God's Gracious Love

"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32, ESV)

This declarative statement about what God has already done for us also interrogates every doubt one may harbour as to God's willingness or ability to meet any of our needs.

In other words, our scripture text compels or challenges the believer to carefully consider the reality of their new creation status in Christ, how gracious God has been and how much more gracious He can be.

Beloved, rest assured that God withholds no good thing from those who do what is right (see Psalm 84:11).

A QUESTION OF ETERNITY: IN OR OUT?

“So also, the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.” (Matthew 27:41–44, ESV)

At the time of writing this piece, a bruising debate rages on in the UK, “In or Out”. The issue of contention being whether the UK is better off remaining in the European Union or out of the Union.

This debate, as divisive and acrimonious as it has unfortunately become particularly for the Tories, is only of transient consequence when compared to the weightier question of one's eternal destiny and the eternal ramifications.

When what is on the line is your membership of the kingdom of God, how do you respond? Are you "IN" or are you "OUT"? The reality of this contrasting positions was nowhere in the Bible brought into sharper focus than in the account of Calvary as Jesus hung on the Cross.

With two criminals crucified alongside Jesus, one on either side of Him, we witness, at this poignant moment of the expiration of natural life, a demonstration of two worlds of decision and the choices facing every person on earth. Both criminals started out rejecting Jesus but one of them, upon reflection, concluded on the innocence of Jesus and the sincerity of His Messianic claims, and pleaded to be received into His Kingdom. While his wish was granted instantly, the other continued in his doubt and died in his unbelief.

The Bible teaches that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and this does present everyone with an urgent decision and a particularly important choice to make. Choose Jesus Christ as Saviour for access to God's Kingdom and Eternal Life or continue without Christ and wherever that leads. Everyone born into this fallen world faces the same question - Life in God's Kingdom or Life Outside God's Kingdom. Are you "In" or are you "Out".

Jesus came into the world to make the case for why you should choose to come into the Kingdom of God, into His love and peace, and to pay with His own life the price for your access into that Kingdom by dying a propitiatory death. He rose again as the scripture said to prove the veracity of His claims and work.

As the bystanders, the priests and the Roman Soldiers hauled abuses, mocked, and ridiculed Jesus on the day of His crucifixion, the criminals, even as they faced their own sure and painful death, exhibited the extent of man's depravity, as they relished the opportunity to have a go at mocking Jesus also.

The condition of these two criminals characterises the state of all humanity: “dead in sin” and “enmity toward God”. And the decisions they made after they had had the opportunity to interact with the truth about Jesus again epitomises the differing eternal destinies facing each person in this life because of their own choices. You always have a choice - IN or OUT - even on your dying bed, you can still say "Yes" to Jesus if there is breath in you. But after death it is out of your hand, only God's judgement remains.

There are those who will mock and ridicule Jesus and what He represents, they will make fun of His redemptive work and promises even as they faced certain death, like the thieves on the cross. Yet there are some among these who, like the repentant thief, when confronted with the truth of the gospel – i.e., the person and work of Jesus, would recognise and accept the reality of their sinful nature and their personal need for the salvation that Jesus alone offers.

The repentant thief considered Jesus, His claims, and His work, even His attitude of forgiveness from the cross toward those who persecuted Him - “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34, ESV).

This repentant man saw the real Jesus for the first time in his life, albeit in these dying moments of his life. He pondered the facts before him concerning the person, the character, and the work of Jesus and by these he was convicted just moments before he died. And with this sudden contrition he rebuked his fellow-criminal and co-mocker of Jesus, saying to him, “Do you not fear God?” Furthermore, he testified about his own guilt and the innocence of Jesus saying, “We are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man [Jesus] has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41). When you see Jesus as you ought to, His light will reveal your darkness, and if you let Him, His life will become your light - the light that overcomes darkness (John 1:4-5).

