QUIET TIME – That Precious Time Alone With God

This is the phrase commonly used by believers to describe that period of time one spends with the Lord away from every form of distraction and/or noise. This is that time when we listen to God more than we talk opening up ourselves to Him that He may do in our hearts or mind that which He needs to do that we may be more like Him. This is where we behold the glory of The Father and are changed to be like Him drawing strength from Him also to facilitate this change. This is time that no believer can succeed without in any area of life. It should not be the practice of ministers or clergy only, but something every believer does. Our God definitely wants to spend time alone with every one of His children. It is indeed a privilege; one that must not be taken for granted as we are inclined to doing.

Mathew 6: 8 “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

God is the source of our strength. The closer we draw to Him, the more good we receive from Him; we are also better able to deal with life. Drawing close to Him is both physical and spiritual. The physical bit is the deliberate act of “locking out all others for this time allotted to Him alone” and the spiritual bit is having one’s spirit in absolute control of their mind and body at this time as the Holy Spirit interacts with the person. Satan prefers that we don’t have this alone time with God; so our flesh would normally give us all the excuses in the world to facilitate our not having that time with God. He would rather that we don’t go there because we reject him every time we go into that private communion with God. He can’t be part of this meeting as long as we shut him out unlike when believers gather to fellowship. Spending time with God sounds so simple yet it is tough for many and that is because there is an enemy fighting us and trying to ensure we don’t do it because as we draw closer to God, He draws closer to us.

James 4: 8 “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”

In this time, we may study our scriptures, worship and praise God and/or even ask God for things we need, discuss the issues that trouble us or just remain silent savoring God’s presence. At this time, God is the focus and not us. My suggestions is that we leave asking for things to the end when one is done with just adoring God. I have observed that when our needs are the main topic of our discussion as we spend alone time with God, He ceases to be the center of our quiet time; instead, that need becomes the object of the quiet time and we don’t really listen for God anymore. The more time we spend with God, the better we are at identifying His voice. Identifying God’s voice is one of those things that get better with practice; and now more than ever before, there is the need for every one of us to hear the voice of God

John 10: 4 - 5 “… and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

Hebrews 5: 14 “… who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

This ought to be a daily practice and can even be several times daily. If however, one misses out on a day, it’s not the end of the world.  It is still okay to make that time as soon as it is possible to do so. To miss out on this time alone with God consistently is to deliberately set out to destroy your walk with God. It is like shutting out your nose and mouth so that you can’t breathe and hoping to live. Indeed the Spirit of God on the inside of us will keep prompting us to spend time with God until one gets used to doing the contrary and the Holy Spirit goes quiet. How does one know God except they rub minds with Him? Why would a God so great be willing to honour you so highly by choosing to spend time alone with you if it was not important? God is so desperate for this time that I have found that if you choose a particular location consistently to spend time alone with God, after a while you will find that God is there waiting to spend time with you when you get there.

John 15: 5 – 6 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.”

If Jesus Christ needed to spend time alone with God as frequently as He did, then we need to do the same and even more so. It sounds very simple but very impactful. It is also worthy of note that after every victory, Jesus made the effort to spend time alone with God. If Jesus needed to be refreshed and replenished, then we certainly do.

Let Us Draw Near To God

It is definitely not news to most believers that we are in the “end times” since this is one of those things that we talk about often; but, do we really believe it? It seems like the more we say it, the more lightly we take it. I guess we have heard it so much it sounds like a cliché because a lot of us carry on with such a lazy disposition toward God and the things that pertain to Him, that it is obvious we don’t really believe it and largely, because we have not thought on it enough. The relationship such persons have with God is so dry and lacking in luster that they make God appear boring when the real problem is the fact that they barely engage Him and as such are unable to glean from Him and radiate His glory. A believer’s relationship with God only thrives to the extent that one is ready to make the effort. Most of us only engage God, when we are overwhelmingly burdened and as soon as our issues are resolved, we return to status quo; it ought not to be so. Engaging or cultivating a vibrant relationship with God takes a deliberateness on our part. Unless and until we make the effort to work at this relationship, it remains boring or even dead which said state is often reflected in the believer’s life.

