The Will of God

THE WILL OF GOD

"Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:15-17, AMP)

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

"Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God." (1 Peter 4:1-2)

"in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18, AMP)

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified." (1 Thessalonians 4:3-6)

"Submit yourselves to [the authority of] every human institution for the sake of the Lord [to honor His name], whether it is to a king as one in a position of power, or to governors as sent by him to bring punishment to those who do wrong, and to praise and encourage those who do right. For it is the will of God that by doing right you may silence (muzzle, gag) the [culpable] ignorance and irresponsible criticisms of foolish people." (1 Peter 2:13-15, AMP)

"Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “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.” So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” " (Acts 21:12-14) 

Our daily cry should be that the will of God be done in our lives. But what is the will of God? The will of God is not attained by popular vote. The will of God in rooted in who God is, His sovereignty, His omnipotence, His attributes and His Word.

The Will, Way and Word of God are intertwined and inseparable. In other words, it is impossible to walk in accordance with God's will and disobey His Word.

The will of God is not subject to governmental decree. For example, divorcing a person according to the law of the land does not necessarily make it right in the sight of God. 

"Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]." (Romans 12:1-2, AMP)

The will of God is good, acceptable and perfect, at the same time. 

There are prerequisites for knowing and proving God's will -

1. Presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, 
2. Not conforming to the world, 
3. Being transformed by the renewing of our minds 

The Commandments of Jesus:

The commandments of Jesus are the will of God. 

"And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]." (Luke 9:23, AMP)

"Whoever does not carry his own cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow after Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:27, AMP)

IT IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR US TO TAKE UP OUR CROSSES DAILY.

The disciple of Jesus follows Him, obeys Him and abides in Him. However, to be a disciple one must (without exception) take up his or her cross daily and follow Jesus. 

Do you know your cross for today? If not, why? If so, are you carrying it?

The will of God is in addition to denying ourselves and taking up our crosses daily:

1. To firmly grasp what the will of God is (Ephesians 5;17)
2. To be aware that only those who do His will shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21)
3. That we should no longer live in the lust of the flesh (1 Peter 1:2)
4. That we should continually give thanks to God (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
5. Our sanctification and abstinence from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
6. That we do right and thereby silence the ignorant and irresponsible criticisms of foolish people (1 Peter 2 :15)
7. That our ultimate desire should be that God's will be done in all situations (Acts 21:12-14)
8. That we fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12;13) 

The good, acceptable and perfect will of God is only fully revealed to those who yearn after God, who seek His face daily, who fear Him and keep His commandments, who pursue holiness and righteousness, who humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. Boastful, proud, self-centred individuals are resisted by God (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5). God does not throw pearls to swine. The Bible says, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29, NKJV)

It is God's desire to reveal more of Himself to anyone who truly yearns for and seeks Him. Are you one of those who longs for God as a deer pants after water?

We should be reminded that while it is good to call upon God for our needs and miracles, Jesus said emphatically in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (NKJV). The Kingdom of God and His righteousness must be our priority. We must remember that the things of the world are temporary and we will be wasting our lives if we only focus on them. Whatever achievements one has made in terms of earthly goodies, will not be of any use or advantage in Heaven. So in conclusion, I would like to quote the words of Jesus:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21, NKJV)

May the Lord God Almighty enable and empower you to do His will just as Jesus did. have a blessed day.

Betraying Jesus

Betraying Jesus

"When they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed and handed over to men [who are His enemies]; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised [from death to life] on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved and distressed." (Matthew 17:22-23, AMP) 

Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, the disciples fled from His presence, and Peter denied Jesus three times. The truth of the matter is that they all engaged in different levels of betrayal. Today, many Christians betray Jesus in one way or the other. There are times when we refuse to reveal to the public that we are believers. At other times, we are so engrossed in our personal businesses that our primary responsibility (making disciples) is relegated to the background. If our ultimate goal each day is not soul-winning and discipleship, then we have lost the plot. 

"For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the [heavenly] Father and of the holy angels." (Luke 9:26, AMP)

When we pass opportunities to witness for Jesus, don't we thereby demonstrate that we are ashamed of Him? If our focus is on the repercussions of sharing our faith and preaching the Gospel, then we are more interested in ourselves than in God. If we hear people near us using the name of God in vain, and say nothing then we would have entered into self-preservation mode. Interestingly, such a mindset really exposes a lack of understanding because no one can preserve himself or herself. No one can reverse the day of death, whenever that will be. No one can live forever on this earth irrespective of technological breakthroughs in cosmetology. No one except God has the world in his or her hands. In other words, God has the final say.

