LOOKING AHEAD

"It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward." (Hebrews 11:24-26, NLT)

I was meditating on the above passage and I was really challenged by Moses and his mind-set. I started thinking of Moses in Egypt before he fled the nation. He was a very powerful man, very well educated and was well-connected to Pharoah (at the time) who probably was his adopted mother's father. He lacked nothing, yet there was a struggle going on inside him. He knew he did not belong there. Pharaoh's palace and empire was not his place of calling. Yes, God used those instruments to prepare him for greater things ahead. By faith Moses embraced his divine destiny, not really knowing what lay ahead. 

Moses refused the treasures of Egypt, preferring to suffer for the sake of Christ. Moses "chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin"  

The challenge for us (Christians of today) is this. Can we disentangle ourselves from this world in order to become instruments in God's hands? Abraham had to let go of himself, his family and business to let God have His way. Moses wanted nothing but God's will for his life.

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:27

"It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible."  

Moses had his eyes on the invisible God. Oh my brethren, what did Moses see? Could it be that if we started gazing at the invisible God, we might have direction? Would it then be possible for our blind eyes to be open, our deaf ears to be unblocked, our stubborn hearts to be receptive? This is so awesome. I ask again , what was Moses seeing? Here is one of the amazing things about Moses - today many Christians would have considered themselves blessed of God to be part of Pharoah's family. In fact, they would have given testimonies in church about their "breakthrough". But not Moses. He was somewhere else in the spirit, he was not satisfied with the pleasures of sin. He wanted the real deal - that which only comes from God. You see, my brethren every time we refuse, reject, accept partially or procrastinate about the will of God, the pleasures of sin have trapped us. We are deceived to think that the temporary pleasures of this world will commend us to God. The truth of the matter is that if we are not rich towards God then we are conned by the enemy - the devil, Satan.

The flesh loves comfort but it is by faith and perseverance that we enter into the best for our lives - God's will. Just remember that when you are finally gone from this earth, you will not return and therefore this is the only opportunity you have. What are you going to do with it? Enjoy the pleasures of sin or submit to the glorious will of God which may very well imply suffering, lack and sacrifice? Are you ready? LET GOD HAVE HIS WAY.

Self-preservation is an evil that is perpetrated by the hater of your soul, the devil. Look around, the system of the world is rooted in self-preservation. It gives rise to  selfishness, cruelty, murder,  lack of compassion, self-aggrandizement and a host of other unpalatable things. It is the complete opposite of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13. Moses let himself go for God, so did Paul, so did Jesus, the apostles, etc. Everyone who has been used by God in an extraordinary way has learned to surrender all. EVERYTHING not just some things. Let us surrender all today- whatever it is and I can assure you we will become instruments of blessings in the hands of the mighty, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient and invisible God.


Look ahead to the immortal and invisible God by abiding in Jesus. Abiding conveys the idea of continual or perpetual habitation. Just as the tree is what confronts the observer (although there are branches), let us be lost in Jesus so that we shall be invisible and Jesus visible. The invisible One in us comes forth in power as to become visible when we allow Him have His way. And it is when observers are confronted with the beauty of Jesus (as portrayed through us) that we will be fulfilling our destiny in Christ.

God bless you. 

WHO DO YOU LOVE, GOD OR MAMMON?

I have been shocked in recent times by the lukewarm attitude of many of us who claim to be Christians. It seems we have lost our focus and hence spend time pursuing the same things that unbelievers do. Today in the world, people who are wealthy are applauded and recognized. It seems that the belief embraced by most people is, in simple terms, 'Money makes a person'. Most  people see life in terms of pounds and pence OR dollars and cents. And it is a very scary phenomenon. The love of money has become deeply rooted in our societies today. Yet Jesus said, 

"No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Luke 16:13, ESV)

Increasingly Christians are spending more and more time pursuing money. All sorts of excuses are given for their materialistic pursuits - family, cost of living, utilization of God-given abilities, etc. These reasons sound right, sensible and even spiritual. But how many of us are really sincere and honest about our financial pursuits? Let me turn the situation around to ask the question: If we suddenly lost all our money and possessions, how would we feel and what will we do?  Would we feel  lost, incomplete and totally paralyzed OR would we say like Job, "I know my Redeemer liveth..."? Please be honest.  If God is everything, as many of us profess, why would there be an overwhelming helplessness in such a situation? My brethren, I suppose the right question should be "Whom do we really trust?". Do we trust God enough to give Him everything - our tithes, family, careers, businesses, marriages, children, certificates, etc?