Luke 18: 1 “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”

Ephesians 6: 18 “Praying always”

Proverbs 3: 6 “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

God desires to have a vibrant relationship with us which is why He is open to communicating with us always and everywhere. He makes it clear that He desires to be a part of our everyday life and even our decision making.  Never mind those who think we disturb God when we commune with Him; God is so interested in our lives that He takes the time to show us which path is fit when we seek His will. The onus is on every believer to either accept to have that relationship with God that He so desires or to reject His outstretched arm. Whilst it is true that God hides Himself, it is our honor to search for and find Him and as we do that, we are cultivating a beautiful relationship with Him. He makes it easy for us to find Him by giving every one of us the Holy Spirit who knows all there is to know about Him. The challenge for a number of us is the fact that we don’t even care enough about the depth of our relationship to even need The Help He provides so that the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives is just to facilitate our speaking in tongues. We must remember that uncultivated relationships gradually die despite that we may be unaware of its death and still carry on just like Samson who shook himself not knowing that his strength had left him because is head was shaved. A bad relationship is bad despite what we may like to think or believe. It is always what it is. We always get back from a relationship what we invest in it. What are you investing in your relationship with God?

Proverbs 25: 2 “It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them.”

Luke 6: 38 “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full-pressed down. Shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

If indeed these are the end times as we believe they are, then it is time to work on our relationship with God. It takes some form of “pressing” to go forward in any God related thing including even our relationship with God. When Paul says “I press on to reach the end of the race” it included even working at his relationship with God. We need to “press” that we might go forward. Of course, pressing is not passive so a lazy person will struggle with their relationship with God but it starts with a decision and grace is available. We have to wake up from a life of ease and get into serious business with God. We have to work at leaving behind us any weight that might make it difficult to enter His presence thereby stemming our maturity. Every weight should be cast aside whether they be failures, success, un-forgiveness and whatever else there is, they must be put aside that we may enjoy our relationship with God and the benefits. It is worthy of note that when we work to cultivate our walk with God, we enter into that rest can one can only have in Him. It is time to push the limits of our relationship with Him and the benefits will no doubt be immense.

Hebrews 4: 3 “For only we who believe can enter his rest.”

Philippians 3: 13 “No dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus is calling us.”

Why Me? The Popular Cry That Often Has No Answer

In recent months I have heard so many say “why me?” and “what did I do wrong?” to last a life time and I wonder why? Could it be that satan is busier than ever before or that we live our lives so carelessly that we forget there are consequences for every decision we make? I guess it is both and several other things but there seems to be too much pain everywhere. Now more than ever before, there is a great need for true hope, which is only found in Jesu Christ. We all need to have reasons for living through some of the difficulties we face as we go through life. Tough as they may sometimes be, as believers, we must succeed which translates to - we must ride it patiently waiting for the end which will surely come. No wonder when Paul cried out to God concerning some of his own challenge and/or difficulty in life, my interpretation of God’s answer to him is this – “you can cope with it because I have poured into you, all the strength you need to go through”. That does not in any way suggest that God initiated it nor does it say it will end and if it will, when. How comforting is that?

 

2 Corinthians 12: 8 - 9 “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

Life does throw us “curve balls” as we all know. Moreover, how would satan show that he is the prince of the power of the air who is supposedly in charge on earth, something he stole from Adam and Eve. So things do happen sometimes that are not initiated by God and are also not consequences of any wrongdoing but  God allows them for reasons we may not be aware of like it was with Job. The one thing that is certain though, is that God knows how to make the challenges we face work good for us if we don’t quit. God is always working to make a testimony of every such situation so that at the end of the day even satan is left a little confused wondering how we came out of it with a testimony just like it happened with Jesus Christ. Thankfully, it does not matter how bad or painful it may seem, it is never too bad for God to work a testimony out of it as long as we don’t give in to satan and quit. To give in to satan includes having pity parties and really enjoy them or becoming more selfish/self-centered. Satan knows what all of these can do to our relationship with God; he knows they separate believers from God setting them on a downward spiral which is what he always hoped would happen.

1 Corinthians 2: 7 – 8 “No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God-his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.”