The word, 'betray' is defined as follows: (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/betray)

• to deliver or expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty:
• to be unfaithful in guarding, maintaining, or fulfilling:
• to disappoint the hopes or expectations of; be disloyal to:

God expects His people to tell the world about Jesus, to be ambassadors for Christ, to make disciples for Jesus and to boldly declare that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. An ambassador of a country does not hide his or her identity; in fact an ambassador is glad to tell anyone who wants to listen that his or her country is worth visiting. The ambassador promotes the interest of the country he or she is representing. Similarly as ambassadors for Christ, we should be telling people of Heaven, the Kingdom of God and God's rule and reign. We should be quick to give an answer to any question asked about the hope we have  in Jesus (1 Peter 3:15). We should not be ashamed of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16)

God is depending on us to broadcast the Good News of salvation. Failure to do that means failure to identify with Jesus which ultimately results in betrayal. Peter did not hand over Jesus to the Jewish authorities was equally betraying. Thank God for His love and mercy, Peter was restored and went on to be an important leader in the early Church. Will you tell someone today about Jesus? Will you stand your ground when people are ridiculing the Christian faith and mocking Jesus or will you turn away unconcerned?

A dear brother shared with us recently how someone came to him while he was witnessing in the City Centre and looked at him in disgust, questioning his sanity because of what he was doing. Standing up for Jesus may attract mockery, insults, disdain, contempt and a host of other things but we should never give up or back down. We should never betray Jesus; we should always do what He tells us to do in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The lyrics of the hymn 'Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus' by Bart Millard

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

Ye soldiers of the cross;

Lift high his royal banner,

It must not suffer loss.

From victory unto victory

His army shall he lead,

Till every foe is vanquished,

And Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

Stand in his strength alone;

The arm of flesh will fail you,

Ye dare not trust your own.

Put on the gospel armor,

Each piece put on with prayer;

Where duty calls or danger,

Be never wanting there.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

The strife will not be long;

This day the noise of battle,

The next the victor's song.

To those who vanquish evil

A crown of life shall be;

They with the King of Glory

Shall reign eternally.

We will not betray Jesus, we will stand up for Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have highlighted the second verse because we are on duty for Jesus and we must not fail Him. Jesus is the Lord of lords and the King of kings. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is the Lamb of God and the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is the only Way to God; He is the truth and the Life. The Bible says, "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." (Colossians 1:15-18, NKJV)

Jesus is God the Son and the Son of God. To be ashamed of Him is to betray Him. When our lives are not aligned to His in real terms, we betray Him. When the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts are at variance with God's Word, we betray Him. When our plans do not match God's plans for our lives, we betray Jesus. When our focus is on things that may seem good but which God has not ordained for us, we betray Jesus. In other words, a deliberate engagement in anything that is outside God's will for our lives is an act of betrayal. It is important to note that just because God allows something for someone does not mean it is right for you. 

 

Will you serve Him today? Will you bow at His feet and surrender your life to Him totally today? One day, everyone will stand before Jesus. That day is unavoidable. There is no mountain so high that can keep anyone away from the reach of Jesus. There is no depth so low that can hide anyone from Jesus. Fighting against the will of God for your life is an act of futility. There are many people who think that it is God's will for them to become something, or have something when it really is not but they refuse to accept God's will because it is not the fashionable thing to do. I will end this short article with a quote from Jeremiah 17:

"Thus says the Lord : “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord . For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord , And whose hope is the Lord . For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit." (Jeremiah 17:5-8, NKJV)

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND YOU WILL NOT BETRAY HIM. May the Lord God Almighty give you the grace to be an instrument of blessing in His hands. Choose to obey God in all areas of your life and you will never betray Jesus. God bless you.

