God's Extravagant Love Allows U-Turns.

How wonderful the love of God is. Can anybody really love like God? It is indeed true that He does not want any of us to perish so He is very patient with us. This love is so unlike the love of any other. He just loves us and I thank Him for that.

This love is expressed in the story of the prodigal son. The son decided to be silly so he left home. As far as he was concerned, he had come to the point in his life when he did not need any form of support and/or control. After having enjoyed the goodness of this father for so long, He decided to leave and amazingly, he left with all of his inheritance. I would have thought that a man that wants to stay away from His father would have amassed his own wealth. Worse still, he knew his father needed the help he provided by working with him but he was too preoccupied with self to care about the pain he caused other people.

The father loved him enough to truly give him his inheritance and he left. He forgot to connect with the invisible inheritance (spiritual gift from the father) but was well connected to what he had and could touch – money. Of course as it is with money, it ran out. Money does have wings and it flies especially when God is not with you. It does not matter how much of it one has, it still can fly. After suffering for a while, the bible says:

Luke 15: 17 – 19 NLT “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself…..I will go home to my father and say, “father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant”

It is the goodness and love of God that brings us back to our senses. It is not the easiest thing to come back to one’s senses. The devil does not want us to come back to our senses neither does the flesh because it is somewhat humiliating. It takes the grace of a loving God for one to return to one’s senses. If we can come back to our senses and then return to the point where we took the wrong turn, then we are blessed.

Let us be encouraged to make that turn around that turns our lives around truly for good. It is never too late to make that turnaround and return to God. Coming to one’s senses usually provokes repentance and restitution where necessary. It may be tough but it has the power to put us back on the right path with God and for our lives. You may have lost some things because there will surely be consequences for your action but there will still be something left for you.

God in His love took Him back with all he had done and loved Him as if he had never done anything. What manner of love is this?

1 John 3: 1a NLT “See how very much our father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!”

The Perfect Love of God

Do you know that I just realized that I have challenges with believing God for a personal miracle /blessing? I found that when I am trusting God for things for other people my faith is unshakable but when it becomes personal something happens. It never occurred to me that it meant I did not believe God to do things for me. I always thought that it was just a matter of having “plan B” but what it actually translates to is “just in case God does not come through then I can….” Worse still in a sober manner, I would say to myself “well, He doesn’t have to do it anyway, He is God whether or not He does it and I will still love”. I wonder why my thought was not “He will do it anyway because He loves me, He is God of all flesh and nothing shall be impossible or difficult for Him. Is there anyone who like me wants to make excuses for God just in case He fails?

There is also the group of people who like to be realistic. They like to always think of the worst case scenario just so that if it happens anyway you won’t feel bad? These groups of people argue that it is foolery not to think of the worst that can happen but let me ask you a question – what is wrong with thinking of the best that can happen. Why do I want to meditate on the worst case scenario when I can meditate on the best case scenario? They say this is being realistic and that you have to accept reality but I have found that there is something more real than reality and that is the word of God. I want to encourage us to focus on that truth as we go on in this walk with God otherwise we are like the man that has not received Christ in His life as His personal Lord and Saviour and consequently without hope.

I thought deeply about all the various scenarios and I found that underlying all these thoughts is fear - the fear or uncertainty that God may fail you. I don’t encourage us to trust in man because man is flesh and is likely to fail but the God of man cannot fail and can cause any man to do what He wants done for us. The love that we share with God through Christ is perfect.

1 John 4: 18NLT “such love has no fear, because perfect love expels fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love”

We need to learn to trust the love that God has for us. We need to build on that love and trust that He will keep us from the worst scenarios and where we have to go through what appears like a worst case scenario, it is because He is taking us to a large place. Interestingly, He will go through the entire experience with us because of His love for us and also ensure that we come through it. Let us make a deliberate effort to build on our faith.

Love believes the best, is hopeful and it never fails.

The Sad Paradox In Our Churches - 'Christian' Fraudsters.

It is worrisome the number of fraudulent born again believers we have. Worse is the alarming ease with which they defraud people and carry on as if all is well. It is bad enough that they defraud people but even worse that they defraud believers knowing the full weight of the punishment of God that will be unleashed on them even if it takes a while for it to happen.  Recently, I thought to check the scriptures again to see if there is a scripture I missed in the past that allows you defraud others and still end up in heaven. I have not found one and I do not think I will find.

