not be about money, but it could be an investment of time, a shoulder to cry on, a bed to sleep in or a hot meal or even a cold drink. 

Fellowship is God's prescription for reminding us that we are part of a family and what one part has is what another part needs. By working together, the entire body functions as it should, and no part is stressed. These are the types of sacrifices that please God: when I can see beyond what I want now and focus on what another person needs at a particular time. As I do this, God will always raise someone who will also be able to supply whatever it is I need. Seeking the good of other people first, whilst ignoring yours will not come easy, and that is why they are called sacrifices. Am I someone God can entrust with the riches of His grace? Can He entrust me with the lives of people, sure that I will use His provision to be a blessing to His church? Remember, pleasing God must be the ultimate desire for His children. Am I one?  God's time of favour is here. 

Behold the Lamb!

Behold the Lamb!

‭‭John 1:29 NIV‬‬

[29] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

As you read the entire first chapter of John, we see the introduction if John the Baptist the forerunner of Jesus and the Saviour himself. John was popular; his message was not the usual and the normal that the people had heard from the Pharisees and the priests of their day. This was a message with a different perspective: the law was good, as it pointed us to God's standards for us, but this was a new dispensation of grace and enablement to help us please God. The law could command obedience, but it could not initiate or nurture a relationship with God. This is what John was preaching about and what Jesus came to do. John was quite popular and was mistaken for the Messiah. In fact, the leaders of his day sent high-profile leaders to ask him if he was indeed the Messiah, but of course, a man with no identity crisis does not need human appeal or applause to know, understand, follow and fulfil his purpose. 

A desire for the physical and the mundane is what drives men to the extreme and the absurd, where we think we can play God or assist God to make us known to the world. Right from the days of the men of the bible, it has not worked, and it wil not work. Am I one who God can entrust with the deep mysteries of His kingdom? Can He trust that I will not seek glory for myself or try and draw attention to myself? John the Baptist was quick to point men in the right direction: the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John knew the limits of his ministry and the purpose of his calling, and he stayed in it. Men could not sway him otherwise, or suggest alternative options to popularity or acceptance. Can this be said of me too? How is my focus at the moment? Is my heart set on the things that God considers important, or are there other 'viable' options fighting for attention? 

I must remember that whatever holds my heart defines and dictates my eternal destination. Eventually, the one John had been speaking about approached. Men of the world would seek ways to deflect; John went on to declare publicly, pointing men to the One sent by God to be the Saviour of the world. By John's statement, a lot of things were laid out: the identity of the Saviour, His mission and purpose in the world, and the target audience of his assignment. As John took time to publicly point to the One who can save and deliver from sin, so is God relying on those who know Him now to also be quick to draw the attention of men to Him. The Lamb has come and has been offered as the perfect sacrifice for sin. The gift is given; once and for all. What is your response? May His sacrifice not be in vain over my life? God's time of favour is here.

Love 2!

Love 2!

‭‭1 Peter 3:18 TPT‬‬

[18] Christ suffered and died for sins once and for all—the innocent for the guilty —to bring you near to God by his body being put to death and by being raised to life by the Spirit.

From yesterday's devotion, we saw the love of God made manifest in the quality of the gift He gave as a sacrifice for sin. The greatest and the most sober part of this message is the price paid. God's view of sin and the right and appropriate punishment for sin are seen from the price that was demanded. Right from the Garden of Eden when man first sinned, the wages of sin became death, and those wages are still the same today. No amount of effort, education, enlightenment, earnings or expenses can change these wages. You cannot argue your way out of the dues that are tied to sin, without taking advantage of the provision God has made for sin. Death was the price for sin, and the perfect offering had to be made to pay the price for sin once and for all. This is why Jesus had to die, because no other sacrifice could provide a permanent way out of sin, and the platform for deliverance from the power of sin. Only the blood of Jesus could do that. 