There is a new religion in town - it is best described as the worship of mammon. Sure enough, we probably would not see physical shrines and altars erected to the worship of mammon but our attitudes betray us. Our prayers, as a result of our greed, have become self-centered; we lack compassion for souls. The fact that millions are going to hell yearly does not bother us. Sporadic church attendances are intended to serve notice of our 'Churchianity' rather than true spirituality. Many Christians today are driven by the love of money - the type of friends they have, the places they live, the jobs they have, their cars, and so on and so on. What drives you in life? Is it the love of God or the love of money? Most would say - the love of God.  I have been in prayer meetings in which Christians have been reluctant to pray about the needs of the world but as soon as the focus of the prayers turned to personal needs (money, houses, contracts, jobs, marriage, etc), the degree of fervency rose more than 100%. What does this say of our spirituality and love for God? Make no mistake about it, the love of money is an evil we have to resist. 

Recently Bill Gates and a few other billionaires indicated their intention to donate billions of their money away - after their deaths, of course. Their intentions are commendable but I could not help wondering why they have to wait until their death. Simply because then they will no longer be around - the money will be useless to them and they will not have to fear loss of valuable resources. There is always that tendency for self-preservation in man. In much the same way, money will be of no use in heaven, therefore we must hold it lightly and use it wisely not for self-gratification but for God's glory.

If God asked you to sell all your property, give the money to the poor, give up you job and follow Him literally, would you? Many of us do not even consider or think about a question like this because we think God will not make such demands of us. We are greatly mistaken.  Peter was asked to leave his profession and means of livelihood to follow Jesus. Abraham was asked to leave familiar surroundings for a place he did not know. The young rich man was asked by Jesus to sell all his property, give the money to the poor and then follow Him. God may well ask this of any of us today. The question is, are we going to allow God have His way?

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." (ESV)

 My brethren, the love of money will drive you away from the faith - make no mistake about it. ASK GOD TO HELP YOU TO BE FOCUSED SO THAT YOU CAN EVENTUALLY MAKE HEAVEN.

HOW CERTAIN ARE WE OF ENTERING HEAVEN?

Bob Marley, if I am not mistaken, sang a song with the lyrics - everybody wants to go to Heaven but nobody wants to die. Most people and especially Christians are interested in making Heaven but the question is - is Heaven guaranteed for everyone? Some say - Once saved always saved - Is that what the Bible teaches? Mark 10:23-31 reads as follows:

"23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” 24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” 26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. 27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” 28 Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said. 29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. 31 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then" (NLT)

Let me start by saying that one who does not belong to the Kingdom of God cannot enter Heaven. I believe many of us are familiar with the parable of the young rich man. In those days, it was generally accepted that material wealth was a sign of true spirituality and God's blessings. So when Jesus commented on the difficulty that rich people have in entering the Kingdom of God, the disciples were amazed. Jesus emphasized His point by saying that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. This second remark astounded the disciples to the point that they asked  - Then who in the world can be saved? -That is a question we should be considering in this day and age. Who shall be saved? If we believe in the Lord Jesus we shall be saved (Acts 16:31). Is this an active or passive belief? The Amplified Bible puts it this way

"...Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well."

Thus believing in Jesus means giving up ourselves to Him and allowing Him to run our lives through the Holy Spirit. That is the key but is this true for our lives? Let me give us some food for thought - Where is Ananias and Sapphira? Where is Judas Iscariot? Where is Uzzah who stretched forth His hand to steady the cart that was carrying the ark? When Jesus sent a message to the church in Laodicea, He said "..., because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!"(AMP)

Spew means "To send or force out in or as if in a stream; eject forcefully or in large amounts" OR "To vomit or otherwise cast out through the mouth". This conveys the idea that when something is spewed it no longer remains a part of what it belonged to previously. It is expelled once and for all.

What is the point of all this? My brethren the time is short, the Day of the Lord is near. Nobody knows when He will come and we cannot be complacent about our relationship with Jesus. We cannot afford to take Him for granted. He is God and He calls the shots. He loves us, cares for us, died for us and is prepared to guide and help us day after day. He is even interceding for us day and night. But rest assured that He will not compromise His standards - No one who lives contrary to the Word of God will enter Heaven. 

Finally, let me draw your attention to a some passages in the Bible:

"Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21, AMP)

"Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit." (John 15:2, AMP)

"11Later the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open [the door] to us! 12But He replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you [I am not acquainted with you]. 13Watch therefore [give strict attention and be cautious and active], for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come."

(Matthew 25:11-13, AMP)

The five foolish virgins were called, chosen and yet missed the grand wedding ceremony because of their complacency. Jesus said that as in the days of Noah, so shall it be. People were eating and drinking, pursuing worldly ambitions, congratulating each other on their business exploits and not giving heed to the Word of God. Today what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah is happening right before our eyes. Let us take heed. Let us challenge, support and pray for each other. Let us leave childish games and focus on Jesus the Author anmd Finisher of our faith.

God bless you all. Have a great week in Jesus' Name. Amen.

