The Cost of Righteousness

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12)

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

As a Christian, what is your priority? Is it the pursuit of temporary things like wealth, status, recognition, etc. or the righteousness of God? I can hear some questions such as  - Is it one or the other? Can't one have both? Can't you have wealth and be righteous? 

Interesting questions! First and foremost, the original question deals with the subject of priorities. Priorities indicate order such as order of operations in mathematics. Consequently, two items or operations cannot have the same priority. In this regard, Jesus clearly stated that we should seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. One may point out - But there are two issues here, the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of God. How does this work? Actually, it works quite well because the Kingdom of God is characterised by the righteousness of God. So, there is no ambiguity in what Jesus said. The righteousness of God has to do with the Kingdom of God and vice versa. One cannot be removed or extricated from the other. Where the Kingdom of God is manifested, the righteousness of God prevails. Hallelujah!

This brings me to the main subject matter - the cost of righteousness. In Matthew 5, Jesus said that those who are persecuted for righteousness sake are blessed. That's very interesting because it raises the question - how can persecution bring forth blessings? It seems counter-intuitive given that the general notion about blessings is bliss. Why should we rejoice and be exceedingly glad when we are going through persecution and suffering? In fact, Jesus went on to say that those who are persecuted for righteousness sake have a great reward in Heaven. Why then don't we hear more of this from our pulpits? It seems to me that the rewards in Heaven are far superior in content and quality to the glittering gold of this world. Was Jesus mistaken? Of course, not. He meant every word He spoke and spoke what He meant. 

The Bible says, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12, NKJV). It would be fair to say that every believer should seek to live a godly life, one that glorifies God. If that is the case, then we should expect to suffer persecution in one form or another. This is part of the reality of our Christian walk or race. Why then is there so much silence about this reality? The early Christians expected persecution, they rejoiced in it and felt honoured to have had similar experiences to that of Jesus. 

"And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:21-22) 

Paul and Barnabas preached the Gospel after the Jews from Iconium and Antioch "stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead." (Acts 14:19). Was Paul mad? What type of person, after recovering from a horrific stoning a few hours previously, would embark on preaching? Why did Paul say that tribulations were required for entry into the Kingdom of God? Was he a masochist or sadist? Nothing in the Bible suggests that Apostle Paul was deranged or enjoyed either inflicting pain on others or harming himself. Paul was simply acknowledging the uncomfortable truth about the Christian faith and writing to the Corinthian brethren by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he stated:

"We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." (2 Corinthians 4:8-10, NKJV)

Hardship, persecution, suffering, sacrifice, etc. are things every true Christian should expect in his or her walk with Jesus. I would be a fool not to accept this fact. It is the simple truth but we have to realize that no matter what we have to go through, God will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Rewards await us in Heaven and even here on earth if we persevere and run the Christian race to the end. Our heels may be bruised but the devil is defeated. Jesus said, "... “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.." (Luke 10:18-19)

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Yes, there is a cost for righteousness in this dark world but as we look up to Jesus, our Lord, our Saviour, our King, the Author and Finisher of our faith, we will be empowered to carry on and eventually shall get our reward in Heaven. We will rejoice and be glad for by the grace of God, our lives will glorify God. Be encouraged, my brothers and sisters in the Lord. We have nothing to lose but everything to gain in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Have a blessed day.

Biblical Prophecy - Are You Open To It?

 What exactly is prophecy? Prophecy has been described as a foretelling - a declaration or pronouncement of what is to come. "Prophecy at its most basic definition is “a message from God.” So, to prophesy is to proclaim a message from God ". (https://www.gotquestions.org/prophecy-prophesy.html). 

A prophecy can also be considered to be a promise with a time frame. The prophets of old prophesied about the birth of Jesus. In Isaiah 7:14, the Bible says "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Prophet Isaiah prophesied the birth of Jesus 700 years before the event and it happened at the right time. The birth of Jesus was prophesied by Prophet Micah in Micah 5:2, "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.". God sent His prophets to foretell future events and this characteristic of biblical prophecy will not change. It is therefore perplexing that many Christians avoid the more unpalatable but true prophecies in the Bible such as:

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:7-13). These are the words of Jesus. Are you open to this or do you want to avoid it? With all due respect, rolling it under the carpet, avoiding it or neglecting it will not change the Word of God - the Word of prophecy. The things Jesus prophesied about are happening today. 

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. " (1 Timothy 4:1-5). This is happening in the 21st century. The Word of God will never return to Him void because it will accomplish all that it was sent out for (Isaiah 55:10-11)

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people." (2 Timothy 3:1-5). All these are evident today. So, today biblical prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes. 

