Friends?

Friends?

A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity. Proverbs 17:17 AMPC

Human relationships are complex. You find good friends and people who become bad friends. Most times, they didn't start as bad people, but due to different circumstances, they became something else. It seems to me that today's extract defines a friend as someone who is there for you, no matter your circumstances or issues. Friendship is not based on external bliss, but is the result of time-tested values. You find someone who you can relate with, and both of you work at being the best version of yourselves.

Let it be clear that quarrels and strife will arise. No good friends can successfully keep misunderstandings away, but what is key here is that clear line that come what may, nothing affects the foundations of the love that we share. David and Jonathan are one of the best examples of true friendship. Here was a boy anointed to be king, being in close friendship with the known heir to the throne. Yet, no matter how hard Saul tried, he could do nothing about this love. That's what God needs from us in this generation.

What use is a brother or friend who lies and pretends all is well? What use is a friend who is only true when things are fine? How do you trust the heart of another when you only see them when all is well with you? It could be that they were just there for the good times, not the bad times. It may be a good time to audit my own relationships as well as my own heart. What kind of friend am I? Can I be trusted long-term? Am I good for all seasons or only the nice seasons? His time of favour is here.

Leading Well!

Leading Well!

The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. Proverbs 29:4 KJV

Who is a king: a person who either by birth or by choice of people occupy a seat of authority and influence. It also signifies a person who has control over a definite territory as well as subjects who recognise and accept and respond to that authority. Of course, being a king would also require sensitive decisions to be made sometimes, and this is where most people in authority take decisions that could make or mar their destinies.

Let it be made clear here that any person who is responsible for the welfare and wellbeing of another individual is in authority over that person. This extract would therefore apply to you. When it is time to take a decision, what do you consider: how it affects you, how much you stand to gain from it, or how God can be glorified in it? It is by the right judgment that a land is established. No man can by force of war or earthly wisdom preserve a land; it is by alignment with God and an obedience to His commands that such a land enjoys God's peace.

The opposite is equally true. If all I care about is what I gain, and judgement for me is for the highest bidder, the destruction of the land is just a matter of time. Gifts do blind, and men who are led astray by it are not wise. It is by bribes and gifts that oppression and injustice abound.

I take stock again and ask myself: how am I discharging my responsibility over the people God has placed under me and above me? Do I set the right example or am I a bad influence? The land I have been placed will be affected by my decisions so I must be careful. His time of favour is here. 

Balance!

Balance!

Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves. Matthew 10:16 AMPC

We are indeed in strange times. This is a generation God spoke about long ago when He said that iniquity will abound. We have mastered the art of disobedience and rebellion against God's express commands; we have closed our ears and eyes to the things He would have us hear, see and respond to. 

However, one thing is also clear: in every generation, God preserves for Himself a remnant. The number isn't important; it just matters that irrespective of the decadence and the evil around, God will always have the few that know and hold on to Him, seeking to worship and work in line with His commands. This is the generation God is speaking about in today's extract.

God is sending out: all who claim to know and follow God CANNOT be masters of their own destiny. You answer to God and are subject to his authority and you go out as and where He commands. He sends us to the world around us to impact it for Him, not to sell our own ideas. He sends us out to draw men to Him; to be the ointment that is a sweet smelling savour that will attract men to God. Am I truly one or have I blended in so much that the world cannot see the difference?

He sends me out and makes it clear what and how I am to impact. Sheep are docile animals, incapable of evil actions, yet they are placed in the midst of wolves. In physical appearance and attitude, both are unique. You cannot mistake one for the other. Wolves only know how to tear down and consume; sheep know and recognize the voice of the shepherd and they follow him wherever he leads. 

I am told again to be as wise as serpents, but gentle as doves. Following Christ doesn't rob me of my senses and reasoning, but it subjects them to the authority and leadership of the Holy Spirit. I may not always understand where and how He leads, but if I am truly a follower of God, I will not struggle with knowing His voice and obeying Him. Men must see a difference in the usual and the normal around me, if my life will speak for God. Is that true about me? His time of favour is here.

Sacrifice!

Sacrifice!

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1 NIV

There is a place for judgement and a place for mercy. God is the dispenser of both, and by His nature, He has the prerogative on how to and when to dispense both. This is the reason why God is to be feared: the things I consider important may not be viewed as such by God, and the things I would naturally treat with levity may have eternal consequences. This is the foundation of today's extract. 

We speak so lovingly of God as a merciful God, which is quite true. It is because of that mercy that the call of today's extract makes sense: while you have mercy, give your life totally to God. While you still can, give God your all. Mercy isn't deserved, but when it comes, it demands sacrifice from you. There are new priorities, new aspirations, new goals, all based on the new relationship you have been called to. 