Mark 6: 48a “He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against eh wind and waves… Jesus cam toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out…”

This story of Christ and His disciples often comes to mind when I hear any of the “recently popular cries” like “why me?” I can only imagine how it would have felt as these disciples traveled across the lake and found themselves toiling in rowing. This must have been a journey they had done several times before they knew Jesus and it always went well otherwise they wouldn’t have done it, but this one time everything seemed to be going wrong notwithstanding that they had come to know Jesus Christ. What makes it even more intriguing is that Jesus was going by and had seen them but would have gone past them if they had not called out to Him. He not only did nothing upon seeing them toiling, but was about to go past them without solving their problem. Thank God they called out and got help just like they needed in this instance. Sometimes, though help comes, it doesn't always come in the way we need it to at the time. In Job’s case as well as several others in the bible, help did not come in the way it was needed and that is when it gets really tough. We must realize that God will do what He will do and in the best way ever because He sees the end and His purpose is always to work the best for us.

1 Peter 5: 10 “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.”

One thing is certain, no matter the cause of the difficulties, it is always for "a moment" and will eventually pass. God does not enjoy seeing us suffer, that is satan’s job. God is always working good out of it all if we can just be patient and the only way to be patient is making Him our focus. I cannot promise that it won’t leave marks because it left marks on some others like Paul and even Job as well as several others even today. Paul actually speaks of bearing the marks for Christ on his body; and with Job, no matter how beautiful his new set of children were, how could he possibly forget that he had some other children many years ago and was starting life all over again? Despite all the pain, it is but for a moment and works character as well as several other benefits in and for us. Instead of moaning and asking the very familiar questions, we need to switch it up and begin to enjoy Jesus Christ despite our circumstance. If we stay in the word of God, we will find that we have abundant joy flowing from within notwithstanding all that may be going on around us. You can choose what you would rather do and if we make the right choice, heaven backs us with grace. Let us disappoint our enemy in every situation.

The Ugliness of Stubbornness

Stubbornness appears to be one of the several wrongs fast becoming acceptable in the midst and lives of believers today. It has become normal and common practice for believers to reject correction because as we often say “I am a stubborn person” so that we reject correction not because such correction is incorrect but because we feel the need to do whatever we desire. Unfortunately, the word of God rejects this positon and makes it clear that it is unacceptable to God. I have heard the phrase “I am stubborn” so many times, and much more frequently in our present times, in the course of counselling with believers so much so that I was getting confused especially because the word can indeed be used in a good way. So I went to my dictionary as you know I often do and I would like to share some of what I found about the word stubborn in which stubbornness takes its root. Amongst several things, I found that stubbornness is being obstinate, unyielding, and resolute and is also characterized by a refusal to change one’s mind. The dictionary also says it could be used to describe one that is difficult to deal with and/or an illness or stain that is resistant to treatment which to my mind suggests that a stubborn person may need treatment to which they would remain resistant. The English dictionary indeed admits that it could be good for example when one is resolute in their pursuit of a good cause. I guess this is stubbornness that the bible says is required for taking the kingdom of God. Every believer knows this kind of stubbornness because we have an enemy who is also very stubborn but in a bad way so that we have to be very resolute in dealing with him to successfully enforce the victory Christ won for us.

 

Mathew 11: 12AMP “And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force (as a precious prize-a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense execution”

 

Stubbornness is often used though, in its negative form and this is the stubbornness I am writing about in this article. This is the one the dictionary refers to as being obstinate making one difficult to deal with. This stubbornness is so ugly that it has the power to actually translate one’s look in the physical making them ugly. This stubbornness is not always very obvious; indeed I would rather deal with those whose stubbornness is really obvious. It can be very salient so that appearing passive, it is in truth very aggressive and that to my mind, is the very worst because it takes a little longer for people who can provide the help one needs to realize that the person indeed has a problem – stubbornness. Unfortunately, many lives are getting ruined today because of this one matter of stubbornness. Interestingly, despite all the harm that it is doing to people, I have found that a number of people think it is cute and some kind of adornment and sadly, this includes even a lot of believers. Such people even happily make declarations about their children or child being stubborn and they laugh with some sort of glee looking like it is wonderful. This stubbornness is eating into the very fiber of the lives of several believers and slowly destroying them but unfortunately, they don’t realize.

 

1 Samuel 15” 23a “Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as worshipping idols.”

Proverbs 28: 14 “Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble.”