I do not think I am the best of people so this is not looking at things from the position of a perfect man. I have all my challenges that I am daily trying to overcome. Could defrauding people be one of those challenges that some Christians are fighting like every other sin? I truly need some help here please. I have had experiences with fraudulent believers’ even ministers who actually preach from the pulpit. They even defraud members of their congregation. The other day I had to beg some people not to arrest an assistant parish pastor from the church whilst he was preaching. Well, I thought we should show some respect for the God of the church but the truth – the man is more or less a thief. 

One of the most commonly used phrases amongst believers in my environment currently is “I am work in progress”. The truth however, is that there is no work going on. If anything, it would be that we are progressively getting steeped in evil. In truth we are retrogressing. Let us face it, there is always an outward expression of an inward change so please do not deceive yourself. Is your nature getting better? Isn’t it amazing how proud we are of sin? Someone actually said that you can continue in sin as long as you remember to exchange your unrighteousness for God’s righteousness. That sure sounds like some form of blasphemy. Isn’t it making a mockery of all that Jesus went through on the cross? SELAH

2 Cor 5: 17 NLT “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun”

The old nature passes away; the sin nature is no longer there. If you sin, it would be an accident. Something the Holy Spirit immediately makes you aware of and you ask for forgiveness sincerely. So that the blood of Jesus then cleanses you from that sin. However, if you continue in sin, the bible says in

1 John 3: 9b – 10NLT “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God”.

Do you love other believers by smiling at them yet using them? Do you love them by ripping them off and living lavishly off their pain? Do you give money generously in church at the expense of other people’s pain? It is time to renounce all the hidden works of darkness. The Apostle Paul says “let he that steals steal no more.” Remember you can also restitute.

So, Who is REALLY in the Driver's Seat of Your Life?

Who is leading in your life? The bible enjoins us to commune with our hearts, to judge ourselves etc. Clearly, God encourages introspection. Indeed we are encouraged to examine ourselves as often as possible and to be honest with ourselves as we do so.

Today, I want to remind us that God wants to be our guide. Very often our guide is everything and everyone but God. Sometimes it is self or it could be others and then it could also be things. Sometimes we don’t even know that God is no longer in the drivers’ seat because we do not examine ourselves. We already left God out but we are so driven by a desire for something, we don’t know that God is no longer in charge. God is not only interested in the end but also in the means. He chooses a path through which He will fulfill His desire for us. Is that the path you are following? God chose a particular path for Israel as they came out of Egypt and for a reason.

Exodus 13: 17NLT “When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the [promised land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt”.

The need for constant introspection cannot be over-emphasized because sometimes we actually start well but along the line even the best of us may unwittingly, get carried away. That prophet that you are so hooked on who tells you the day to day steps to take, could it be that what he says is his mind and not God’s? Is there a confirmation in your spirit that you are led by God and not by the prophet?

God led the children of Israel through the wilderness and also guaranteed their safety. When it was not safe for them to move, the cloud stayed and when it was safe, it moved and the Israelites moved also; so God was in absolute control of the journey. One day Moses decided to ask his father in-law for help but thank God the man refused.

Numbers 10: 31NLT “Please don’t leave us”, Moses pleaded. “You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide.”

With all the best intentions in the world, the flesh cannot guide us into our “promised land”.

Of course it is always easier to be led by man that you see but has God revealed your path to him? Thank God Hobab was smart enough to refuse Moses' offer.

Are You Serving God Acceptably?

Somewhere in the course of the sermon in church yesterday, I heard my pastor say something about serving God acceptably and it seemed to scream at me. He then referred us to a scripture which just excited me afresh though I had heard it several times before.

Heb 12: 28 which says “therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear”

There is clearly an acceptable way to serve God. We have to stop thinking that we can serve God in any way we feel like and God will have no choice but to accept it. God is not so desperate that He would accept any kind of service or worship. If we must serve Him, then we must find out how He wants to be served and serve Him in that way. It is only those we do not respect and/or have taken for granted that we throw anything at. So it is even in our relationship with God.

I have found that when we lose reverential fear of God, we give Him just any service. Familiarity with God is more often than not, the reason we lose reverential fear. As the saying goes, “familiarity breeds contempt”. The fact that we are required to be connected with God and get to know Him closely does not mean that we should not fear Him. We must not forget that He is God. Since God is a father and friend, we sometimes forget who we are dealing with and begin to deal like as if He was man.