The demand under this new relationship is one of sacrifice. It has to be total, absolute and irreversible. As long as I still have some measure of control over my life, I am not ready. As long as I can dictate terms and conditions, I am not ready. Have you ever seen any animal already offered as a sacrifice still having an opinion? Have you seen a lamb to be offered as a sacrifice dictating the terms of the sacrifice? We have become so full of ourselves that we want to tell God how best He can work in our favour, not the other way around. 

The sacrifice must be holy for it to be pleasing to God. It is not something done by accident; it is the result of total submission to God, a realisation of our need of Him, and a daily dependence on His help. God WILL NOT accept anything less than his standard of holiness and He will not lower the standard because He needs numbers. For all the people, few or many, who will seek God out on His own terms, and align themselves with the terms of the covenant of life God is seeking to enter with us, they will see God at work in and for them. If you want it, you have got to live it. His time of favour is here. 

Attitude!

Attitude!

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.  Let all your things be done with charity. 1 Corinthians 16:13‭-‬14 KJV

Paul speaks here of the need to be on your guard as you run the race God has marked out. We all have individual races to run. There is a unique end for all men, and there is only One person who can help us get to that end, but the course of each man's journey is different. In running this race, a few things become important to emphasise:

1. WATCH: God calls me to watch. There are times and seasons set up by God, and He uses them to teach us life lessons. If I do not pay attention to what God is saying through these seasons, or if I do not have an idea of what God expects me to do next, it is not likely that I will understand what God is doing now and where I fit into his plans. My greatest impact is tied to my understanding of the times I am in.

2. STAND FAST: I am called to stand firm in the faith. This instruction would not make sense if there was no danger of falling into error. God warns ahead of time that there will be demands on the foundations of my faith and the basis of my confidence in God. It is the season of strange and convenient doctrines; it is the season of itching ears and lying lips; it is the season of compromise and falsehood. If you do not stand for the Truth, you will fall for anything.

3. BE STRONG: It is quite important to be strong in these strange seasons we are in. It is the season where only those who know who God is, who belong to Him and serve Him acceptably, will be the ones who will do exploits. The weak will always seek the path of least resistance; the strong depend on the One who commissions their assignment for help. 

4. CHARITY: This is the crowning glory of all God calls me into. This is the attitude and medium through which my life's pursuits and priorities must be expressed. No matter how nice I am viewed or how the world applauds what I do or celebrates my achievements, it amounts to nothing if not done in love. 

The summary of the above is this: it is not what the world considers important that matters, but what God says it is. It is when I do what He commands and how He commands that I get all He has promised. Nothing else will work. His time of favour is here.

Right Mix!

Right Mix!

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life. Proverbs 22:4 KJV

God wants me to enjoy the life He has brought me into. The Word of God says that He has given me all that I need for life and Godliness. This means that all that I will need for this present earthly phase as well as the unseen spiritual implications of this phase have been provided ahead of time. 

As I walk the walk and run the race, what is expected of me: humility, which is a key ingredient in this walk. I note that I must play my part first before I can lay claim to the benefits and blessings that are promised in line with the right walk. Check out the extract again: the way up is the way down. If you would enjoy God's elevation, you have got to start all the way down. 

Jesus lived this out on a daily basis. He is God, yet left all the glamour and came as man to die for our sins. The fear of the Lord is also part of the package. When I keep God as the focus, every other thing loses appeal. When God sits at the head of the table of my heart, I am on the path to impact, relevance and eternity with Him. 

So, as I seek to enjoy what this life offers, I must align with what Life directs. Riches, honour and life are only found in Him who is called Life. Have you met Him? Does He know you as His own? His time of favour is here. 

Pursue!

Pursue!

Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor. Proverbs 21:21 NLT

Human nature abhors a vacuum. At no time is the human mind able to remain idle or be totally inactive. At every point in time in our lives, we are actively/passively pursuing something or being pursued by something. This is where the power of choice and the understanding of God's will for my life become very important.

Let this truth be known: your pursuits will always be determined by your priorities. You do not need to convince me about the things you consider important; I will see it from the decisions you make daily. As always, there is a choice between two extremes: God or the devil. You cannot sit on the fence on this one; no middle ground. You are either all in or all out.

Check out the focus of your pursuit: righteousness and love: both God's attributes. My pursuit must be centred around God, if my life will make sense. And of course, what you seek is what you find. God's Word makes it clear that what I sow is what I reap. If I seek the right kind of fruit, I must ensure I plant the right kind of seed. Check out the fruits of the right kind of pursuit: you get a mix of God's nature, as well as earthly impact, the kind no amount of money can buy or preserve.

God wants to make my life a spectacle of His power and grace. He wants to flow out through me to bless lives, but there is no way I will make it outside of Him. It all starts with the right foundation: the pursuit of God. When that is in place, every other thing falls into place. His time of favour is here.