RENOUNCING ALL

 

RENOUNCING ALL

"So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." (Luke14:33, ESV)

Jesus spoke the above words whilst teaching on the cost of discipleship. This is one area that many people shy away from. Some say it is too heavy a topic; others say we should focus on the riches that we have derived by virtue of receiving Jesus as personal Lord and Saviour. Well, the truth of the matter is that Jesus is not only Saviour, He is LORD. What exactly does that mean? Let's ponder a little bit more on two words

1. Renounce: 'formally declare one's abandonment of (a claim, right, or possession)' (Cambridge Dictionary). For example when one renounces citizenship of a country, it means that the person gives up the right to be a citizen of that country. 
2. LORD:  'a person having power and authority over others' (Merriam Webster Dictionary)

So the implications are that if one is to be a disciple of Jesus, then He must have power and authority over that person and the individual must give up everything he or she possesses. The New Living Translation renders Luke 14:33 as follows: "So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own."

This verse of Scripture is unambiguous, short and simple. There are no alternative interpretations. God says what He means and means what He says. In Matthew 19, there was an encounter between a young rich ruler and Jesus and on that occasion, the young rich ruler was confronted with a choice - sell your possessions, give the proceeds to the poor and then follow Jesus OR keep the possessions, focus on one's carnal desires and self-gain, and consequently live an unfulfilled life. The man chose the latter. It is ironic that he decided to place earthly temporal riches above Jesus and decided to pursue worldly treasures that would be destroyed by moths and rust (Matthew 6:19). What is your choice?

Will you renounce all and follow Jesus? Suffice it to say that it is impossible to be a disciple without surrendering all to Jesus. Discipleship without renunciation of all we possess is impossible. A disciple of Jesus cannot  prefer earthly treasure to heavenly treasure; a disciple is willing to let all go and allow God to have His way. 

Only followers of Jesus will make Heaven and only followers are disciples. The Bible says in John 1:12, "But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name— " (AMP)

Receiving Jesus means accepting Him with everything He has to offer; it means embracing His Lordship and Deity. That is the bottom line. Worldliness and discipleship do not mix. A disciple of Jesus cannot love the world. The Bible says, "Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world." (1 John 2:15-16, AMP)

My dear brethren-in-the-Lord, friends and acquaintances the simple truth of God's Word can be very challenging but there is no alternative to obeying God's Word. One is either obedient or disobedient. What is your decision? - To renounce all that you have and follow Jesus OR to follow your carnal desires, a choice that will lead to spiritual death? May the good Lord enable and empower you to choose right and do right in accordance with the unadulterated Word of God. Have a blessed day.

GIVING GOD EVERYTHING

GIVING GOD EVERYTHING

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8, NKJV) 

"Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed Him." (Matthew 4:19-20, NKJV)

"Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.” So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life." (Luke 18:28-30 , NKJV)

Is there anything that is worth keeping from God? Is your life, possessions, academic qualifications, children, business/job, position/status, money, career, etc. too valuable to you that you cannot hand it over to God?  It is tempting to think we are in charge but in reality, we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5). The first verse of the song 'You laid Aside Your Majesty' by Noel Richards is as follows:

You laid aside Your majesty

Gave up everything for me

Suffered at the hands of those You had created

You took away my guilt and shame

When You died and rose again

Now today You reign

And heaven and earth exalt You

Jesus gave up everything for us - His majesty, glory, splendour. The Bible says, "He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness]." (2 Corinthians 5:21, AMP). Jesus died for us on the cross of Calvary, reconciling us with God the Father. He accomplished this because He gave up Himself. Jesus surrendered all to the Father, so that He would become the perfect sacrifice, bringing forth the salvation of mankind. Will you give God everything? Is Jesus not worthy of you and everything you have? A life totally surrendered to God becomes a vessel of honour in the hands of God. 

When Jesus called Peter and Andrew to follow Him, they left their nets (their source of income) and followed Him. Do you think Jesus has not got the right to ask you for everything? He has for He created you. If we cannot give God everything, then our relationship with Him is very questionable. I have always wondered how the rich young man felt when Jesus told him to sell all he possessed, give the money to the poor and then follow Him. 
"When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “You still lack one thing; sell everything that you have and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have [abundant] treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk]." (Luke 18:22, AMP)

Jesus demanded everything in the case of the young rich ruler and He is still demanding everything today. In the case of Peter, Luke 18 gives us an insight into his thinking. Peter had left everything and followed Jesus and said, “See, we have left all and followed You.” (Luke 18:28).  It is impossible to serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).  Will you leave everything and follow Jesus?

Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians, "But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life]. But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled]. For His sake I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ, " (Philippians 3:7-8 , AMP). Paul counted everything as loss for the priceless privilege of knowing Jesus and serving Him. You see, when we surrender all to Jesus, we follow His perfect example as His disciples.

Jesus emphasised on the importance of giving everything to God. He said in Luke 14:33, "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not [carefully consider the cost and then for My sake] give up all his own possessions." (AMP). The seriousness of this statement cannot be overemphasised . Basically, no one can be a disciples of Jesus if he or she refuses to give up his or her possessions. In a world that thrives in self-aggrandizement, this is not palatable. many Christians struggle with this because they have allowed Satan and carnality to draw their attention away from God. Every Christian must view whatever he or she has as belonging to God and be prepared to go, say or do whatever God is calling them to at any moment in time. We must fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and not be deceived by the glittery things of this world. 

There are rewards for giving up everything, as Peter learned. God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Later, Peter was led by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel to many people leading them to Jesus; he was received by many people but also suffered for his faith in Jesus. It can be said that Peter eventually served God faithfully and fruitfully. That will be your portion when you surrender completely to the Lord God Almighty.

God deserves everything, not just some things but everything. Will you give Him everything today? May the good Lord enable you to dedicate your life to Him this holy week, so that you will become a vessel in His hands for the salvation of souls and expansion of His Kingdom.

A songwriter, Israel Houghton, penned the following lyrics of his song 'Everything'

Everything, everything, Lord, You are everything to me;

Everything, everything, Lord, You are everything to me.

My treasure, my priority, Who can compare to You;

Great is the measure of Your royalty,

Oh Morning Star, You truly are everything.

If God is everything to you, you will give Him everything. God bless you as you heed His Word.

Who Are You Serving?

Who Are You Serving?

"Then Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice]." ( Acts 5:29, AMP)

"If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the Lord , choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord ." (Joshua 24:15, AMP) 

Without a shadow of doubt, we can say that we are all serving someone or something. And no one can have it both ways - it's either one or the other. Jesus said, "No one 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 mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord]. ' Matthew 6:24, AMP)

Whom are you serving? - Are you serving something, in which case it is about the next conquest, the Me-I-Myself syndrome, sometimes camouflaged with carefully chosen religious lingo? Are you serving God or mammon? Although mammon was a descriptive term for money and its pursuit, it also was used to refer to the evil influence (spirit or entity) associated with the greedy pursuit of wealth or gain. 'In biblical culture the word mammon often carried a negative connotation. It was sometimes used to describe all lusts and excesses: gluttony, greed, and dishonest worldly gain. Ultimately, mammon described an idol of materialism, which many trusted as a foundation for their world and philosophy.' (https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-mammon.html)

It is quite interesting to note that the sort of relationship many individuals claim to have with God is similar to the relationship many have with Santa Claus. Growing up, Santa Claus came to represent one who provided gifts for all who were interested, especially children. Such a relationship did not require service and sacrifice on our part; it was more like what may be described as an appear-and-grab relationship. In fact, it was not necessary to know the real name of the Santa Claus actor. Very superficial, to say the least. A superficial relationship with God will not suffice.

In Acts 5, Peter was presented with the choice of either compromising his faith in Jesus by stopping to preach in His Name or facing imprisonment and other forms of punishment as a result of preaching the Gospel. Thank God for Peter. He made the right choice saying, “We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice]." (Acts 5:29, AMP). Some think that they can live carelessly or in a lackadaisical fashion in the non-challenging times and that when persecution arises, they will somehow have the grace and courage to face it. Really? If we are not serving Jesus now, it will be impossible to stand for Him when the going gets really tough. And tough times are coming.

In Joshua 24, the children of Israel were on the verge of entering the Promised Land. What a journey they had going through the wilderness - more like going round and round in circles for 40 years because of their stubbornness, rebellion and unbelief. They chose to serve other gods even as God was leading them through the wilderness. They failed to appreciate God's mercy, kindness and provision for them, yearning for the cucumber, melons,  leeks, fish and meat they had in Egypt. As has been said over and over again, they came out of Egypt physically but Egypt did not come out of them - More like many people who claiming to be Christians, pursue a carnal agenda whilst in the Church of Christ, ignoring the Word and promises of God. There are consequences for playing games with God, Who is to be feared and obeyed. 