 

Such believers will not take correction. Insisting on doing what they want to do, they refuse to think through any suggestion to improve their lives; some, even priding themselves in the fact that nothing can cause them to change their minds when it is made up and not even the word of God. Some such people actually say it but those who are a bit more laid back or passive will not say it boldly but express it in their actions and decision making. Such people definitely have not thought enough on the thoughts of God as revealed in His word concerning the matter of stubbornness otherwise, they would be doing all that is necessary to bring about the needed change in their lives. There is no doubt that no thoughtful believer would deliberately continue on that path that leads to destruction. It would be sad if this truth was revealed to them and yet, they continued in the way they have chosen because then, there will be no other remedy. It is time to begin to deal with the enemy within because if we don’t, how can we then deal with the enemy without and this we must do to live fullness of life that is our portion and go forward.

 

Proverbs 14: 12 “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”

 

Proverbs 29: 1 “Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.”

Lessons From The Life Of Samson

I am one of those that believe one does not have to make the same mistakes that people you know or have heard of, made. I didn’t always know this but as I got older I learnt that it is a waste of time. I realize that I could reach my goal faster if I learnt from other people’s mistakes that were slowed down by their mistakes so I don’t have to be slowed down by the same thing. When I see people younger than I am who are close to me making the same mistakes they either saw me make or I told them about, I get really frustrated. I find it so hard to believe that they actually fell into the same “ditch” after all I had told them and that is because I already know what it would cost them. I am convinced that one of the reasons we made some mistakes is so that those coming after us would not have to make them but I am also learning that if they insist on doing so, they have the right to. So, as you would have observed if you are a follower of this blog, I look at the bible characters from time to time so I can learn from their lives and avoid some mistakes they made. Samson is in focus in this blog.

 

1 Corinthians 10: 11 “These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.”

Samson, like Jesus and John the Baptist, is born with a definite purpose. Indeed, just like Jesus and John’s mothers, his mother was visited by an angel who announced his coming and purpose; the angel also told them what he should do or not do. Unfortunately, Samson died not fulfilling that purpose. Certainly, being chosen of God for a purpose comes with privileges but also, a price. Samson’s parents, like Jesus and John the Baptist parents, played their part well through the time he was in his mother’s womb but unlike John and Jesus, Samson failed to play his part because he did not learn discipline. He was not prepared to pay the price that greatness cost. He only wanted the privileges. He decided to do his own thing instead of the will of God. As God would usually give man a will whilst hoping that man would exercise that right of choice in His favor, God allowed Samson the right to exercise his will and despite knowing all he was meant to be, he preferred to do all his own pleasure. Nobody ever succeeds in life doing only and all, his or her own pleasure.

John 4: 34 “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.”

Judges 14: 2b – 3 “A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her to me. His father and mother objected. Isn’t there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry? They asked. Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife? But Samson told his father, get her for me! She looks good to me.”

There is no doubt that God had marked him for greatness and was with him. God’s favor was certainly upon him like several other people before and after him but he was obviously so spoilt that he used it for his own gain only. Truly greatness comes with a price; a price which anyone that has not learned self-discipline cannot pay. I dare to suggest that since he was an only child at least for a long while, his parents must have thoroughly spoilt him. Even from his discussion with his father about the girl from Timnah above, it is obvious that he got whatever he wanted from them.  There is no doubt that he was self-centered. Self-centered people would sacrifice anyone and anything to have their way. Samson sacrificed even his tribe, he was sent to deliver, when they were in the way of getting what he wanted though he wanted. A self-centered person cannot attain to the heights God ordained for them. As long as God’s will suits them, they go along with it, but as soon as it begins to conflict with their will, it has to be abandoned. They are only concerned about their lives primarily and every other thing is secondary; for Samson his primary assignment became a secondary concern.

Galatians 5: 17 “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite of what the Spirit wants. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”

Galatians 5: 24 “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.”

