Old Time Faith In A Modern World

We obviously are having difficulties as believers interpreting our faith in contemporary times. Though we say all the time that God is unchanging, which is indeed true, we are so confused that we sometimes seem to describe God as a constantly evolving personality like us. We struggle so much that we would almost rewrite the entire bible as some more recent versions of the bible appear to be attempting to do, just to make “God more relevant” in contemporary times. After pondering very deeply on this issue, there is no doubt still in my mind that God remains the same so that His word also remains the same. They are both unchanging. Instead it is the world that is constantly changing which is a fact that we are all aware of since we accept that earth rotates but the seed of God inside of a man remains unchanging because that seed is God. I wonder - can the maker keep changing to align with the work of His hand? I think it is the creature that needs to keep been re-molded until He aligns with the thoughts or is a reflection of the mind of the creator. Our God is not insecure and desperate for acceptance; He has always insisted that man becomes conformed to His image. I wonder if this faith was ever easily accepted or appeared relevant in any generation.  Man seems to have always had problems with accepting God the way He is. His ways have always been different and seemingly unsuitable for living in every generation.

Isaiah 55: 8 – 9 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Hebrews 13: 8 – 9a “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace.”

It is sad that we forget that our faith is not a religion or a movement, it is who we are. One of the things that distinguishes our faith is that it is real because it is more than words but a being and His name is Jesus. The word that describes our faith is life which is why it has transforming power; totally changing the life of a person even physically because it is alive. This is not mere words from one man's brain but "living word" who has a mind of His out which the entire world was created; how can that word then be so reduced that it is made subject to the interpretation of the mind of its own creature who are lesser beings? God forbid that our God who is highly exalted be made so small that He allows Himself to be made and remade by man the work of His hand. For that is the prerogative of the Almighty God who Himself is the porter and has the power to mold and re-mold man. In our attempts to make this "faith more contemporary" we appear to be re-creating God which is not possible. The words that we attempt to amend are not mere words.

John 6: 63 “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

I do know that some serious scholars of religion and historians have made deep researches on the word of God and the times described in the bible. I am also aware that such researches have thrown greater light on some of the things written in the bible making it easier for us to understand the word of God. However, no matter how empirically conclusive a fact appears to be, if it distorts the truth as revealed in the word of God, then it can never shed greater light on the word. If such facts then become the basis for modifying scriptures, it would be sad because they can never reveal God but instead, mislead those of us who take them in as truth. Such facts, logical and intelligent as they may sound, do not have the power to transform or quicken any life. They are not spirit and have no life. They will only add to draw us away from God. The best they can do is make us look more intelligent to people who are going "nowhere." God wants us to understand Him and the knowledge that comes from Him enlightens our spirit man and makes us even more humble.

Jeremiah 9: 24 “But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

 One thing is certain, neither the world nor an unbeliever except one to whom God would specially reveal Himself, are able to describe the God that is revealed in the bible. There is no mind that has the capacity to grasp fully who God is which is probably why He reveals Himself in part to people. Anyone that claims to fully understand God, believer or not is most likely a liar or probably a little crazy and does not know it yet. Let us accept what He reveals in His word as the truth of who He is. Only the Son of God who has been with the Father and is the Word of God can alter the written word which was written under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. That same Holy Spirit reveals Him only to believers even in contemporary times and shows us how to live as He would even in this present evil world. If we do it in our strength, we will of course fail, which is when we attempt to alter it, but if we let the Holy Spirit help us, it becomes fun and easy.

John 14: 17 “He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.”

Don’t Trifle With Worship! It Belongs To God!

Whether saved or yet to be saved, it has become apparent to me, that man loves to be worshipped. There is something about the flesh that yearns for worship and despite that we have committed our lives to Christ, we are often still moved when men worship us, to the extent that it impacts our decisions and choices yet God says He alone should be worshipped. Whilst He compels no one to worship Him, He makes it clear that worship belongs to Him and Him alone. It is most likely that man’s desire to be worshipped is something that became a part of man following from the fall of man. It is certainly not Christ-like so it could not have been one of those things that man acquired from being made in the image and likeness of God. I say this easily because it was never a problem for Jesus. He was never moved by people’s worship or adulation; instead He always saw through man and was well aware of the nature of man. Meanwhile, the devil understands its potency so he uses it against us.

 

John 2: 24 – 25 “But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.”