"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). Unfortunately we do not hear much about the persecution that awaits godly believers Is this not a word of prophecy? Apostle Paul was in Caesarea when Prophet Agabus foretold (prophesied) what was going to happen to Apostle Paul, "And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles." (Acts 21:10-11) . Paul did not rise up in prayer against the prophecy of Agabus as many believers would have done today, neither did he argue against it or reject it. In fact, even though the brethren appealed to Paul not to go to Jerusalem, he said “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 21:13)

Are you open to God's Word of prophecy? Apostle Paul embraced God's plan for his life and that included suffering. In Romans 8:16, the Bible says "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." (Romans 8:16-17). Apostle Paul was aware of his obligation to submit to suffering as and when allowed by God. 

God gave a word of prophecy to Abraham about the children of Israel on Genesis 15:13-14, "Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.". This came to pass as the children of Israel were slaves in the land of Egypt until God sent Moses to deliver them from hands of Pharoah. In fact, on the day of deliverance, the Israelites left with volumes of precious metals including gold and silver.

The word of prophecy tells of exciting things to come as when Jesus said in Mark 16:17-18, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 

In Isaiah 40:31, the Bible says, "But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired." This is a promise but it is also a prophecy. 

The Word of God is the sure word of prophecy. God may use individuals to prophesy in contemporary times just as the Old Testament prophets did. The Bible says, "And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct], [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity]." (Ephesians 4:11-13, AMP) [Emphasis, mine].

However, prophecy is always about the plans of God and His glory. Any prophecy that elevates man is false prophecy. The book of Revelation is a book of prophecy and it starts as follows:

'This is the revelation of Jesus Christ [His unveiling of the divine mysteries], which God [the Father] gave to Him to show to His bond-servants (believers) the things which must soon take place [in their entirety]; and He sent and communicated it by His angel (divine messenger) to His bond-servant John," (Revelation 1:1, AMP). It clearly shows things that will happen in the future and it states without ambiguity the prophetic nature of its contents:

"Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and who keep the things which are written in it [heeding them and taking them to heart]; for the time [of fulfilment] is near." (Revelation 1:3, AMP). So, we have the word of prophecy - The Bible. What is your attitude towards it? Have you read what has been written? Have you heard what has been spoken? Have you done what has been commanded? We are accountable for our attitude towards this sure word of prophecy. May God help us to pay attention to His Words, to be doers of His Word and not hearers only. May the Lord bless you, keep you, strengthen and empower you to do His will according to His Word of prophecy in Jesus' Name. 

Male and/or Female or Something Else

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:26-27, ESV) 

The Bible says that God created man (generic term) in His own image and He created male and female because there were obvious distinctions between both of them. The first man was Adam and the first woman was Eve. She was called woman because although she was human, she was different. There were differences between Adam and Eve - physical features, physical shape, reproductive organs, etc. In fact Adam got so excited about his wife, Eve that he said, "...“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:23). Biologically, there is evidence to show that a man is different from a woman. 

Before I continue, let me state that I recognise the right of individuals to believe whatever they want to believe, even if I disagree with them. Everyone should have that right but we do not have the right to impose our beliefs on others, especially by way of cohesion. I am a born-again Christian who has received Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour and who is committed to Him 100%. I believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God and that God is the Creator of the universe and mankind. He is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. God created the heavens and the earth and all that was in it at the beginning (Genesis 1:1).  There are two genders that have been proven (biologically) to exist for humans, male and female. Reproduction cannot occur without sexual intercourse between male and female. Sexual activity between two males or two females can never result in reproduction. That is just a fact. 

There are individuals who have decided to label themselves non-binary, including some transgender individuals. It is quite interesting that the word, 'transgender' implies a transition (so to speak) from one gender to another and yet some transgender people identity themselves as non-binary. Again, this is a fact. At the end of the day, personal choices that do not stand up to scientific scrutiny or examination cannot be imposed on others or even justified unless there is a decision and determination to live in fantasy world. Those who exercise their rights to be labelled differently from what is normal should accept the possibility of their preferences to be rejected by others. Again, this is simply commonsense. 

While we have the freedom to label ourselves anything we want, it is important that certain commonsense and biological facts be taken into consideration. The Bible says that God created mankind, male and female. No mindless process can explain the unique features of men and women. It is really incredible. The anatomies of males and females are so different that one must come to the conclusion that an intelligent Being is responsible for creation. The heart, blood vessels, blood flow, the pancreas, colon, intestines, liver, kidneys, the brain, the spine, bones, etc. surely should make anyone think seriously about the origin of man. In Colossians 1, we read,

"giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence." (vs. 12-18)

I was born by my mother (who is female) after she had sexual intercourse with my late father (who was male). No same-sex couple has the capability and ability for reproduction. They are some heterosexual couple that cannot produce children due to some medical issues/problems but reproduction is reserved for males and females. It is amazing how certain individuals claim to adhere to science and then disregard science when it does not fit their narrative. We must learn to distinguish between our choices and what is is irrefutably and indisputably factual.

Jesus made this absolutely clear when He said, "But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ ; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:6-9). There is no ambiguity about God's plans and order. In the beginning, God created them (mankind) male and female. Otherwise, there would be no reproduction. Short and simple. May God help us to receive the truth which sets captives free (John 8:32). Have a blessed day.