Whatever a man sows, he shall truly reap. Samson pandered to his flesh so much that he reaped the benefit. If we get everything we want, we often don’t realize that we are also making the flesh stronger. It would be lacking in discipline and unable to accept being denied of anything. We think we are making ourselves happy by getting everything we desire even at the cost of other people or God’s will for our lives but we suffer the consequences; one of which is an undisciplined flesh which could cost one any and everything. It eventually cost Samson his life. He wanted a prostitute so badly that he told her the secret of his power and she shaved his hair so he lost his power and was captured. He later committed suicide. Whilst it is true that he killed more people in his death than in his life, he still died shamefully and before he was meant to die. Denying one’s self is not something one learns to do suddenly; it is a result of practice. If we cannot deny ourselves in little things and in our everyday lives, then it cannot happen suddenly when one is faced with a big issue. Self-discipline is a learned behavior. As we deny our flesh, we crucify it.

Which Jesus Have You Received?

I have heard that Jesus is a common name amongst the Jews. So anyone could choose that name and yet not be Jesus Christ the Son of God who alone is the “The anointed one.”  Only He has the power and authority to save man and for which reason He came down to earth to ultimately lay down His life after living an exemplary life for us to follow. He is whom we have to receive to receive the power to become sons of God. Jesus could not have been more straightforward in His speech. He clearly declared that He is the way the truth and the life and if anyone wants to go to the Father, it had to be through Him. He declared that there is no other way but Him. There is however, a problem in the church today. The Jesus that is often preached from our pulpits appears to be different from He that is revealed in the Bible as the Son Of God so that the Christ a lot of people receive is not the Christ of God. This seems to be the root of major confusion amongst believers today – unfortunately, we have not all receive the same Jesus. So when we talk about God or Christ, we seem to be talking about very different personalities; not even almost describing our many-sided God that we worship. This is one of the reasons the body of Christ is right now so disunited and disjointed that nothing inside us connects us anymore. We have no tie in the Spirit that connects us and we hardly ever agree on anything not even matters of the faith we profess of the God we received and worship.

 

1 Corinthians 8: 6 “But for us, there is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.”

I do know for certain that God made us all very different and I believe very much that all the differences add to make life more beautiful. I can imagine how boring life would be if we were all the same; this is one of the things people have against the Amish people. They don't only strive to keep their faith but it would sometimes appear like they want everyone to look, act and think alike which isn’t right and this is the reason, we must work to ensure that everyone leans on the leading of the Holy Spirit who knows best the mind of God concerning each individual and is equipped to help us give full expression to who we are. So God made us different and we must respect all our differences and ensure that we allow people express themselves albeit within the confines or limits of the word of God so that only God working in them, will perfect them making them even more beautiful than they ever imagined. The one unchanging personality in life, is God; so that every believer has something in common with every other believer and that is our faith. We have the same God who never changes so that from person to person, there is something common to all believers and that is the beauty of Christian fellowship.

Hebrews 13: 7 – 8 “Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Our truth as believers should be the same even where the expression of it is different. It is sad that we now have variations of The Truth. Jesus now seems different one believer to the other and that is not true. This is not only affecting the impact of Christianity today, it is affecting generations coming after us and we are almost giving them a strange God. Our perception of God is so colored by our selfishness that God is almost taking on the nature of man. Also, our senses have been so dulled that we can hardly even perceive Him right. The truth is, we are unable to. The God we now describe is like any one of us and that is not true; our God is not a man. In our usual self-absorbed way, every believer makes up their mind who they want God to be and insist that He is that. Then they resist any effort to make them understand the God revealed in the scriptures. We insist on our perception of Him, not caring whether it is right or wrong as long as it makes worshipping God more convenient for us and we worship the strange God we create. We obviously have a major problem.

Luke 21: 34 – 36 “Watch out! D Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

This confusion is giving satan room in our midst. This is not about different denominations; it is about having different descriptions for a God who describes Himself very simply in the bible and reveals Himself, to everyone who receives Him. If we have therefore embraced Him who presents Himself to us so simply, why then do we struggle with understanding Him? The reality is that we more and more are interpreting God from hearts and the Christ/God we now preach is based on our interpretation; unfortunately that is the God people that hear us then are drawn to. No wonder our God appears to be getting less powerful from generation to generation as the world gets crazier and crazier. There is a need to examine one’s heart from time to time to ensure that one is worshipping the God revealed in the scriptures and has not been lured away from Him? It is time to seek God with all our hearts again otherwise the true faith will become extinct. We cannot afford to do all we do for our children and then jeopardize their destiny and where they end up after life on earth. We cannot ourselves start well and then end up in the wrong place. We must finish this Christian race well.