Man at his very best is man and as such cannot be God so we are not suggesting that we never make mistakes. However, if we make the same mistake over and over again then it is no longer a mistake but a habit which God is revealing to us as a character flaw which we need to deal with. The bible says if we continue in sin, we are sinners and that, despite that we claim to be born again. Whatever you do consistently is who you are despite that you didn’t intend to do it and was sorry after doing it. However, God gives grace to make the required correction and will work with us to make the correction. The consequences however, we may have to suffer and sometimes, the full weight of it is not immediately apparent. We must always get to the point where we are able to tell ourselves the truth so that we can seek help from God. An alcoholic may keep telling himself that he only takes a few glasses of alcohol and as such will never seek help. The day he realizes that it is a habit, as a result of which he has become an alcoholic; he then is better inclined to seeking help. Let us not deceive ourselves, God is very kind and merciful to always deliver us but we must remember that deliverance from God is sometimes in the form of grace to go through the consequences of our stupidity.

Luke 18: 18 – 19 “Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: ‘Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus asked him. ‘Only God is truly good.”

One of our problems today is that we no longer see anything wrong with claiming to have committed our lives to Christ yet living according to the dictates of the flesh. So that not only do a lot of us yearn to be worshipped, the agents of satan in our midst have learnt to worship us easily pandering to our flesh and thereby accomplishing their purpose because of our innate longing to be adored. A lot of us blame it on several different things including insecurities, and you may be right, but I beg to let you know that excuses don’t prevent the consequences. You need to face up to the fact that you long for it and ask God to help you deal with it. We must be able to listen to the Spirit of God in the midst of people worshipping us and hear what God would say or do. Jesus would have killed Himself much earlier than His time to die if He allowed Himself to be moved by worship from man. The truth is that the man that wants to give you worship and adulation is doing so for his own benefit and does not care the consequences to you. All he cares about is what he wants from you, you have to watch out for your own self. Even the Gadarene demoniac fell before Jesus in worship acknowledging Him as the son of God even when some of His disciples did not know that, yet Jesus was not carried away by all the worship; He recognized the spirit that was at work in Him.

Luke 8: 28 “As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him.”

Clearly, the bible talks about giving honor to whom honor is due and respecting older people; these are not the same as worship. We must watch out for people that demand worship and those that like to worship others. Neither of both sets of people truly serve the Lord unto whom all worship belongs. Let me observe also, that any true believer will also know to give honor to whom honor is due and be respectful. Even if no one taught you to be respectful, the Spirit of God on the inside of every one of us is able to teach us. However, we must be careful not to cross the line and I dare to suggest that when believers cross this line, they are motivated by selfishness and a strong desire to achieve their own agenda and it could be at the expense of your life like the King who got high and worship and was slain by God. Let us be sensitive. These are perilous times.

Beware Your Adversary Is Seeking Whom He May Devour

I have lived long enough to know for certain, even despite that the bible says so, that the devil never loses focus. His sole purpose anywhere is to steal, kill and destroy; and that notwithstanding whether or not he is acting through a believer. The fact that his instrument is a believer never alters his objective. Anyone who yields to him does his bidding. Somebody once said that satan has no problem with people attending every church service and claiming to be believers as long as they are doing what he would have them do which is wrecking the havoc he would have wrecked. Indeed, he finds such 'believers' very useful and effective for his purpose. Of course more than finding such people useful, he is certain that they will end up with him if they never change so he helps them ensure that they remain deceived as to the status of their relationship with God. Nobody desiring to be a believer would willingly opt for hell so satan helps such people ensure that they remain deluded.

2 Thessalonians 2: 9 – 10 “This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.”

As a result of all this deception, the church is no longer the safe haven it once was. The devil has found himself tools, men and women, in every level of church hierarchy. Much as we may long for it to be church the way it was, we cannot continue to deceive ourselves that it is. The need to dwell in the presence of the Most High has reached an all-time high and not just because the bible says it is the best place to be, but even because one can no longer find safety and refreshing anywhere else. To not be girded, careful and sensitive to the Holy Spirit even in the midst of believers today, is to kill yourself like Sisera did when he slept in the home of Jael, a family friend who killed him albeit for a good course. Believers ought not to die for foolishness like Sisera; for it is foolishness to give one’s self to the enemy. We must be very careful for our enemy is indeed going about seeking whom he may devour. Whilst it is true that there is always a mixed multitude, those that know their God shall remain strong in Him.  

Judges 4: 17 & 21 “Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor … But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.”