The above write-up was posted on Facebook on August 15, 2010

THE EXPECTATION OF GOD

In everyday life, we have to deal with different individuals at our places of work and/or elsewhere (trains, buses, shops, schools, on the streets, etc). There are, very often, unspoken expectations that people have of us. For example, we are generally expected to be responsible, law-abiding, courteous, hospitable and humble. Students are expected to study hard in order to achieve their goals/dreams; employees are expected to be diligent, loyal and committed to their employers; athletes are expected to be disciplined and to train hard for upcoming events; mothers are expected to be responsible and caring towards their children; fathers are expected to sacrifice for their families, be role models for their children and mentor them so that they, in turn, can become responsible citizens. Leaders are expected to lead, have a clear vision for the progress of their nations in all areas; soldiers are expected to be patriotic, following without question the military code of conduct. The list goes on and on. 

It seems, therefore, that we live in a society that requires (expects) us to embrace her values so that rather than being antagonists, we can be 'progressive' in our thinking and our life styles. I am aware that I have used some words which have been unduly politicized but I want to assure all of us that this write-up has nothing to do with politics - I speak or rather write from the heart about something that is very often ignored, neglected or simply relegated to the background.

Many of us do not doubt God's love towards us and we expect Him to care for us, protect us, forgive us and also answer our prayers. God is faithful and I believe we can expect Him to do great and wonderful things for us. The question is - does God have an expectation of us? And if that is the case, what is that expectation? Interestingly, parents expect their children to grow, mature, be responsible and eventually cater not only for themselves but for their families, as the case may be. We should never forget that God is a faithful Father, ever-loving and always seeking the best for us.

The Bible says that we are ambassadors for Christ, the light of the world and the salt of the earth. We are also described as new creations (the old has gone, the new has come). We accept the Biblical pronouncements - that we are above and not beneath, the head and not the tail. Yes, these are not only pronouncements but divine declarations of intent and part of God's expectation for us, His children (born-again believers).

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3, NIV)

IS YOUR HEART SET ON THINGS ABOVE?

Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 states

"Now all has been heard; 
here is the conclusion of the matter: 
Fear God and keep his commandments, 
for this is the [duty] of every human being. 

For God will bring every deed into judgment, 
including every hidden thing, 
whether it is good or evil."(TNIV)

The duty of (expectation for) every human being is to fear God and keep His commandments. Based on this expectation, every human being will be judged. Against this indelible standard, unchangeable premise, every one of us will be scrutinized. THIS IS THE GREAT EXPECTATION - THE EXPECTATION OF GOD. My brethren let us come together in unity, love and humility to seek the Creator's rule in our lives so that we can finally say like Apostle Paul -

"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8, NIV)

Many have gone before us and have completed the race- their races; we have nothing to fear, God is on our side. So familiarize yourself with expectation of God and you will emerge victorious, and receive your reward in Jesus' Name. Amen



This was posted on Facebook on July 10, 2010

BEING TRUE WITNESSES

This is an article I published on Facebook on April 4, 2010. Enjoy


I have been wondering how Christians can be true witnesses of our Lord and Saviour when many of us seem to be pre-occupied with the perishable things of this world. Romans 12:1 commands us to present our bodies as living sacrifices (holy and pleasing) unto God for this is our reasonable service or as the NIV puts it our "spiritual act of worship". We should pause to ask ourselves what we present to God on a daily basis. Is it holy and pleasing to Him or is it like the sacrifice of Cain? 
When I consider the example of Jesus, I question my motives, my thoughts, my reason for living. You see, an object of sacrifice does not argue with the one sacrificing it. It fulfills its purpose by being compliant (in our case- obedient). Total surrender to God must be the hallmark of our relationship with Him. Until we are totally surrendered our interactions with God will hardly qualify as spiritual acts of worship. In simple terms, there is a 'worship' that is an abomination before God, just as that of Cain was an abomination and totally unacceptable to God. If it is not holy and pleasing to God, it is unacceptable, only fit for the pit. Coming back to bodies, what is the state of our bodies-defiled or holy? What use are our bodies put to? Would God receive your body as a living sacrifice? Greed and gluttony have come to characterize many Christian lives. We are gradually eating ourselves to death. Our indulgences or rather over-indulgences are turning us into, with all due respect, slobs. WOULD JESUS HAVE BEEN UNFIT IF HE WALKED THE EARTH TODAY? As I think about these things I am challenged my brothers and sisters. ARE YOU CHALLENGED? Over-indulgence may lead to premature death which renders our divine assignments incomplete. 
Finally we must remind ourselves that the stamp of approval is God's to give not man's. We do not decide whether our sacrifice is acceptable or not; that is God's divine prerogative. What this means is that God must have a say in our daily lives if we are going to be pleasing to Him. It is in being totally consumed by love for Jesus that we become relevant in our generation. When our lives are characterized by selfishness, greed, materialism and self-aggrandizement we can never be true witnesses. Let us allow God to break us, melt us and mold us for His purposes. Let us not resist or grieve the Holy Spirit. Let us allow God to have His way, however inconvenient or unpleasant that may be. May God bless you in Jesus' Name.
May God richly bless you today and always in Jesus' Name.