God Revealed

"Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." (Acts 17:22-24, NKJV)

Paul was responding to questions asked by some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers about his faith and doctrinal beliefs. From all indications, he was ready for the moment. In fact he had been preparing for this moment. How do we know that? Well, the Bible says:

"Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there." (Acts 17:16-17). 

Paul was provoked in the spirit by the idolatry he found in Athens. What do you see where you are residing? Are you aware of the idolatrous tendencies of those living around you? And if so, what are you doing about it? Many Christians want to live an easy life but that is not an option provided by God. The Christian life is not an easy life; it is a difficult life (Matthew 7:13-14). Paul chose the difficult option of reasoning with the Jews and Gentile worshippers in the synagogue and in the marketplace. He went out to where the people were. His stance was in conformity with Scripture

"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" (2 Timothy 4:2)

Paul was polite, gentle and respectful. He referred to the inscription, 'TO THE UNKNOWN GOD' he had seen earlier on, stating that he had come to proclaim the unknown God to them. In the synagogue and marketplace, Paul had preached to the people, Jesus and His resurrection. What do you preach? - The Real Gospel or the Prosperity Gospel?

Manyy preachers today knowingly say things that are not biblical in an attempt to draw crowds into their churches. May our messages be founded on and rooted in Scripture. Interestingly, the Bible points us to a simple fact about the existence of God ~ "His invisible attributes are clearly seen, understood through things that are made..."

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:20-21). The issue very often, it seems, is not a lack of evidence for the existence of God but a blunt refusal and rejection of such evidence - His invisible attributes. We don't have to see God face to face to know Him; the Holy Spirit is quite capable of giving us the assurance that God is alive and well and that He is the Creator of the universe. In fact, Jesus the Son of God and God the Son makes it possible for one to have a thriving relationship with God - "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)

Paul used his acute observation skills to his advantage in reasoning with the philosophers. He boldly proclaimed that God is not in need of anything manufactured by man, neither does He dwell in temples made by hands. God dwells in the hearts of believers because believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit. "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? " (1 Corinthians 6:19). In the Areopagus (literally, 'Hill of Ares' - it was the name of a location as well as the name of a governmental council) , Paul stated:

"And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ " (Acts 17:26-28)

What a profound statement! The God Almighty which the people in Athens did not know and were trying to communicate with has already revealed Himself to mankind. Do you know Him or is He unknown to you? Bearing in mind that God is the Creator of the universe and without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5), it makes a lot of sense to get acquainted with Him. Oh yes, there are those who would say they do not believe in God. With all due respect, disbelief in God does not negate His existence or prove He does not exist. Disbelief is a personal choice which one is entitled to but which does not in anyway disprove God's existence. We are alive because God exists and He is the Creator of mankind.

Apostle Paul knew the God he was talking about. He had been a persecutor of believers and on his way to Damascus to arrest them, he had a life-changing encounter with Jesus (Acts 9:1-19). Many of the Pharisees recognised Paul and wanted him dead but he was a changed man who had surrenderd totally to Jesus, the Son of God and God the Son. Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? If not, why not? What is keeping you from surrendering your life to Jesus? Time is short; His second coming is at hand. 

The Bible states in Daniel 11:32, "Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits."  King Antiochus IV Epiphanes was a Seleucid king who persecuted Jews in 167 BC in Jerusalem. Jewish compromisers were flattered by him but the true believers resisted him and a few years later recaptured the temple which he had desecrated. The implication here is that those who know God intimately, have a thriving relationship with Him through Jesus will carry out great exploits to the glory of God. Do you want to be one of them? Then surrender your life to Jesus unreservedly. You can know God to the extent that everyday of your life will be a powerful testimony of God's grace, holiness, righteousness and power. Hallelujah!

Apostle Paul yearned to know God more intimately. In Philippians 3: 7-11, we read, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Knowing God results in a desire to know Him more. God is limitless meaning that our knowledge of Him can increase indefinitely. What a powerful prospect! What is the extent of your knowledge of God? Do you yearn like Apostle Paul to know Him more? Remember ~ those who know their God shall be strong and do great exploits. 