1 Peter 5: 8 “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

Despite all of this, God is in the midst of His people but we must be careful to walk with Him. Recall that when the Israelites left Egypt, few as the mixed multitude was they were effective for satan; effective to the point of often getting the Israelites to complain and murmur with them. They were often the first dissatisfied but eventually got everyone dissatisfied as a result of which a number of people lost their lives.  They only did the bidding of their master despite that they loved the Jews enough to follow them on this strange journey to a place even they did to know. Unfortunately, a lot of innocent people died for joining in with this mixed multitude. Yet, one thing I know for certain is that God will do all that could be done to save His own from being lured away by satan but at such times, it becomes difficult for us to recognize God. Any believer who does not want to be destroyed must be sober and vigilant. They must be very sensitive so that they are able to make the right decision. It is always easier to go with the “flow” which often appeals to the flesh. For the “flow” often feeds the flesh,

Mathew 10: 16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.”

The church was not birth because man needed another social club or care unit or club. The church is a gathering of true believers who come together to worship the Most High God and learn about Him, sharpening and encouraging one another so that as one, we can face life and it's challenges; supporting one another as we walk toward a common goal which is establishing the will and total counsel of God. We must never forget that the gathering of believers is not for any one man's benefit but our common benefit and God's benefit primarily. No wonder we are to see ourselves as unprofitable servants just pleasing the master and desiring to earn nothing from it but actually earning everything. Our focus must never be on us but on the profiting of our master. God must have known that once we begin to believe we ought to profit, we would walk differently i. e. for ourselves and that is where the church is today. When we work for ourselves, we actually are working for the enemy who loves selfishness. It is time to be circumspect.

You Are Who God Made You If You Are Pleasing Him

As believers we are taught the importance of knowing who we are made by God to be as well as to identify and fulfill one’s purpose in Christ. Though this sounds simple, it has become the bane of many a believer because it raises a major issue in their minds of identifying who they are meant to be even giving some an identity crisis. Some of us struggle so hard to know who we should be and have, in the process, lost a lot of time being and doing nothing. This uncertainty has made some of us insecure and unsure as to whether or not we are acting the part God called us to when we indeed are. Knowing who one is, is obviously a burden to many in this present day to the extent that it is now the preoccupation of many and it ought not to be so. Identifying who you are and fulfilling purpose is important; it is liberating and even eliminates competition among believers eliminating the tendency for ugly emotions like envy etc yet we do not struggle to know it.

1 Peter 4: 1b - 2 “For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.”

As one does the will of God, they are who God made them. To be who God made you is to live pleasing God and not a state we strive or struggle to attain. It is who we become just by desiring sincerely to and actually pleasing Him. Fullness of joy, a benefit tied to the extent of one’s submission to God, marks everyone who is being who God made them and is not tied to what one has or does not have. Our struggle must never be to identify and be that person but rather to live the life that God desires for us to live. As we live that God ordained life, we will be who He called us to be at every point in time fulfilling purpose or destiny and being a true blessing. It is living such that God can through you accomplish His purpose on earth; leave it to Him to decided what purpose He desires to accomplish through you. He knows your frame more than you do because He made you; only yield.

2 Timothy 2: 21 “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use for every good work.”

People find it so much easier to label one. Their life is easier if you are stereotyped so they can deal with you according to their understanding. Please don’t make that your issue by taking on their definition of you and trying to remain that person. We are consistently unfolding and you must allow yourself unfold so you can be fit for the Master’s use at every point in time. It is not as important to be labeled as it is to be useful to God. People had the same challenge with Jesus; He could not be put in a box. The only sure thing about Him was that you knew He always did the will of God. He represented God’s desire at all times despite that it often cost Him; His personality was constantly changing; no wonder people marveled at him: yet this is true liberty and not drinking of alcohol or doing unseemly things.

Mathew 14: 8 – 9 “At her mother’s urging, the girl said, ‘I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray! Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders”.

Herod wanted to be that man he had been labeled as, "a man that kept his word at whatever cost" and that, even at the expense of displeasing God. It cost him dearly. The only label we should have is that we are "God pleasers". Man unfolds as his walk with God deepens; you must allow yourself be who you ought to be at all times. Don't, for example, remain quiet when you should speak up because you are referred to as “the quiet one:” you may be God’s mouthpiece at that point in time. You are respected for being honored enough by God to be used of him and not necessarily because of you. It is okay to keep changing as long as it is in alignment with the word of God and the nudging of the Holy Spirit. You don't need to be “super spiritual or spooky” to be who God made you to be; all you need to do is allow yourself be yielded to God.