Jesus Christ - The Health Of Our Countenance!

Jeremiah 8: 22 “Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician? Why is there no healing for the wounds of my people?

I found out recently that a number of people there are who believe that once saved, nothing bad should come their way. It is their firm belief that God keeps everything bad from believers so that their lives should be some form of a dream in which everything goes the way it ought to. For such people, if anything goes in a direction they think it shouldn’t or out of the script they wrote for themselves (God’s will notwithstanding), it would mean that something bad which is capable of negatively impacting them forever has happened. Such people are hit very hard when faced with challenges. They struggle with processing difficult moments because they don’t even know how to turn it over to God since they made up their minds that bad things should not be happening to them “in Christ”. They become bitter and disappointed in or frustrated at God and refuse to accept that they need to adjust their expectations making it better aligned with the word of God. This is a real problem amongst us and some of the reasons the number of depressed believers is increasing. If we don’t deal with this now, we will shortly start having problems of great proportions which we don’t need.

Psalm 43: 5 “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again-my Savior and my God.”

I understand that there are some things we don’t like to talk about and even more so in Africa where I reside. Some believers will not even mention a challenging physical health problem because they are convinced that to be sick suggests their relationship with God is not as it should be and they would hate for people to even think so because everyone wants to be seen as having the best relationship with God, reality not withstanding. With mental health, it is even worse. Whilst it is true that we ought not to suffer from these things especially mental health challenges, we do and God knew that we would so He already made provision for our healing as well as tell us how we can prevent it from happening: and all of this is hidden in His word. If heaven has not judged anyone disgusting for any illness, then there is no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed by a health situation; even more so when it is a resolvable one. These things would definitely be easier to deal with if we allow ourselves to be to one another, what and who we ought to be.  Life is full of highs and lows so we somehow need one another from time to time and to varying extents. God made it so for reasons He understand perfectly. If it was not best for us, I am certain He would have found a way to fix it.

Jeremiah 8: 8 – 9 “How can you say, we are wise because we have the word of the Lord. When your teachers have twisted it by writing lies? These wise teachers will fall into the trap pf their own foolishness, for they rejected the word of the Lord.”

Jeremiah 8: 10b – 12a “… yes even my prophets and priests are like that. They are all frauds. They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of these disgusting actions? Not at all-they don’t even know how to blush!”

Interestingly, the one place we have difficulties turning to for help in challenging times is the very place we don’t turn to - The Word of God. This is truth that most of us know yet we won’t turn look in God’s word because it seems too ordinary to deal with such huge problems. Also, it won’t talk to us like as a man would so we don’t see God revealed in it and consequently, do not see the power in it too. We would rather turn to men because it feels easier and more often than not, we are looking to the men to do something which God only can do. Meanwhile, these men dare not point us to God because we will consider them failures without “power or anointing” so a number of them would step into God’s place and try to do what they certainly cannot do so that the end is futility whilst more and more believers lose their minds. We must accept our reality which is that we have a God who though is not physically identifiable yet His existence is confirm by the nature and all that He made including man. I know that it is tough for us to trust one whom we don’t even see but it is what we have to do. To be a Christ follower, we must believe that “He is” and that we must do, even in the face of all that the world throws at us. We must tell ourselves the truth about our very selfish expectations. It is time to manage them differently.

Jeremiah 46: 11 – 12 “Go up to Gilead to get medicine, O virgin daughter of Egypt! But your many treatments will bring you no healing.”

Jeremiah 30: 17 “I will give you back your health and heal your wounds, says The Lord.”

It is indeed a wonderful thing to have a God like ours at a time like this - an ever present God. Christ presence in any life is a privilege with great benefits; but only those who access these benefits will enjoy them. To do that, we have to give ourselves to studying the word and with open minds because The Word we read is not enough, it is the word we let into our lives that makes a difference.  In these perilous times, there is nothing we need more than God’s word; for therein is our strength. Every Word we understand or is revealed to us, is accompanied with power to do what the word says because He who reveals The Word, will always make available, the power to do the word. The darker the world gets, the more we need Jesus Christ the Son of God (The Word of God) who will guide our decision making so that we are able to make decisions that further facilitate the enforcing of our victory.  We cannot afford to let life determine our stability; our God alone will be allowed to do that.