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.”

A life of Prayer is a must if you must get to the heights that God ordained for you!

I wonder what comes to mind when you see or hear the word prayer and when you hear people talk about a life of prayer. You are probably thinking it is a life for the pastors and intercessors only and then maybe for your mother or wife. I must tell you this - you are the primary intercessor for your own life. Every other person is secondary. As believers, we are meant to live by faith which in reality translates to believing though you do not see; so that believers go forward without a full picture of where they are going but our solace is in the fact that The One that holds our hands to lead the way sees and knows all things so that as long as we remain connected to Him, we will be fine. To ensure that we remain on the right path, guarded by our guide, we have to remain in constant communion with Him. 

Luke 18: 1 “One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

It is a must that we are in constant touch with Him if we must reach the heights ordained for us and keeping in touch is prayer. A life of prayer speaks of total and absolute dependence on God. It suggests that one is aware of one’s weakness and has elected to tap into God’s strength. Also, God says we are the head; which encompasses seeing from a vantage position. Communing with God helps us see through His eyes giving us a higher perspective than the ordinary which puts us in a class higher than others so that like Daniel, we are more intelligent than our teachers and this has nothing to do with age but the fact that one is rubbing minds with God Almighty.

Daniel 1: 17 “God gave these four men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom.”

Don’t let anyone deceive you, there is only so far a believer can go in life without a good prayer life. Satan, knowing this, has sold us a lie that prayer is tough and we have accepted it so that many of us don’t even try to build a prayer life. In Nigeria, where I live, we have learnt, to ‘contract’ out all our praying to people who talk to God on our behalf and tell us what God is saying concerning us. In return, we ‘bless’ them but the mindset is that we pay them to deal with all our prayer and prayer related matters. How very sad? If communing with God is a chore for you, then there is a problem which can be fixed. Can it really be so tough to commune with a Father? At least make an attempt at cultivating a prayer life and determine for yourself that it is truly tough. Of course, as with any new relationship, it is not the smoothest initially but as you get to know each other better, it becomes more pleasurable. 

1 Thessalonians 5: 17 “Never stop praying.”

What parent would not take pleasure in communing with their child? It is no different with the ultimate Father who takes great delight in spending time with us so much so that He would come down to fellowship with man. Indeed, if we learn to go to Him first when you have challenges, you will find that you don’t need to seek counsel from anyone thereafter. You will operate in such amazing wisdom that even you will wonder at the kind of decisions you make because you know that it is way above your level of knowledge. The truth is God wants His children to operate in dominion and that can only happen if we stay connected to Him so that the Holy Spirit who searches His mind can let us into His mind as we pray. Information empowers you and God is ready to let you into deep things as you commune with Him. Let us not faint in the matter of prayer.

Your Wealth Is in Your Love For Him

There's no doubt in my mind that God was not mistaking when He instituted the gathering of believers. Sometimes things happen that make you want to stay away from church but if you take a general overview, and you are in the right church, you will agree with me that God definitely knew what He was doing. So, this past Sunday was one of those very special Sundays for me. From the workers' meeting to the Sunday School class and the sermon, I was definitely blessed. In everyone of these classes my spirit was enlightened and God spoke to me directly through the sermon. At the end of the day, fellowshipping in the assembly of believers is for our benefit.

Hebrews 10: 25 "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

One of the things that was reaffirmed to me yesterday, is that our going forward in life as believers, is tied to our love for God. Also, that the more you know God, the more you love Him and the more mature you become. The extent of your maturity as a believer is tied to the extent of your love for Him. No one walks with God in love and remains the same. It is impossible. One of our biggest problems is that we have learnt to love in a very selfish way so that the question always on our hearts in our relationship with God is "what is in this for me?" and if God is not quick to let us know, we move on to other gods whilst still wearing the "born again" cloak. Before you start judging me by saying I am judging you please see scripture below which is apparent  evidence that some are not His. He also says that not all who call Him Lord are His.