Joshua, knowing that his time was up, so to speak, spoke boldly without fear or favour of the need for the children of Israel to make a choice, either to serve God or the gods of the Amorites, who had eyes but could not see and had ears but could not hear. These gods were dead just as the temporal things of this world are dead and unable to provide succour for the soul. My dear brethren, friends and acquaintances, we must make a choice, either for God or against Him. There is no sitting on the fence.

Jesus said in Matthew 20: 26-28, "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your [willing and humble] slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin].” (AMP)

Life in God's Kingdom is about service and sacrifice. Many are ill at ease because they have refused to embrace this simple, fundamental truth. It is really mind-boggling to think that Jesus, the Son of God, God the Son, the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End came to earth to serve. Wow!. it is really amazing. There is no one greater than Jesus - He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the image of the invisible God, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is worthy of all the praise, glory, honour, majesty, splendour and worship. YET HE CAME TO SERVE, NOT TO BE SERVED. How do you process that? 

During this period of Lent, we are reminded of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. He did what we could never do to reconcile us to God the Father. The question we started with is - Who are you serving? If you say you are serving God, is He fully in control of your life? Will you make up your mind today to serve Jesus wholeheartedly, unreservedly, sacrificially and humbly? He is worth all the trouble, persecution, challenges that will come your way as you serve Him and He will give you joy and peace unspeakable in every situation by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is worthy to be served, honoured and adored. Yes, Jesus is worthy of our devotion and service. Remember nothing is possible without Him for He said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5, NKJV). Run to God, not away from Him.
Have a blessed day.

Imagine Jesus Physically On Earth - What Would He Be Saying?

 Imagine Jesus Physically On Earth - What Would He Be Preaching?

Jesus is God the Son, the only begotten Son of God, our Lord and Saviour, King of kings and Lord of Lords. The Bible declares, "He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation. For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him. And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.] He is also the head [the life-source and leader] of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand supreme and be preeminent] in everything." (Colossians 1:15-18, AMP)

"In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ( Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception)." (John 1:1-3,14, AMP) 

The deity/divinity of Jesus cannot be denied, ignored, disregarded, no matter how much one tries. One may refute the deity of Jesus but sooner or later that reality confronts the individual head-on whether in life or in death. Jesus is unmistakably, undeniably, and indisputably God the Son, the Creator of the universe, the Saviour of mankind. In Him, all things consist. 

So, if He was walking on the surface of our planet earth physically, what would He be preaching? Would He say, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy), to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly]." (Luke 4:18-19)

Would we hear Him say...?
"Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me. Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12)

"For I say to you that unless your righteousness (uprightness, moral essence) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20) 

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who [so much as] looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble and leads you to sin, tear it out and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." (Matthew 5:27-29) 

What about these?

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few who find it. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]." (Matthew 7:13-14,21-23)

Hmmm. Do you think Jesus would say today....?

"And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the [heavenly] Father and of the holy angels." (Luke 9:23-26)

Would He tell you as He told the Laodicean Christians, ..?

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust]." (Revelation 3:15-16)

Or would He say....?

"I know your suffering and your poverty (but you are rich), and how you are blasphemed and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan [they are Jews only by blood, and do not believe and truly honor the God whom they claim to worship]. Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. Be aware that the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested [in your faith], and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful to the point of death [if you must die for your faith], and I will give you the crown [consisting] of life. He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] will not be hurt by the second death ( the lake of fire)." (Revelation 2:9-11) 

Would Jesus find you busy for Him or busy for yourself? Would He find you praying without ceasing, preaching the Gospel of Christ and making disciples? Would He find you giving generously to the work of God in your church and elsewhere? Would He find you faithful?

ARE YOU FAITHFUL? I ponder over these things and I wonder whether we are ready for the second coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Where is your treasure - earth or Heaven? Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21)

Lord, we cry out to You, asking You to help us to keep our eyes fixed on you, not on temporal; things. The world will pass away but Your words will never, never pass away. As we behold events unfolding in the world, we pray, Lord have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, cleanse us from all unrighteousness and enable us to be true ambassadors of Jesus. Break us, melt us and mold us for Your plans and purposes so that our lives would honour you and glorify Your holy Name. Help us to be doers of Your Word and not hearers only. We pray all this in the Name that is above all other names, the Name of Jesus. Amen.