Jeremiah 29: 11 “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Job – A Life Filled With Lessons For Every Believer PT 2

I was listening to a sermon online recently where the preacher, Bishop TD Jakes, asked this question “are you willing to suffer a little to get to the next level?” My answer was, I am not. I love “the next level” which is like a cliché amongst believers where I live and about which we get excited even when we remain on the same level. Going to the “next level” is an enduring dream for believers around here. This should not be strange though, since the bible talks about us going from glory to glory, shining brighter and brighter and so on; consequently, there is no doubt that God’s working in our lives is not only continuous but takes us higher and higher. He doesn’t start and complete everything He promised us in one day. So, we are consistently getting better in every area of life. We should therefore be making quantifiable progress in every area of life. So that people can see and testify to God’s goodness in our lives. I am convinced, that with God, there is always an outward evidence of any development going on inside of us. God wants men to see it and give Him glory. Of course, not often from the very beginning because there is always the period when “God is digging downward in us ensuring that our roots go even deeper; deep enough to carry the next level of His goodness. At this stage, there is no outward display so God is working “secretly” to facilitate our readiness.

 

3 John 1: 2 “Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health (physically), just as (I know) your soul prospers (spiritually).

So the problem is not with the next level, we love God’s next level, it is always with God’s method of getting us there which is made worse by the fact that He does not warn people around us to pay attention to what they say about what we may be going through because He is the one at work. So whilst one is dealing with the pain and inner turmoil, they also deal with lying tongues, strange counsel and scornful looks which are all part of satan’s package to ensure that one aborts the process. He knows that if he succeeds with getting one to abort the process, he has succeeded in facilitating their separation from God unto sorrow or depression and loneliness. Job was obviously a man greatly blessed of God who was sensitive to God’s methods and did not want to have any of those painful experiences so, he ensured that he had no sin at and that his children’s sins were also forgiven. He was so careful that he covered sins that may be committed. He definitely did not want to offend God preferring to avoid the painful experiences which he had assumed were only a product of sin not realizing that at a certain level, one was bound to have those experiences; those ones that make one wonder if God is still with them.

2 Corinthians 4: 17 – 18 “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we see now; we fix our gaze n things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

James 1: 2 “…when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”

We are aware that God does not do evil. So we know that these experiences are instigated by our enemy, satan, who hopes to destroy us via the experience but God who knows that the victory is won and we are well equipped to enforce it coming through the experiences to “ a wealthy place” just like Job did. Job went through what may have seemed like the worst of the worst but he came out to a very wealthy place. Jesus Christ, when He died, seemed like a lost case because he was even buried; yet He came up again. The joke is always on the enemy who expects us to drown in his river of pain but again and again we keep surviving. Job thought his end had come but it was just an inconvenience that preceded another level of joy. Whilst we obviously may not like the suffering, it happens and often without warning. I believe very firmly that God bears with us at times like this knowing how tough it is for us, but we must be careful not to ruin everything with our words. As God watches over us closely, providing all the needed support in these tough times, He steps in like He did for Job, just when think it is all taking a turn for the worst. Until we go to glory, there will always be a next level and God’s plan is for us to get there. It will be sad if a believer lived their entire life only talking about the next level whilst remaining on the same level. Much as we hate the pain often associated with going on to the next level, our desire to keep going higher must outweigh the hate. Unlike Job who in his difficulty did not know he would come through, God has done more than enough to let us know that we would; and that the joy which awaits us outweighs the pain and glory will be returned to God who deserves it all.

