Power and Impact!

Power and Impact!

Luke 1 : 37

For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.

The revelation of God is one of the most amazing experiences a man can have. This is because no two people's experiences can be the same. Abraham and Isaac were father and son, yet God revealed Himself to them in different ways. They had similar experiences in delay in childbirth, but the way God solved that issue was different in each case. That is the power of God at work, and one of the many reasons why we do not take God for granted, or think we have Him figured out, based on past experiences. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, but His ways are beyond searching out. He brings one down, and lifts up another, and He raises one up and humbles another. Whatever the experience may be, there is no doubt that God rules and reigns over the affairs of men. It is this clear understanding that explains the verse above. 

Think of a virgin girl given a strange message, that she would be pregnant with a child, and without the natural process of pregnancy. Of course, even the betrothed husband had his doubts, and was planning to put her away privately, without causing her any shame. Who wouldn't? An angel went to him and also convinced him that this child was special. So, we have 2 people with clear messages that whatever it was they thought was not possible was going to come to pass, and they would be the vessels and channels by which that miracle was going to happen. Who says that there is anything impossible for God to do? In the event that Mary was still not sure, she was told that her aunt Elizabeth, who was well advanced in years, was also pregnant with child. This must have been the news that Mary had to go confirm: a woman who was well past childbearing age was now pregnant.

Indeed, nothing is impossible for the God who promises to make things happen, and then backs up His Word with his name, which makes these two immutable things by which it is impossible for God to lie. He stakes His name and reputation when He says anything, because He knows that men will seek to confirm that He can be trusted. We deal with a God who is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient. He can do all things, and He can change any situation to align with His will. He can create a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, such as a prime minister role for Joseph, simply because He wanted to preserve the world at the time. He will not speak carelessly or thoughtlessly; He does not waste words. His words are His name, His nature and His person. He cannot deny Himself, so please make sure you get a Word from Him for all that is ahead. That word is your sustaining power. He will keep you focused, if you would only trust Him. God's time of favour is here.

Call!

Call!

Romans 10:13 KJV

[13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The context in which this letter is written is based on the belief that striving and activity could help man achieve the righteousness of God. We find Jews claiming righteousness that comes from Jewish laws and customs, and we also find Gentiles who would also strive to do what is right, even though they did not have the law. For both, there was this deceit that led them to placing the cart of activity before the horse of faith. The cart of activity will always prevent the horse from doing its best work, because it is by faith that a man can please God in the first instance. The bible says quite clearly that without faith, it is impossible to please God. My faith in God should drive everything else that I do. My faith in God is the foundation of my daily pursuits and priorities. Whatever else I do outside of faith is not acceptable to God. That is the clear message that today's verse strives to underscore.

Wherever you are in life, or at whatever stage of life you are at, there is an invitation that has been sent out by God to all men, and it is that in God, you have all that you need for life and Godliness. In Jesus is found the fullness of God, and all who come to Jesus also lay hold of all that is in God. Today's verse asks me to CALL. I cannot afford to keep quiet or make assumptions about anything; if I do not open my mouth to call, I cannot turn around and blame God for not coming to my aid. If I also open my mouth and complain to the wrong crowd, I cannot also turn around and blame God when things do not work out the way I want. The verse is clear on who I should call on, and that is the name of the Lord. No one else is given the power or mandate to save like Jesus. If I know I need help, and I choose to keep quiet, then I do not get what I need. Man cannot really help, because he also needs help. You cannot give what you do not have. 

I note that the offer is for Jew and Gentile alike, with no favouritism. All have sinned, and all are in need of salvation. It does not matter what the past looks like; the blood can wash away the deepest stain and bring you into the presence of God to obtain mercy and grace for a life that pleases God. WHOSOEVER means anyone, anywhere and at anytime, but it has to be noted that time too is of essence. I do not have forever on this side of eternity to make up my mind to call; the promise of salvation for all who call on Jesus remains in place as long as this earth is in place. Once Jesus returns, mercy expires. You do not want to be left behind under those conditions. While there is time, please call. He is waiting for your call; He will not turn His back on anyone who sincerely seeks Him. As you know, He keeps his promises. God's time of favour is here. 

Fear God!

Fear God!

Proverbs 31:30 AMPC

[30] Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!

The verse above is taken from the words of king Lemuel, and is part of the prophecy that his mother taught him. Not much is said of him in the bible, or even about his mother who taught him this prophecy, but the words have been preserved for generations, and they have now become inspiration and guidance for as many as seek to know God's mind on the order of priorities. Who says a person has to be popular and known by the world in order to make a mark on the world? All that matters is that the person places him/herself in the hands of the potter, and allow Him work that which is His perfect will. There will always be no regrets when there is total submission to the will of God. It is not a wonder that the boy Lemuel became King Lemuel. As seen in the verses before today's extract, he had been given the right information that would help him rule well. 

