Call To Solemn Assembly - Tough Times Require Tough decisions & Actions

Joel 1: 14 “Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the elders and all the people of the land into the temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to Him here.”

It time to sound the trumpet for ourselves and call ourselves or members to a solemn assembly. We are in very difficult or tough times indeed; challenges in every area of life - social, economic, religious and so on, and this is in almost every nation. To pretend like one has not noticed is to lie to one’s self because it is in our faces. These are definitely perilous times. There is only one hiding place - under the shadow of The Almighty. People leave home as they would normally, but some never return because they were murdered. Reports of mass murders, kidnapping are rife and in our part of the world, ritual killing is so common these days so that stories about the shedding of human blood now seem normal. Hardly a day passes that we don’t wake up to the news of some killing in some part of the world or the other. Things that were linked with uneducated and/or uncivilized societies are now a normal part of our world and perpetuated by highly educated people. This is not normal. It is all demonic and vile; instigated by satan whose agenda has always been to rule both mankind and the world and take as many as possible to hell. Sometimes, it feels like rapture has happened and we missed it but God forbid that it should be the case. Believers cannot continue like people who do not understand the times and as such do not know what we ought to do. We do not need any special gift of discernment to know what we ought we to do. It is time to draw closer to God and yield to Him so that He can reign in and through us.  

1 Chronicles 12: 32 “From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.”

2 Corinthians 2: 11bamp “To keep satan from getting the advantage over us: fro we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions.”

We cannot continue like we did in the past. Times have changed; nothing is like it was and to pretend like they are, is to lie to ourselves. We must wake up to the reality of our times. We must make definite choices and our choices must tell of whom we have elected to serve. It is time for those who elect to serve God to make their stance obvious; so obvious that no one who knows us is confused about whom we serve. These present times make no room for dilly dallying; we must walk in The Truth so that we may be who we ought to be and rightly positioned to do what we ought to do. If indeed God is our God then we have to begin to live in Him. There is no doubt that living in Him is warfare. Standing for Christ gets tougher by the day; the host of hell is obviously working assiduously to populate hell but we must resist the devil. It is time to expend energy resisting him instead of fighting over issues that mean nothing.  Let us cease to waste the grace that God gives for us to stand and go forward in Him on silly things. There is no time like this to put on the whole armor of God that He may through us demonstrate His power. We can’t be effective just preaching the word of God and not living it. We must take up to the challenge of living according to the faith that we proclaim. There is no doubt that rapture is nearer now than when we first believed so we need to be circumspect. We must be wise enough to stop paying lip service to loving Christ.

1 Corinthians 4: 20 “For the kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.”

1 John 5: 19 “We know that we are children of God and that the world around is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God, and he is eternal life.”

The world is unaware of this truth that is revealed to us. This unawareness makes it impossible for them to understand what believers understand concerning God and even the times that we are in; we who understand must do what we need to do. We act like we are too busy to do the needful but a time is coming when it will be too late to do it and yet all the money one has accrued from all the busyness will mean nothing. It is time to fall on our knees, cry out to our God for ourselves and nation and take a stance for Him also.  We must stop seeking entertainment in church but instead fellowship together and with our God as we gather unto Him. We can’t afford to be like the virgins who forgot to put oil in their lamps because the bridegroom took a while coming. We are in a fight and very fierce one. The weapons we have for this fight are not carnal so we need to take on our spiritual weapons for a battle that must be fought in the spirit so we can increase our chances of partaking in the victory that Christ won for us. Don’t wait for someone else to call you to order; please call yourself or members to order.

It’s Just For A While; It Will Pass Because ‘He’ Says So

Are you are waiting on God for what we know He will do because He says He will but life appears to be at a standstill, or even worse, appears to be regressing, then you are the reason for this blog. Be assured that God will do what He has said He will do notwithstanding circumstances. You just think nothing is happening because your eyes have not been opened yet to see what He is doing or where your deliverance will come from. Don’t spend time or expend energy trying to figure it out or looking out for the signs that you expect because He doesn’t need a process to keep His promise; He sometimes does things suddenly. After all Hagai didn’t see the well until He opened her eyes. Be assured - He that promised keeps His word and therein is our comfort. Nature tells unspoken stories about God; indeed creation declares His glory so that if we carefully observe nature, we may gain wisdom.

Hebrews 10: 35 – 37 “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.”