James 1: 12 “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward, they will received the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Job – A Life Filled With Lessons For Every Believer PT 1

Some stories I hear make life feel really tough. Interestingly, life gets worse. When I was much younger, I wondered what the book of Job was all about. I didn’t understand it no matter how many times I read it. Neither did I see its relevance in the bible. I thought it was not of benefit to anyone. As I have gotten older and increased in my understanding of the story, I realize that God certainly allowed it and for obvious reasons. It is indeed instructive for understanding the dynamics of life. In a very simply way, it summarizes the life that many believers would live at one point or the other. There is no doubt that it is meant to be read and understood especially by a people who have been called to live on earth, as sheep in the midst of wolves which can’t happen without the wolves troubling the sheep. Wolves always are described as evil even in children’s cartoon. In asking us to live in the midst of wolves, the stage is set for us to be troubled though we are always overcomers and never victims. The “troubles” don’t determine who we are, God who already won the victory, determines that. He called us sheep and instructs us to remain sheep in the face of all the difficulties or challenges we may face.

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

2 Timothy 3: 12 “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

Job’s story typifies the life of a believer, encouraging us to hold on whilst reminding us that inspite of the extent of one’s difficulty or depth of pain, it will pass. I don’t think it gets worse than what Job went through. His story prepares one for life as a believer. Dealing with life is not taught in schools, not even in bible schools, but God uses different methods to prepare us and Job’s story is one of them. I don’t doubt that no one can ever be fully prepared to face life’s challenges but it helps to know that there is no challenge new to humanity and that every challenge has an end. It is so much easier to hold on knowing that despite the apparent weight of the challenge, God has not permitted it to destroy one but to release them to greater glory. We cannot allow life dictate who we are. We are sheep and empowered to reign despite the presence of an evil one whose only job is to trouble mankind (believers and unbelievers alike). He knows not how to do well and if he appears to do well, it is a trap. His thoughts toward us, unlike God’s thoughts, are only evil so that as soon as he was allowed to touch Job, he did all he knew to do – steal, kill and destroy. Don’t give up in that your situation; there is an end to it.

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

There is no doubt that Job was used to living well and enjoyed the honor and accolades he got from the people around him. Yet God allowed him lose even that alongside all he had. No wonder he pondered why God won’t take his life. It didn’t make sense to him anymore to be left on earth. Everything seemed meaningless and God was silent, not offering any explanations. Who would have thought He was actually rooting for Job all that time. Heaven held him in high esteem though men looked down on him. While he was treated with disdain on earth, he was accomplishing God’s purpose. No wonder it is not wise to judge one’s worth by how much men value them. Who would have known that God cared so much He was apparently watching over the entire situation carefully to ensure that Job would not only remain sheep but would be greater than he ever imagined. It is easy to take for granted that God is not with anyone going through difficulties but it is not always so. God sometimes works in unexplainable ways to work wonders. He knows how to bring us out of “it” just in time and who knows, He may be working another wonder in your life

Romans 8: 28 “…all thing work together for good to them that love God who are the called according to his 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.”

God Always Has The Last Laugh

This week has been full of activities: different people calling about different challenges. Some even get disappointed because the responses they get are not what they had hoped for which is also what they believe will resolve their issues. Not one of them remembered to ask if I was okay and not because they are wicked or selfish, but their difficulties are so overwhelming they forgot to ask. As I think of all these difficulties and the fact that they all end up with God along with several other challenges coming from several others, I appreciate God even more and I am just pleased to know that He is not man. I don’t even want to think of Him as man. No one can take on even a tiny piece of the issues He takes on in a minute and survive. My gratitude greatly increases when I remember Jesus Christ, our access to God who willingly made Himself an access and a free one at that. He made it possible for us to reach God and God reach us so that we can take our issues to Him and have resolutions from heaven.

1 John 5: 14 – 15 “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know that he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”

It is interesting that John suggests that God will give us all we ask for as long as they are aligned with His will because there are many things we have asked for which God has confirmed are ours which we still don’t have and have waited long for. This was the situation Sarah found herself in when she could not help but laugh “within her” when once again, they were reminded that the promise would yet come to pass. Her response had nothing to do with her perception of God. She trusted Him and His ability to do all things; but she had waited so long it seemed her own particular difficulty could not be fixed anymore. At that point, following the course of nature, she was right; but we have to realize that our God made nature so that He can cause nature to work good for us and not just because of us but because that good was necessary to ensure that His own big picture which includes us, does not fall apart. He is just waiting for the right time.