For all who are current or aspiring parents, or guardians who have been given the awesome responsibility of nurturing young minds and hearts, how are you preparing the right way for the challenges that are ahead? It is also important to consider that the name Lemuel means 'belonging to God', which is another lesson for us as we consider the words of today's verse. The parents who gave the boy Lemuel his name had an understanding of the spiritual implications of a name, and were careful to give him back to the Lord, the source of all good things. I have to be clear that everything that I have or hold isn't actually mine to use as I please, but as God, the real owner, pleases. This understanding will help me put things in the right place, and treat them the right way. Once God occupies the throne, nothing else can take pride of place in my heart. 

Could it be that the reason why we are so focused on the external is because the internal is not secured? Charm and beauty, or grace, as referred to above, are all good, but they have their limits. There are benefits and blessings that you cannot get by charm alone, and, as we know, beauty is such a relative term that one person's view of what beauty is will differ from another person's view. Why would something so ephemeral define my eternity? Why would something so fleeting and vague define my eternal reality? Please remember that these words were taught by the mother of Lemuel, and if a woman can say that beauty is vain, while fearing God is the ideal, you have to pay attention. The woman who reverently and worshipfully fears God is to be praised, because she has a clear identity and understanding of what is dear to the heart of God. Like David, God seeks men whose hearts are fully committed to Him, not the ones distracted by possession, position, power, presentation or personality clashes. Would you be that person? God's time of favour is here. 

Love is....5!

Love is....5!

1 Corinthians 13:13 AMPC

[13] And so faith, hope, love abide [faith–conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope–joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love–true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.

We consider the concluding part of the focus on God's version of love, as laid out in 1 Corinthians 13. We have seen what love is not as well as what it does and does not do. The verse above lays out three critical themes that are central to the Christian faith, and these are faith, hope and love. There is no way you can explain the demands and dictates of the Christian experience without highlighting the features of these three themes. The version of the verse above has helped define these themes. First, we have faith, which is the conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things. The bible also makes it clear that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Not everything about the Christian experience will make sense at the start, but as you walk with God, you get to know more of Him and His demands on you, and your life can please God the more. However, once I see God face to face, faith had met reality. 

The second theme is hope, which us the joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation. This is closely linked to faith in the sense that it is tied to the earnest expectation of eternal salvation and eternity with God. Faith and hope are linked, as they keep mea focused on that which the Holy Spirit keeps reminding me of on a daily basis. As I walk with God, even when the physical around me does not look like what God has promised, the confidence and assurance in the nature of God to keep His promises help keep me grounded. There are several promises He has made, and which have come to pass, so I am sure that the hope of eternal life with God will also be secured. Again, hope is focused on that which is to come, and when that which is expected has come, what else is hope for? 

We come to the third theme, which is love, and the verse above says it is true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us. This is the bit that connects God with man. Faith and hope underpin my hope in God, whilst love connects God and man. Faith and hope will also impact my relationship with man, but not like love. Why is love the greatest of all three? Love is the fruit of the Spirit that men will see and know that I am a child of God. It is the nature of God, as well as the evidence of my walk with God. Faith and hope are linked to the things I do not yet see, but love is linked to that which I can see, feel, and experience. Faith is a personal walk, and hope is also a personal decision arising from my personal knowledge and experience of God, but love is deeper. It is also the outward manifestation of my faith and hope. Men may not know what I stand for, or the quality and depth of my focus, but my words and actions will definitely leave a mark. All three are great, but love reveals the nature of God in me. God's time of favour is here. 

Love is....4!

Love is....4!

1 Corinthians 13:7 AMPC

[7] Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

We continue to look at love from God's own perspective, not the world's. This distinction is critical, because the world only looks at what it can gain or get, without giving anything of value in return. The world only labours after its own benefits, not what it can give out. The verse above confirms that love can bear up under anything. There is no pressure that love cannot endure, because it has no breaking point. Again, it is important to emphasize that we are speaking of God's version of love. If God were to mark and punish iniquity as soon as it is committed, I doubt if anyone would still be alive today. It is love that makes God wait for me to come to Him, even after He had paid a high price to secure my salvation. It is love that does not give up easily, and like the lost sheep, will do all He can to ensure the safety and security of every sheep under His care. He does not stop loving because we stop following Him.

God's version of love is always ready to believe the best of everyone. It does not proceed from the point of suspicion and mistrust, where every action is interpreted in the light of my own prejudice and envy. God's love is able to see things from the other person's point of view, appreciating the person's experiences, whilst seeking to establish God's truth. Even when it is clear that the person is wrong, the approach is to get the person who see and understand God's truth clearly, so that the right action can be taken. You cannot force truth down the throat of anyone; it is always easier and quicker when the person knows the truth, and is set free from the bondage of falsehood. God's love never loses hope that anyone can change for the better, because its foundation is not built on the ever-changing principles of the world but on the unchanging nature of God. As it is God's nature we are speaking about here, be sure that God's love does not expire until it truly expires. 