It is not a sacrifice to be repeated every time man sins, but it is a flow that is good for all seasons, on this side of eternity. No matter how terrible my past or present is, the blood of Jesus provides restoration redemption and sanctification. I have access to the riches of God's grace by the death and resurrection of Jesus. When he died and rose again, He won victory over sin and all its consequences, which is death. He was raised up and he sits at the right hand of God in heaven, far above principalities and powers. It is by my total and absolute surrender to and acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Saviour that I am located in Him. If He is at the right hand of God, by my acceptance of Him as Lord and Saviour, I am seated with Him, wherever He is. He has brought me near to God. I have access to all that has been promised to all who put their trust in Jesus. There are no alternatives provided here; it is all trust in Jesus, or nothing else. God's time of favour is here.

Love!

Love!

‭‭John 3:16 KJV‬‬

[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The natural man defines love in terms of what s/he can get. The natural man understands the power of the physical, and that is why it is the only language he understands. It is also the reason why the natural man can be easily deceived by outward pretence masquerading as love. The expectations would have been set on the wrong evidence, and everything else that follows will be based on that wrong evidence. God gives us the right perspective and definition of what love is, and this is on the basis of what he had to give up in order to secure what He wanted. God's love defined all the parameters: what do I want from man? What can man give me? What is the price to be paid so that I could get what I want from man? All of these questions and more are answered in the verse above. 

First, God was looking for a surrendered heart that He could use for His glory. Without taking control of a heart, you cannot control its daily pursuits and priorities, and that was God's first goal. As you read the verses of the Bible, you find that all the people who had lasting impact on the earth were those who God could call at any time, and they were totally available. This would come from a heart that had been in an encounter with this God. Total surrender does not come easily to a heart that has not had an encounter. God would also not demand surrender without first laying out all the benefits, blessings and demands that this encounter will bring to you, so you are fully aware of what you are getting into. This is why his offer of love comes before his demand for surrender. He makes the offer of Himself, and then demands that I also offer myself to Him in return. 

Secondly, God's love was laid out long before I was born so He was not looking for physical benefits from me. He has his eye on eternity, which is the end of all human activity, and the only way to secure this eternal life for me was to offer me His own life, which has no end. He was not looking for possessions or gifts He already owns, but He is looking for that which I have the power to withhold or freely give, and that is my heart. He knows the power of a heart under His control, and that is what He seeks by the love He has shown. The price he has paid shows the depth of the sacrifice He was willing to pay to secure the control of my heart. The offer and the gift have been made, and I have just this earthly phase to sort out a response.  The only variable here is my reply; God's love is constant, his Word is dependable and eternity is sure. He waits for you and I? How do you plead? God's time of favour is here.

Set!

Set!

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

The nature of light is such that its presence can be taken for granted, but its absence can't be ignored. We take the brightness of the sun for granted, and we mainly do our best work when it is bright. For most people, the night is for sleeping or taking a break, and it is the time when we are most vulnerable because there are many things that are hidden in darkness. The most thick darkness only needs the tiniest sliver of light for there to be some visibility. No matter how dark a room is, even the torch of the tiniest phone will give illumination. This is the power of light, and it is not a surprise that God likens those who are His own to light. Light is defined as 'the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible'. It is difficult to define light outside of its function and evidence, but you can identify the source of the light. As I have been placed on earth for a reason and a season, does the world know where I stand and who I am? 

I am not placed in an obscure place where the world cannot see or know who I am. I have been set on a hill; high enough to be visible and too far up on a hill to be careless about how I do what I do. The world is the stage where I have been planted to manifest the light that God has labelled me. God would also not demand from me that which He has not supplied grace for. If He calls me light, it means He has supplied the strength, wisdom and direction to live as light. To be set on a hill is to have your foundation firmly rooted in the place you have been set on. It is not expected that I will stay there on Sundays and then come down from Mondays to Fridays. I cannot be light one day and then blend into darkness the next day. Being set on a hill means that there is nowhere to hide. There are things that others are permitted to do but I cannot. I cannot hide my identity too, because by virtue of who I am, the world must know who I am, whose I am, and what I am on earth for. Am I light or is there darkness that I need to deal with? God's time of favour is here.