Romans 8: 28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Genesis 18: 11 – 12NKJ “Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore, Sarah laughed within herself, saying ‘after I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my Lord being old also?”

Waiting on God is not the easiest thing especially when God Himself will not let you forget His promise. Sometimes, when one has been waiting for long it seems easier to just forget the promise. We get tired of hoping and would rather stop hoping; but when God keeps reminding you, it becomes tougher. Interestingly, as He reminds you, there will be people around you who just ask and are immediately gifted by God with the same thing you are waiting on Him for. Sometimes, these are even people known to all as worse than you are yet they get results and you get another word. The fact that God keeps returning with a word suggests that you are important to Him. Your challenge must be part of His big picture and He is watching over everything to ensure it all happens at the right time. Sarah was to her mind, an ordinary woman who had no idea that her story would feature in the bible so that generations after would be encouraged by it. The thing is everyone’s role is often the worst to them but, both you and your challenges are valuable to God. Your challenges are important to encourage others and display God’s many sided wisdom. God has not forgotten you and He is able to fix that challenge?

Isaiah 46: 9 - 10 “For I alone I am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.”

Like I once said, much as I admire some bible personalities, I would rather not be them. Sarah got married early and “married well” as we say in my Country. The man’s pedigree was right and he was doing well; but she had to wait too long to have a baby and adoption did not work well for her. As for Mary the mother of our Savior, won’t it have been easier if she got pregnant the very night of her wedding? She could have done without the shame that followed from being pregnant before her wedding. Neither would I like to be Hannah the mother of Samuel but every one of these women is a blessing to us today. Please don’t look elsewhere for help; God is not unmindful of your pain. He is working to bring all things together because His counsel will stand. He will have the last laugh.

Jesus Christ – “The Way, the Truth and The Life”

This season, more popularly known amongst Christians as lent, is really all about Jesus Christ the son of God. This is that season when we celebrate His death and subsequent resurrection. Hereafter, we shall go on to celebrate His ascension and the coming of the Holy Ghost according to His promised. This is one season when the love of a Savior who loved so much He gave all so that those He loves, (every man), may be saved. This is indeed true love. Neither before or even after Him was there nor will ever exist such display of genuine or sincere love and one so deep. I think I may have a better understanding now of why God was silent when Jesus seemed hesitant to complete the journey as His death drew closer. As He seemed to pause for a minute during His prayer, there was nothing heaven could do or say because Jesus could not be compelled to do it: it had to be an act of love. Hence the long silence. Thank God, it only lasted a while before He chose to go on.

Mathew 26: 39 “He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

John 15: 13 “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

The Father was desperate to be reconciled to His children and the children needed to be reconciled to The Father; that they may successfully walk through this earth and then be with Him in glory. The only ‘bridge’ between God and His children which was acceptable to God, was Jesus Christ and He had to die that painful death to make it happen. No wonder Jesus Christ could boldly announce that He is “The way”. The greater chooses how he would be reached by the lesser. So anyone desirous of legitimately reaching him, would go his way. Of course there would always be those who would try other ways to reach the greater; but any other way would not bring anyone to Him. It may seem sometimes like there are many ways to getting to a destination but all other routes end in a maze except the one or ones meant to get there. I have been really close to places several times in my life but just couldn’t get to the place because I missed a turn. God made the decision and Jesus Christ aligned willingly; there is no other way to God but Jesus Christ.

John 14: 6 “Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Romans 12: 2 “…but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think…”

There is no other way to explain this but to accept that Jesus was unequivocal about the fact that He is everything for anyone who wants to dwell in the Father. No wonder one cannot be connected to God through Him and find “the world” or any other god interesting. If Jesus is correct as we know He is, then there is absolutely no other acceptable life except one that is steeped in Him. When He says He is the Life, then if you want to live, it must be through Him. So that for everyone who is not in Him who thinks they are actually living or “enjoying life”, you really are not. To “enjoy life” you need to first have it and you don’t have it outside of Jesus Christ because it is in Him. Every other thing that looks like life is not really life. It doesn’t matter who else pushes something they would like to describe as life, at the end of it all is our common enemy the devil whose ultimate purpose is to destroy man (saved or unsaved). Very often we like to think that the devil is only after believers and that is not true, he is after everyone but has to work harder against those he believes are lost to Christ.