Romans 1: 20 “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

So one day, two young trees were in what seemed to be a very intense discussion. The old tree watched them for a while and realized that whilst one was really amused, the other appeared to be getting increasingly angry so deciding that it was time to step in so as to prevent a fight, it asked what they were discussing. It turned out they were talking about a tree who had been a blessing to many other trees and children in the past but was suffering a massive setback that seemed to have buried it. The tree had, in the past, blossomed very nicely and provided shade for man as well as other trees that needed shade to grow. Everything just seemed to have gone wrong for this tree and no matter how hard it tried, it just seemed to get worse. It seemed like its glory had departed; yet it was a tree that represented God doing its best to see the will of God established on earth just like you are.

Psalm 105: 19 “Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.”

The amused tree saw no reason to assist the troubled tree; it was confident that this was the beginning of its own rise to stardom. It all along felt that it was not noticed because of the presence of the troubled tree forgetting that it did nothing to assist anyone or trees; and that not because the troubled tree was in the way. ’ It did not have all the flowers neither could it have provided all the shade the troubled tree had and provided in the past. It forgot also that with God, everyone can shine so that one person’s shine won’t prevent another’s because God called us all ‘heads. It thought the troubled tree’s death worked its good but it wasn’t so; it could not see God working and orchestrating things so that whether or not the troubled tree died or lived had nothing to do with it fulfilling its own destiny. It paid too much attention to the troubled tree instead of God and still did. Whilst the angry young tree was offended because it thought the troubled tree deserved support for all it had done for them and several others in the past.

Romans 1: 28 – 29 “Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin greed, hate, envy, murder, quarrelling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.”

The old tree was quiet for a while; then swayed from side to side for a while and then spoke. It explained that there was nothing wrong with the troubled tree except that God was refining it and it needed to be taken out for a short while so the process would be easier and faster that it may be used for greater glory in the future. Also, that though the weather was harsh and other ingredients were scarce; it seemed worse with the troubled tree only because God was at work in its life accomplishing His purpose before the season passes and everything change for good again. No season last forever except God says so and we know that He has said this one too will pass. No matter how harsh the climate may seem; if God has said it will pass then it will, no matter how bad it may seem to anyone. It is for different reasons that we are impacted differently; it all depends on what God chooses to do. Though it appears toughest for you and it looks like you have reached a dead end, you will end well because He said so.  You will yet shine brighter.

Malachi 3: 3 “He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.”

Take A Stand Please – Christ Side is The Right One

With all the commotion going on in the world today including the part of the world where I reside, people are desperate for stability and/or security though most of them don’t know what they really are searching for. This search drives such people into various things; some evil, like cults, yet some head off to churches whilst others seek solace in different relationships including even marriage. At the end of day, none of these offer the true security they long for. So many such people rush out of these things in which they seek security just the same way they rushed into them. Everyone, believer and unbeliever alike, desires some form of stability and a sense of security but this can only be found in Christ whom most people turn away from in their quest for true stability because He comes across as too simple to provide all of these.

1 Corinthians 15: 58 “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is useless.

Psalm 18: 2 “I love the Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me and my place of safety.”

Since this Truth which provides stability is Christ, it takes having and knowing Him to manifest truth and stability. Christ desires to manifest His nature in and through those in whom He lives. Believers therefore, ought to be the solution for all the insecurity and/or instability. The answer the world desires should be found with us but it is not and this gap leaves the world in even more chaos than anyone could ever imagine. Believers now admire the world (and maybe even more than unbelievers who have since found that it is empty), and are trying desperately to be like the world so that we are unable to be the answer the world needs. We are so unstable that we are on all sides and no sides. We are mostly, ourselves, emotionally unstable; seeking to please everyone, we displease God, lose sight of who we really are and stand for nothing especially not for Christ who we are saved to please. How can we then be dependable and stable? Christ desires so much to express Himself through us but are we vessels made ready for the Master’s use? We all have an active part to play in making ourselves ready.

Micah 6: 8 “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Even in little matters we have no stance. We love to identify with the “winning side” and not even the true winner - Jesus Christ. If the winning side shifts we shift with it making ourselves silly and unstable whilst God wants us to take His side; a side that wins ultimately and forever. One of the challenges with standing for Christ today is that people often feel pressured to take a side whenever there is a dispute or disagreement and God’s stance often appears to leave one nowhere or in the middle because He deals with the issues whilst loving the parties. He takes no side but His. Yet with almost every argument the one question people seem to ask or think is ‘whose side are you on?’ and the Lord’s side is not on their minds when they ask this question. Truth is not exclusive so it may leave us accepting a few things from each side and not totally agreeing with any side but man wants one to pick a side. The Truth often has no side; He is unchanging, stable and secure and expects parties to align with His thoughts. The world is hurting and healing can only come from God through His Son Jesus Christ who is also His word. Nothing birth in our flesh can heal; at best it can only provide temporary relief. The Truth however, heals and that could be a process or instant. Sometimes, to heal a wound we need to dig deep and clean it out and only then can healing begin; healing in such instances is a process.