Finally we are admonished in Scripture "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18). We should be growing in our knowledge of God, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the Great I AM, the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

All Scripture references are taken fron the New King James Version (NKJV)

Prerequisite For Growth and Fruitfulness

 Prerequisite For Growth and Fruitfulness

The law of sowing and reaping is both a natural law as well as a spiritual law. In Galatians 6:7-9, the Bible states "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." 

We reap what we sow. There is no reaping if there is no sowing. Diligence in seeking God yields rewards (Hebrews 11:6) and the converse is true. The student who wants to pass an examination must work hard, attending classes and studying adequately. One who desires a thriving relationship with God must draw near to God so that God can draw near to him or her (James 4:8). There is no quick-fix or shortcut as far as spiritual growth is concerned. The Holy Spirit cannot take one to where he or she is not willing to go simply because the Holy Spirit will not impose Himself on anyone. Basically, we all have a part to play and God has a part to play.

We can be certain that God will never disappoint us; He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) if we hold on tight to Him. The question is not whether God will do what He has promised; the question is whether we will be faithful and stop giving excuses for not doing what He has commanded. Many in Christendom talk about the Great Commission but they rarely get involved, basically offering only lip-service. God is not obligated to helping those who disregard His commands and neglect their God-given responsibilities. In Deuteronomy 28, we discover a simple principle for success and blessings. 

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks...“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: “Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.(Deuteronomy 28:1-4, 15-16, NKJV)

Moses reminded the children of Israel of the simple commonsense rules they had to follow in order to be blessed. They were to obey all the commands of God Almighty. The same conditions apply today in the 21st century. Obedience brings forth rewards and blessings, disobedience produces disaster. God cannot bless that which is sinful for disobedience is sin. It is utter folly to walk in disobedience and expect God's blessings. 

God wants His children to be fruitful and that is why Jesus said: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “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 15:1-5, NKJV)

Fruitfulness is God's desire for His children but there are prerequisites for it. We must abide in Jesus and submit to God's pruning. The pruning is part of the process of dying to self; it is a necessary condition for a life of fruitfulness. Refusal to submit to pruning adversely affects the ability to be fruitful. Let's take a look at a few commands of God. In James 4:7, we read, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (NKJV). From all indications, God wants us to resist the devil. If we do that, the devil will flee from us but only after we submit ourselves to God. Are you totally submissive to God? Have you surrendered 100% to God? Imagine trying to resist the devil without submitting to God. What a disaster that would be! The seven sons of Sceva tried to cast out demons without having a relationship with Jesus. They ended up beaten so badly by the demon-possessed man (Acts 19:13-16). You cannot give what you don't have and the prerequisites of God cannot be circumvented or avoided. There is no shortcut to fruitfulness; it is either God's way or no way. Period. 

My dear brethren, everyday that God gives us presents an opportunity to live for Christ. There is nothing like a partial commitment to Jesus; it's either full commitment or no commitment because partial obedience and/or delayed obedience are still disobedience. Apostle Paul recognised this and wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20, NKJV). 

He also stated: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21, NKJV). A life of victory is a life hidden in Christ; a life obedient to God's commands; a life of sacrifice; a life of death to self; a life of diligently seeking God and engrossed in spiritual disciplines such as prayer, worship, fellowship, evangelism and discipleship. Such a life overcomes the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of its testimony. These are the prerequisites for growth and fruitfulness. 

Will you lay down your life for Jesus? The Bible says: "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10:39, NKJV). The way to experiencing a victorious life in Christ is straight forward. Let go and let God. God bless you as you heed and apply this message.

Following Jesus

 Are You Following Jesus?

“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)

Jesus met Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew and asked them to follow Him. Not only that, He said He would make them fishers of men. These hardened professional fisherman left their nets immediately and followed Jesus, becoming His disciples. They knew how to catch fish but becoming fishers of men was a new venture and one that would cost them their lives. They spent three and a half years following Him, watching every move of His and sought to emulate Him. At a particular point, they asked Jesus to reach them how to pray (Luke 11:1-4). 

The more I think about the  encounter between Jesus and Peter and Andrew and what ensued, the more I realize that becoming fishers of men is the ultimate goal for us as believers. It is impossible to become a fisher of men without following Jesus wholeheartedly, unreservedly, uncompromisingly, humbly and in holiness and righteousness. 