Acts 17: 28 “For in him we live, and move, and have our being”

Christianity is definitely all about transformation; it is an entire change of culture and attitude of mind i.e. mindset. The more I think on God, the more I realize that He is indeed God. He is not frivolous and chooses His words carefully. When He says we have to allow our own transformation, it is indeed so. To move from “life” without Christ to life that is Christ, is a complete change of mindset. It isn’t a behavior modification thing no matter how good we may think we were. The best man is still man and had no idea how to live in Christ; it is a concept totally alien to him because we were all born into sin. Life in Christ is acquired culture which must be acquired for us to make heaven. No matter how terrible or nice you are, we all start on an even ground when we come to Christ. It is what you then do subsequently that determines where you end and the ending is more important even now than it was. As we celebrate, let us remind ourselves that our Savior’s return is imminent.

Life Is Not In Charge: You Are Through Christ

As I read through an old blog, I decided to rework and re-publish it just in case one person who reads it may be “going through something” and heard that believers never have “valley experiences” i.e. very challenging times. I wish I could say so but I have had them and I have seen God come through each one with me making me stronger and feeling more blessed than ever. Life is sometimes like a rollercoaster. Some days are easily great and others, one may need to make great. I met someone who never had these experiences, so she does not believe we should have them; but we do and we are not strange. We have learnt to enjoy “hilltop experiences”, inspite of what we may be going through. We do so with an attitude of thanksgiving and confidence that we are who God says we are. Thanksgiving facilitates the renewal of our strength so that we are able to, through Christ, stand and successfully take on what life throws at us. As believers, we must learn to make the most of every day.

 

Ephesians 6: 13 – 14 “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground…”

The songwriter says “nobody told me that life was going to be easy” and in truth, Christ never said so. It is one of those thoughts or suggestions we love to cling to which make us ill prepared to deal; making believers fail so often that the word of God which says we are blessed begins to look like a lie. Our enemy would rather have us deceived so that we are always “putting out fires” making it difficult for us to be on the offensive in this battle for authority on earth. It is sad that having gone through these experiences ill prepared, we fail to prepare our children or those coming after us, to deal better. We instead, tend to protect them from the realities inadvertently working for their failure because one way or the other, life catches up with everyone notwithstanding the depth or extent of one’s walk with God. If anything, it is the way you deal or handle life’s attempts to determine the cause of your life that is a reflection of the extent of your walk with God.

Genesis 1: 5KJV “And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

The sun rises and sets daily; so every day is bright at some point and dark at another. This is a very real description of the way life works; seeking also to dominate or control man but fails when dealing with believers because God’s presence in our lives makes it impossible for life to enslave us. Of course it still attempts to do so, but we always have the victory; truth that we must always walk in. Every attempt by life on our lives is not ended, until our victory through Christ is established. This is reality we must accept even when it is contrary to what we are experiencing physically. We must train ourselves to accept and live in the truth of God. It doesn’t just happen; we work at making it our reality. It is always our decision what we choose to see happening in our lives. We don’t have to see what others see if it doesn’t align with God’s word. It however, takes real inner strength to see what God sees inspite of what may see physically and that strength only comes from a revealed knowledge of God.

Romans 8: 27 “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

Hebrew 5: 14 “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

Acts 17: 28a “For in him we live and move and exist.”

God is one Father who loves so much He died for us; yet is not excessively protective. Though He comes with us, He actually does let us “go through” with a certainty that if we hold onto and trust Him, we will come through. Most parents would love their children if love was measured by what parents allow their children go through, because most of them would certainly take their children round the “valley of the shadow of death” but He who loved us enough to die for us takes us through it for the priceless experiences and the prizes set before us. Success is certain for every sincere believer; we need maturity and strength to carry “success successfully.” God does not just make good decisions, but right decisions.