Hope is such that it does not tie itself to time. As long as the earth is in place, God's love will not give up on anyone. This is why the worst of sinners have hope of a new life in and through Christ. That is why the worst of sinners can become the best of saints. That is why a Saul, who persecuted the followers of Christ, could become the same who was inspired to write about most of the new testament letters. God's love has endured through the passing of time and man's reckless rejection of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. If that is the example that we have, and the reason why we now have hope, can we afford to do less? Can we then refuse to extend the same grace we enjoy to other people? Should we be quick to judge others, or think they are beyond saving, when we could have been the ones without hope and destined for destruction? I am grateful to God for all I have received, and I trust He will help me extend this same grace to other people. His love helps me love the right way. Would you also allow Him work in you, so He can flow out of you? God's time of favour is here. 

Love is....3!

Love is....3!

1 Corinthians 13:6 AMPC

[6] It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

We have been considering what love is and what it is not. Today, we again look at the internal and external manifestations of what God's version of love looks like. As we know, joy is also a manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, and it cannot be produced alongside with the opposite of joy, which is bitterness or sorrow. If I do not have any reason to rejoice, or I consider that there is no basis for hope that there is an eternal future for me, how can I claim to have the Spirit of God living inside of me? How can I claim to know and have God if my life does not exhibit and inhabit the presence of God as well as His presents He gives to all who surrender to Him? I have to audit my life in the light of His revealed truth, and make sure He has total control of it. He will not force Himself on me, or go against the exercise of my freewill. Have I totally yielded to God, or am I still laying claim to territory as my own? 

The person who has totally surrendered to God will not struggle with the Truth. The person of Jesus is revealed to us as the Way, the Truth and the Life. I cannot claim to know and support the Truth if I do not know the Truth. If I do not know the Truth, anything is permissible. If I am able to switch between competing interests, able to blend into any situation, then I need to check the quality and depth of my convictions. If my convictions shift on the basis of what is popular or generally acceptable to the majority of the world, then I need to again confirm that what I have and know is God's version of truth. If there is anything in me that remotely rejoices in iniquity, injustice, or unrighteousness, I need to audit my life and be sure that the foundation of my faith is still intact. The world system is under the control of the devil and whatever it produces must line up with its control point, but if I am not of the world, my focus and output must be different. 

Truth and unrighteousness cannot flow from the same source. God and the devil cannot be fighting at the same time for control of your life; you have to make a decision on whom you will give it to. Grace has been given to all men to make the right choice, but I have to take hold of and apply it to my life. There is also no fence of indifference to sit on, where I can claim to be in the middle. You cannot get away with making no choice at all; in fact, not deciding to stand for truth is itself a choice. Love, by its nature, cannot be separated from truth. Both have the same origin, which is Jesus. If I have Him, I embrace both. I am able to rejoice when both are in full flow and I am also able to stand up and promote both when the occasion demands it. What this means is that I must be sure of who I have submitted my life to. I cannot flow out with anything different from the spring that is in me. If I do not like the current outflow, I must change the spring and source. What do you need to do? God's time of favour is here.

Love is... 2!

Love is....2!

1 Corinthians 13:5 AMPC

[5] It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

Yesterday, we looked at love from the private and public perspectives. It was made clear that you cannot really understand or explain love outside of the person of love Himself, who is God. Again, it has to be emphasized that love and its opposite cannot be found in the same vessel at the same time, because both are not produced at the same source or sustained by the same supply. Imagine how silly it is to expect to find oranges growing on a maize stalk, without any scientific or human intervention. In the same way, it is not expected that a life that has found God's version of love will also find conceit and pride as a way of life. It is either that life is yet to truly encounter the God of love, or it does not yet fully understand what it now has. God will not demand from me that which He has not first supplied grace for. If He asks for it, He is it, He gives it, and He will sustain it. 

You cannot give what you do not have, and you cannot fake it until you make it. This is one reality that cannot be faked, because the fruit of my life will always be revealed by my words, actions, interactions and engagements. I cannot hide who I am, what I am and who I belong to for a long time; that which is in me must flow out of me at some point in time. It is therefore important that I sort out my person, identity and contents, so that I can reflect who God is. If I claim to be His child or His representative, I cannot be anything less than who God has called me. If people see me as rude, I must evaluate my life in light of the revealed truth of God's Word and take necessary steps based on the revealed truth. If I am always insisting on my way being the only way, it means I am still under the influence and control of the old man, whose end is eternal death, as revealed by the truth of God's Word. 

Check out the other characteristics that love is NOT or does not do. Always remember that we are speaking of God's version of love, not the other bits we see in movies. God's love in me will not insist on its own rights or its own way, because it is not self-seeking. It is willing to put others over and above itself. Its feelings are not easly hurt, and you do not find it short-tempered and easily irritable or very touchy, fretful or resentful. it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not keep a record of the number of times it is offended, because, just like Jesus taught, even if my brother sins against me seventy times seven times, and comes to me for forgiveness, I must give him. There are no old or new scores to settle, because God's love had settled all accounts when the blood was shed. What more csn I ask for? What can I not let go? God has done all these for me; should there be anything too big for me to let go? God's time of favour is here.