Against this standard, how are you doing? The disciples were later to die for Jesus; only Apostle John died a natural death of old age. *Are you prepared to die for Jesus?* Many would say that is an unfair question but the point is that the quality of our relationship with Jesus is connected to our desire to give Him everything including our lives. Jesus said, 

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭26‬, NKJV‬‬)

My brethren, these are things that go unmentioned in Christendom most of the time because many Christians have the mindset of receiving whatever they want from God. They are not tuned into God’s agenda and they come to God with their own agenda. Their ‘_relationship_’ with God is built around their preferences not His. They choose when they want to go to church and at what time; they pick and choose what they want to be involved in (evangelism being the least considered); they seek status, material wealth, and influence first before the things of God. Discipleship becomes a no-go area because they are hardly disciples of Jesus. It is impossible for anyone to make a disciple for Jesus if he or she is not a disciple first of all. 

There is a tendency these days to tolerate ungodly behaviour citing the mercy of God. Yet the Bible says that God is a consuming fire (Hebrew 12:29). While God is loving, compassionate and merciful, it would be a serious mistake to  take Him for granted. We have an obligation to follow Jesus passionately and in total surrender.

Are you following Jesus or yourself? One who follows Jesus in the true sense of the word cannot miss the true essence of life. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) and in following Him unreservedly we have abundant life - life that impacts others positively and powerfully and which glorifies God. Make up your mind to follow Jesus today and go for it. The starting point is to surrender your whole life to Him and receive Him as your personal Lord and Saviour. God bless you as you heed the Word of God today.

Mistakes, Sins and Holiness

Mistakes, Sins and Holiness

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:" (Hebrews 12:14)
"because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” " (1 Peter 1:16)

God commands us to be holy and from His Word, we learn that no unholy person shall see Him. The question is: why are we not hearing more about holiness today? Is holiness outdated or has God changed His mind? You can rest asured that neither of the two has happened. The devil has made a lot of progress in deceiving Christians to think that holiness is not that big of an issue and they have swallowed the lie hook, line and sinker. 

It is not unusual to hear many Christians talk about grace in the sense that God's grace and love cover a multitude of sins. Really? In Romans 6:1, we read, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" Thank God for His grace which by faith enables us to experience salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10) but grace is not a licence for sin. If anything, the grace of God is an enabler for holiness and righteousness. 

There is a school of thought that propagates the idea that we are imperfect and therefore cannot attain holiness. This raises some questions and if true would portray God as a confusionist and an advocate of confucionism. Why would God command us to be holy if it is impossible to be holy? The ideology that excuses sin on the basis of our imperfection is from the pit of hell. Period.

I am not perfect because I make mistakes. When I am solving Mathematics problems, I sometimes perform wrong additions or subtractions, although not intentionally. It is not uncommon to write the number 8 for example when I meant to write 9 or some other number. These mistakes do not portray a lack of the knowledge of Mathematics but rather the fact that I am imperfect. However, my imperfection is no excuse for sinning. God hates sin. In Ezekiel 18:4, God said, "Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die." and the Bible says in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.".

Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of  Eden because they sinned; the children of Israel suffered numerous defeats and captivities because of sin; Ananias and Sapphira died because they sinned against the Holy Spirit by lying (Acts 5:1-11). God is a consuming fire and He will judge sin (Hebrews 12:29). So it should be very clear that sins are not mistakes. Sins are deliberate actions that contraven God's will and the one who wallows in sin rejecting Jesus will suffer loss and find himself or herself in hell. 

We are called to live holy lives and whether we like it or not we shall be held accountable for the lives we live - whether they align with God's will or are demonstrations of our own will, gross disobedience and sinfulness. It must be said that disobedience is sin and partial obedience or delayed obedience are sins. Period. 

Today, you can come to God in total surrender and repentance if you have been indulging in sin. In 1 John 1:9, the Bible says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.". Repenting of your sin and receiving Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour (if you have not done so) will set you free to live a life that pleases God. Reject the lies of Satan and draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). 

God bless you as you read this message and take heed to God's Word.