Merry Christmas

Oh! the joy of Christmas. That season when we are so full of joy that we can’t help but be merry. The truth though is that if we really are honest, the joy of the season is not so much about Christ who is really the reason for the season, but a lot more about having some days off work or school when one can just relax, eat and have fun. That is okay after all Christ was not born on that day and we really ought to think on Him always; but having a season when we celebrate His birth is like gifting ourselves with a season when we are compelled to make merry and for a good cause. It’s that season when it should be easier to evangelize because Christ birth is every one’s focus wittingly or unwittingly. It’s also a season when we can renew or strengthen our relationship with God because we have time to think on and be with Him. We can have that precious time alone with Him.

 

Luke 2: 11 “The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the City of David.”

 

The miracle of the birth of Christ is indeed fascinating and with several lessons to learn. How interesting it is that the one who worked things such that every human being who lived, lives and will ever live on earth must be born of a woman, followed that same pattern when He wanted to exist on earth as man – what humility. God is so humble, He would not disdain the proper order nor will He upturn it for himself. He humbles Himself so much, He was in the womb of a woman, the work of His own hands, for nine months. I guess every one of us either as leaders or future leaders must learn from this. God will not compel anyone to humble themselves but He expects us to. We must learn what is acceptable in the House of God, know them and live by them even more so when we become ministers and pastors for our God is a “due process” God. No wonder the bible says, “He is righteous and just in all of His ways.”  God set Himself an example for us, we as leaders must also make our lives an example that others can look at and be provoked to good works. Character is built on humility.

 

1 Timothy 3: 15 “So that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of The Truth.”

 

How could our Saviour and The Creator of all things be born so simply?  Jesus Christ who is larger than life itself was born a baby after being retained in Mary’s womb for nine months. Though He could have appeared any way He wanted, He chose a very simple and ordinary way. Just like any other man He arrived on earth through a woman and as a baby. God almost always starts small so we must not disdain “small beginnings” of whatever God is doing in our lives. God watches it grow and we must be patient mature enough not to announce it ourselves. When it comes to maturity, it would no longer be hidden. God’s doesn’t need to be announced; it would announce itself at the right time unless it never attempts to fulfill its purpose. Any one accomplishing God’s purpose for their lives cannot be hidden and this is with or without a stage. As soon as Jesus started destroying the works of darkness, He could no longer be ignored. You either hate or love Him and so it is with anyone who yields to God allowing God’s seed blossom.

 

Mathew 5: 14 “You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.”

I John 3: 8b “But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.”

 

Even now, I don’t think we have a good enough understanding of the value of this gift that is Jesus Christ. If the length to which satan went to frustrate His birth is anything to go by, then the child that was born was definitely more valuable than our minds can conceive. Satan sure understood Christ value; hence the warfare to frustrate His birth was so intense, at some point, God had to take Mary, the seed carrier, and Joseph out of Israel. God hid His own first born in Egypt where no one in their true mind would have ever thought that God would hide anything valuable. There is revealed yet again the wisdom of God. Of course God was not afraid of the king but He would not allow His own to be troubled beyond that which they can handle so He showed them a root of escape as He always does for us in difficult times. If the King had known who the seed carrier was, there is no telling what He may have put them through. Interestingly, they never gave up, but trudged on. Even today, people who carry the seed of a God implanted vision would yet go through similar experiences or challenges but if such persons listen for the voice of their Shepheard, He would see them through like He did Mary and Joseph. God never intends for His seed to die. He is not a seed wasting God. If He plants the seed, He means for it to accomplish its purpose.

 

1 Corinthians 10: 13 “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

 

At the birth of Jesus Christ, heaven and earth united to celebrate. Heaven was so excited that it spilled over to earth. The angels could not contain themselves, they had to share the secret of His birth with shepherds and even the wise men as well as Simon and Anna. This was more than supernatural – God stepped into earth and legitimately too. This is a miracle like no other. An expression of love like had never been experienced by any; the beginning of a true love relationship between God and man. No wonder miracles are not scarce at this time; what we celebrate is a miracle. So, it is certainly not out of place to believe God for miracles in this season. This was so important to God that Simeon was not allowed to die before he testified concerning the seed of God. As we celebrate the miracle of miracles, may our own miracles manifest in our lives. Merry Christmas.

Jesus Christ - Light Of The World

John 8: 12 “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

I honestly am trying to understand all that is going on in the body of Christ around where I live; too many backslidden believers who are angry at God and feel very justified. It is not new for people to “backslide” (synonym for returning to one’s previous unbelieving state which was exchanged for a life Christ); maybe it has become worrisome to me because now because it is getting really close to home. People I love very much are falling victim. There are times in life when believers live below God’s expressed expectation and I get that, I have been there and am by no means suggesting that it is acceptable; but to actually denounce this faith and refer to your life in Christ as “times spent in darkness”, is on another level. Could these be the persons the writer of Hebrews referred to when he said such persons could no longer be restored? Is it possible to have had a true encounter with Jesus Christ and turn away? Or could it be that they never had a true encounter with Jesus Christ and as such never built a relationship with Him so that their relationships where either with the church or with their leaders/Pastors.  

Hebrews 6: 4 – 6 “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened-those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come-and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.”

It is easier for me to believe that these persons didn’t have a true encounter with God so that they still have a chance to get it right. In truth though, I discovered that a number of us struggle with a relationship with Christ because we don’t have an experiential knowledge of Him which is really a nice way of saying we may not be truly saved. This also probably explains why anyone would say, like my beloved friend, that the years spent living for Christ were years in darkness and enslavement and having turned their backs on Christ, they are now free indeed. The more I think on what he said, the more I realize that he was right, he was indeed in darkness. He never enjoyed the liberty we have in Christ. Instead of living to please God, he lived to please men and invested too much resources into to creating an impression or look a part; that life is truly tough. It is costly to keep up appearances especially when you can’t reasonably afford the appearance. He was not really walking in Christ and as such, could not have enjoyed “liberty”. Sadly, there are many like my friend, who claim to be born again and walking in the light yet the light they walk in is not Christ but the light of several different men which at the end of the day, is darkness. Every such person will have to meet with Jesus Christ who is The True light for them to actually walk in The Light.

1 John 1: 5 – 6 “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing truth,”

Romans 14: 17 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Many people in the church are sad and disappointed today. Some claim they have been deceived by the leaders or pastors whilst others allude to the fact that God has failed to keep promises He made to them. So, they are disappointed and want to seek other means of bringing the promises and their heart’s desire to pass. This is all so sad. Every groom in love, expects his bride to reciprocate the love. One thing is certain Jesus Christ is coming back for the bride He loves enough to have died for her; the least He should have is a bride ready, expectant and full of rejoicing at the coming of the groom. The church is instead, full of murmurers and complainers; a people in pain who insist on holding on to the pain, a selfish generation who think only about ”what is in it for them” and nothing of true love. We need to encounter The True Light and begin to enjoy a relationship with Him. It is time for our leaders to present Christ alone and teach us how to enter and build a relationship with Him instead of a relationship with the leaders or the church. I guess, one can only present the Christ they know and sadly, people have crept into church leadership who know not Jesus Christ, the Light of the world – wolf in sheep’s clothing.

2 Peter 2: 17, 19 – 21 “These people are useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind…They promise freedom but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get entangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.”