God is God and reserves the right to determine what is acceptable to Him. It is our responsibility to ensure that do not allow our familiarity with Him breed contempt. Some of us talk to God so much that we become flippant; for some of us, we have heard God so often that even when He has not spoken, we lie easily and say God said things He never said. For some of us, when we know we ought to be in church fellowshipping, we get lazy, lay in bed and say we are praying at home meanwhile the same God that knows you can pray at home said to fellowship with others and pray together. Finally, we close by saying God understands after all He knows we are men but the point is, do all these things add up to make your worship acceptable to Him? Concerning the ark, God instructed the Israelites as they journeyed in  

Joshua 3: 4NLT - “…Stay about a half mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer...”

I believe the distance was necessary to keep them from getting too familiar with the ark so they do not begin to see it just as a box because though it was a box, it carried the glory of God.

If you judge yourself, the bible says you shall not be judged. So, are you serving God acceptably?

The 2011 Clash of the Titans: Your Faith Vs. The Giants.

You need faith to possess the land that you have yet to conquer. Have you have tried to possess the land in your mind or physically? If your answer is yes, did you see giants in the land? I have seen loads of giants in my own land as I let my mind roam over the land that I have to possess. I was about to give up for fear of the giants when I was reminded that giants are a normal part of the land that needs to be conquered. However, the land is ours; God has given it to us as a gift and He means for us to possess it.

The giants could be several different things; it could be little or no money for investments in a business, little or no skill to achieve a God given desire, negative medical report which is contrary to the word/promise of God, words of man that deliberately limit one from attaining unto heights that God ordained, fears in our hearts that keep us from the promises of God and such like. These are real or appear very real but in the same way the giants are real, the word of God is even more real. Caleb and his team of men actually saw giants in the land they went to spy out hence their report below.

Numbers 13: 32-33  NLT “the land we travelled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there.  All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

The key to success or failure however, is what we see and/or focus on. To possess the land of promise, we need to see only with our eyes of faith. We need to look beyond reality to what God is going to do in that situation which would be clearly expressed in His word. The word of God is God which makes it more real than any other reality. If we cannot see ourselves possessing the land despite the giants, we, most likely, would not possess the land. The only reason the children of Israel ended up possessing the land of Canaan was because in the midst of the team of men sent to spy out the land, there were some men that could see beyond reality which was reflected in their own report below.

Numbers 14: 8  – 9  NLT  “if the Lord is pleased with us, He will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

Faith gives reality to that word from God. When trials and tests come to remind you and I of the giants and make them even bigger than you thought, like Joyce Meyer says in one of her sermons I heard recently, “don’t’ run to the phone, run to the throne”. The reminder is meant to also cause fear which ultimately prevents us from possessing that which is ours. 

We must possess our land.

There is STILL Much Land To Conquer in 2011!

Welcome to 2011. If you are reading this article, you definitely made it into this year. I can’t help but thank Him for His goodness in bringing us all into this New Year. My prayer is that the same God that brought us into this year will see us through the year and take us through several other years to come.

Just as you settle into the year, please permit me to ask – do you have a word from the Lord that you intend to run with this year? If you don’t have a word, you can always find one in the scriptures that jumps out at you. There must be a word of promise that would speak to you. Well, if nothing appears to jump out at you, maybe you can share “my word”. Okay maybe not all of it but some of it.

Amongst several other things, one of the principal things I hear God say to me is “there is yet more land to conquer”. This, for me, is not just about physical land. It is about land and also heights that I have to attain unto. It is about the promises of God that are yet to be fulfilled in my life, the things I need to do for God that are still undone and the things I need to do for others, society that are still undone. As I meditate on those words I know that there is truly yet more land to conquer.

Some of those things are left undone not because I did not know about or want to do them but because of the seeming challenges associated with completing each task. I have a whole lot of seemingly good reasons but despite all that, God is reminding me that there is yet more land to conquer. This reminds me of Joshua. I am wondering how he must have felt when in his old age and at the time when he may have been thinking that he has done well and should be retiring, God spoke to him and said there is yet more land to conquer.
Then God goes on to itemize all the land that is yet to be conquered.

Joshua 13: 1NLT - “you are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered.”

After carefully thinking about that scripture, a few things are clear to me which written below for all those who like me, have yet more land to conquer.

1. God is aware of what we may consider challenges to fulfilling our destiny but knows that none of those challenges are insurmountable. He knew that the Joshua was old but in His opinion, that should not stop Joshua from fulfilling his destiny.

2. No time is ever “too late” with God. If you are ready, He is willing.

3.  God has records of all that we should achieve and we are not successful until we complete our God given tasks.

4. If we are succeeding at other things and failing in our God given tasks, even if the world appears to be applauding us, we have failed.

Please think very deeply and make a firm decision to succeed this year.