2 Timothy 2: 19 "But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”

Now the problem we have is with ensuring that we are His. Much as we would like to believe this fallacy, riches is not a determiner of who loves him or is His. Though we may find this tough to take in, He says the expression of love He accepts is obedience to His commands. So that His commands are no longer mere instructions to you but something you do because you know it pleases the one you love. You no longer obey them for the benefits but because you love Him so much you want to give Him pleasure. Yet He lets you enjoy the benefits. It is like God hides His treasure in a deep chest so that those who long for Him enough to dig into Him eventually get the best. Your obedience is now a testimonial of your love. God is careful about His pearls.

Mathew 7: 6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you."

The bible tells us that God is searching for people who would sincerely worship Him. To worship is to idolize and make one the centre of your total existence such that your life is built around him. You can't fell like that about more than one being. It's not even possible; we are not made to feel like that about more than one being and God knows that because He made us. If your total existence is built around more than one being that means you have idols and God will quietly step out of your life and in truth none is really very important. God wants to be that important being which would then make Him the only being you idolize. He wants you and I to love Him so much that we can give up anything and/or anyone for Him; to love Him so much that we fully idolize and worship Him alone. For our God is a jealous God.

John 14: 15 & 21“If you love me, obey my commandments. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

There is no doubt that there will be full manifestations of His blessings in every life that loves Him but like I already said, that isn 't why we obey His commands. We love Him so much we want to give more than a hundred percent obedience. There is no better way to go forward. That way you are certain that you are taking definite steps forward because the blessings of God are the only blessings that truly make rich and they don't come with "sorrow causing" matters as part of the deal. Love Him enough to forget yourself. David did so that though He was king, He could play the fool for God and He enjoyed the goodness of God after several years of running from Saul.

Proverbs 10: 22 "The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it."

Set Your Face like Flint … You Shall Fulfill Your Destiny!

It takes a lot of courage to succeed when one is walking with God. For every believer who has decided to go forward this year, you need courage; courage which comes from meditating on God’s word day and night and then living in obedience to that word. Even just ignoring the haters takes courage. Did you know that there are haters in our midst? They are believers too but they must be some of the wolves in sheep’s clothing and on assignment from hell to frustrate the true ‘sheep’ from fulfilling their destinies.  These haters would gossip, say hateful/hurtful untruths about you but you must be courageous enough to ignore them and keep with the business of going forward. They want you to either fall back or remain stagnant; if you keep stopping for or looking back at them, you won’t go forward. 

Ecclesiastes 11: 4 “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”

The heart of man is deceitful, and has great capacity to think up vile things. Only through the Holy Spirit can it be controlled. So, other than to pray, there’s nothing you can do to fix another person’s evil heart. All your efforts to reach them will only be explained away by their hearts. You will be wasting valuable time, effort and spiritual energy that should add to taking you forward. An evil heart can only see or hear evil in all that you do or say. If you are reading this blog and you know your heart gets vile, it is time to make the required effort to fix it; and no one else needs to know, just be true to yourself.

Jeremiah 17: 9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows it? 

If when people share their dreams with you, you become envious or feel like pulling them down, then you have a problem you need to deal with. It is important how your heart responds when people share their great testimonies and/or dreams. You can’t ignore that response if it is vile. The problem with life is that you will ultimately not go forward if you don’t want other people to go forward. You may think you are ahead until you find that whilst you are still on the same spot, the others have caught up with you and even moved on ahead of you. It is time for heart examination again. Don’t let your heart deceive you. It’s a trick of the devil. If it’s bad, fix it. It’s never too late to fix to do so. If you tell yourself the truth, you can with God’s help submit that heart to the control of the Holy Spirit. 

Isaiah 50: 7 “Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.”

When you think about it, selling Joseph to the Egyptians was not the smartest way to keep him from realizing his dreams; but evil minds come up with the silliest of ideas. It would have been easier to control Joseph’s life if he was with them and under their control. Selling him off albeit as a slave, was giving him an opportunity to be free from them and then attain to the heights that was his destiny. Unfortunately for them, all their effort to prevent themselves from bowing to him only made them end up bowing to him many years after. For such is the power of God. In trying to kill the dream, they actually prepared the way for its physical manifestation. Keep running; don’t stop! The haters don’t know this but they are working to ensure you fulfill your destiny.