Joshua 5: 13b – 14 “Joshua went up to him and demanded, ‘Are you friend or foe?’ ‘Neither one, he replied. ‘I am the commander of the Lord’s army.”

Hebrews 4: 12 “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two- edged, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

Truth sometimes seems to inflict pain and short-sighted people only see the pain and not purpose; but He is solution and the yearning of man’s heart. Good people cannot meet this yearning of man; only God people can. Though it takes courage to stand for God, believers and especially our leaders need to find the courage which Christ makes available. Remember that courage is not the absence of fear but grace to do what God would do despite fear. It is time to take our place. The world yearns for what God has put in us. True and lasting comfort is based on truth; not emotions.

Romans 8: 19amp “For (even the whole world) creation (all nature) awaits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known (waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship).

You Are Who God Says You Are

It is so important for us as believers to remind ourselves of who we are especially in these present times when identity crisis is becoming a big problem in the world and unfortunately, in the church as well. There is an urgent and compelling need to frequently remind one’s self of who one truly is otherwise one will be defined by several wrong things and/or people. It ought not to be so. Sadly, we also ruin generations coming by giving them wrong parameters for determining who they are. Many children are ruined in their minds because of this; we need to confront ourselves and fix our issues so we don’t ruin others. As believers, when generations coming after us act out our own mistakes, we just blame it all on spiritual influences flowing down family lines but it is not always correct. It is not always that these problems are passed on spiritually especially not in most matters concerning identity crisis. We often pass on wrong parameters thereby crippling their own ability to correctly determine who they are and the identity problem is passed on. We are quick to judge who we are based on our status, background and/or office; but the truth is we are who we are despite all of these factors. We have to effectively blend who we are individually with what is required of our various roles as God lifts us so that though these factors would impact on how we carry ourselves but not to the extent that they determine who we are and that notwithstanding how high or low the role, status or background be seem.    

Isaiah 44: 21b “I, the Lord made you, and I will not forget you.”

Psalm 139: 13 – 16 “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

Isaiah 64: 8 “And yet, O lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand.”

God puts so much into fashioning us that we should be deeply convinced about who we are in the core of our being where God deals with us, all our transformation takes place and who we are is determined. We must remind ourselves of this consistently, again because change is inevitable with our God. Though such changes are ultimately for our greater good, they sometimes appear to take us low albeit only for a season. So if one already defined themselves by a particular role, such changes may open them up to pain and serious identity crisis. Our God keeps changing things; for He alone is unchanging. He takes beggars from dung hills and causes them to sit with princes and when he does that the beggar’s status in life is changed. You may insult the person and call them names but all that won’t change the person’s new reality; for God has chosen to lift them up. However, the beggar who has defined themselves by that role may continue to see themselves as such and think everyone sees them the same way especially those who know their past. The truth however, is that even when they were begging, God did not see them as beggars but as persons He formed and they were always normal beings in their core. This is also true of those in “high roles” and this includes even ministers of the gospels. It is for this reason that many get so desperate they hold unto roles so hard that without intending to, they do a lot of evil just to keep the roles. Unfortunately, in refusing to let go, many have also terminated their destiny journey themselves. You are not your title; indeed you may be much more than that. No title or position is good enough to define you; you are who He formed.

Psalm 75: 7amp “But God is judge! He puts down one and lifts up another.”

God took Ruth, a poor and unbelieving lady, saved her soul and made her who was more or less a beggar, sit with princes. The one who came to the field as beggar ended up owner by reason of marriage to Boaz. God changed her story so much she entered the lineage of Jesus. Clearly, Boaz saw the core of her being from her actions. If any of the staff who dropped stuff for her to glean continued to see her as beggar that would be their problem. Her big challenge would be who she saw when she looked at herself. God knows that He is able to do this so He places us in any family confident that inspite of our family backgrounds, we can be who He formed us to be and as successful as is written concerning us. We limit ourselves by tying ourselves to these external factors. Determining who one is using these wrong parameters is ruing a number of believers and has led some far away from Christ. The truth is that the temptation to do that is strong especially when you find people who don’t know who you really are reminding you of who they think you ought to be based on all these wrong parameters; but we owe it to ourselves and to generations coming after us to fight to hold on to God who formed us, knows who we truly are and our purpose. Let us be mindful of that fact that we are who we are by God’s grace so we don’t take it for granted. God worked to put us together.

1 Corinthians 15: 10a amp “But by the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not (found to be) for nothing (fruitless and without effect).”