Jeremiah 29: 11 “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

To all those who think making positive confessions keeps one from “valley experience”, truth is that they don’t. Whilst making them is important, wise and aligns with God’s word as long as the confessions are Christ teaching, they won’s keep you from experiencing life as long as you are in this world. Instead, they will keep you as you “go through” and bring you out a better and more positive person. This is the reason we are more than conquerors. We conquer through Christ and surpass all expectations. We are built to weather the storms of life and come out victorious because Christ already won the victory for us.

The Contention Is Real – You Have An Enemy

There is no doubt that we are in the end times: these are definitely very troubling times. The activities we see around us are a strong reminder that the end is near. Whilst some saints rejoice about this truth, others wish it away and some others even argue that a God so good will not allow any of these “evil events” listed as part of all that will be unveiled in the last days.  It really does not matter what we prefer to or actually believe, God’s truth stands forever. The present times call for prudence on our path. A prudent man sees what is ahead and makes arrangement to hide from the evil thereof. We cannot over prepare for what is imminent – we are in the last days. It will be sad to have all the information that we have and yet pretend like these things will not happen for very selfish reasons because they will happen. We all wish we could live forever but we know also that we won’t; at least here on this earth, so it is wise to act accordingly.

Psalm 119: 89 “Your eternal word, O Lord stands firm in heaven.”

Isaiah 14: 27 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken – who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?”

In the normal course of my day, I counsel with people very frequently; almost every day. Even if I did not hear from God directly, all of the counselling has confirmed to me that believers are definitely under very serious attack from our enemy – satan. Pressures are mounted against us from all sides - our marriages, finances, health, businesses, relationships etc. Meanwhile minds are greatly troubled; such great turmoil in the minds of many even to the point of them losing their peace. The number of believers with mental health issues that stem from lack of peace or troubled mind today is mind boggling especially when we have a Saviour who is Himself, The Prince of peace. The plan is for us to lose faith in our Saviour. Do you know that some even trust themselves now more than they trust God? No wonder, Jesus wondered if He would find faith on the earth when He returns. Our individual faith is seriously under attack; but people have experienced such things before and have come through, so we must not fail God. If you prepare yourself, you will be better equipped to deal successfully.

2 Corinthians 4: 8 – 10 “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not given to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodied.”

Much as I enjoy going to church and fellowshipping with believers, I have found that I need to ask myself some hard questions daily so that I do not unwittingly align with satan’s plans to ruin us. One has to be very deliberate to survive. In these present times, one cannot afford to assume that they are believers just because they confess that they are and have told themselves so. We need to test our own selves. Look at your works daily and ask yourself if they line up with the works expected of believers. The fruits tell who we are hence we are told that we shall be known by them. It is not just the works/fruits but also the reason you do that good work that you do. For it to be a “God work” it must be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Dead works, no matter how good will count for nothing. You have to think again on your works and see if it evidences the faith you claim to profess. Dead works do not spring from the Fountain of Living Waters and as such do not bring joy or satisfaction but drain them, also making the believer’s life dreary and burdensome which eventually leads to loss of faith. It may please you to know that Jesus came that we may have joy and the fullness thereof. Joy is indeed a necessary ingredient for our survival so that stealing it is an attempt by the enemy, to choke one to death.    

2 Corinthians 13: 5 “Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as committed believers. Examine yourselves not me! Or do you recognize his about yourselves by an ongoing experience that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit.”

James 2: 17 “So you see, faith by itself isn’t good enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”

Armed with all these truth, we cannot afford to let satan stop us from enjoying the benefits of the victory we have in Christ. We must guard our hearts, living like pilgrims that we are, always prepared for the return of our Saviour, inspite of all that the enemy throws and will continue to throw at us. We must deploy all the instruments of war we know to ensure that we successfully enforce the victory Jesus won for us so that we do not live defeated lives here on earth. You cannot be passive about your faith anymore if you are a believer. It is time to contend earnestly for our faith. It is time to make up your mind what you want to do about your faith. We must do all we know to do to resist the enemy that he may flee from us. It is time to put on your strength “o Zion.”