“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”” (Luke 23:39–43, ESV)

The repentant criminal’s sudden enlightenment led him to respond in a manner that every sinner must, if they are to partake of the promise and benefits of God's Kingdom of Light. He expressed a genuine faith and a desire to be part of Jesus' future plan. He prayed that Jesus would remember him when He came into His kingdom. And his request did not go unheeded. Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

The promise is to all and true both in this life and in the life to come. Jesus' promise to all is unambiguous: “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).

So, where will you spend eternity and how will you be spending the rest of your natural life – with Jesus or without? “In” God's Kingdom or “Out”? Today is the day of salvation, do not harden your heart. Now is the hour of decision!

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Yes, some will mock and reject the offer of God’s love, reconciliation, and peace through Jesus Christ, “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

In or out? Choose wisely!

Grace to you.

Pastor Victor Ubani

A JOYFUL CHRISTMAS STARTS WITH “CHRIST”

Christmastime is a season of great joy, goodwill and celebration! But this joy and celebration will be hollow if we do not discern, and focus our celebration on, the person and purpose behind “Christmas”.

"Who" are we celebrating and "Why" are we celebrating this obviously important person? Why the Christmas dinners, the exchange of gifts, the rejoicing, the colourful decorations and the general sense of goodwill all around. In a nutshell: JESUS CHRIST!

Without equivocation, Jesus Christ gives Christmas its meaning. God our Creator has stepped out of eternity and stepped into time in human form, and Christmas celebrates this message of love, hope, redemption, and peace. A Saviour is born; the Redeemer has come to buy our freedom from sin and give us peace.

THE UNEXPECTEDNESS OF GOD

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways, declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8)

God will do what He wants to do and it’s not always going to be what you expected or how you expected it.

To walk faithfully with God, we cannot struggle with the truth that God does not work to man’s agenda. He does not change to fit our perception or expectations of Him. He calls man to follow His divine plan.

In following, we sometimes make the mistake of thinking that God must respond to our needs in a specific way, or that He will deal with a situation the same way he dealt with it the last time. Nothing will please man more than to be able to reduce God to a formula. The truth, however, is that there is an unexpectedness about God. He will answer our prayers and meets our needs in a variety of ways, and all according to His purpose.

THE POWER TO FORGIVE

 “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,” (Luke 17:3, ESV)

“… forgive, and you will be forgiven;” (Luke 6:37, ESV)

Forgiveness is one of those things that concern every human being. Not only do we all stand in need of it from God, but in our relationship with one another, we also are either giving forgiveness or receiving it.

In a nutshell, the thrust of what I am about to share with you is this: “You have the power to forgive”. As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, you have been commanded to forgive. And in order that you are able to do this, the King has given you the grace to comprehensively obey His command.

BY THE BLOOD

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body…” (Hebrews 10:19-20, NIV)

“Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.” (Hebrews 4:16, NET)

No one can “confidently approach the throne of grace” (“the Most Holy Place”) on the merit of their own achievement or self-righteousness. We can only approach God and enter in His presence through Christ on the grounds of His atoning sacrifice.

It’s on the merit of the spotless life which Christ lived and the sacrificial death He died that anyone who seeks a relationship with God today can stand without any sense of guilt or condemnation. That is, to stand behind the blood of Jesus that speaks better things – the blood that speaks forgiveness!

IN THE LAST DAYS

“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,” (1 Timothy 4:1)

“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)

The two scriptures passages we have quoted outline some of the ills that will characterize the behaviour and attitudes of many people in the last days. The future tense mood in which passages have been written should not confuse us. The believer needs to understand that we are already in the last days. The last days are upon us and the characteristic effect as described by our texts can be seen everywhere you look.

ON CHRISTIAN COURAGE

Do you dare to take that next step of faith? The question here is one of Christian courage.

“Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7, ESV)

“Be strong and very courageous” is not an exclusive call intended for Joshua alone but universal call to every believer both under the Old Covenant and the New Covenant in Christ.

No matter how else courage may be defined or whatever else it may be considered to be, there is one unique way that the Christian must perceive it: courage is that which compels one to do as God commands no matter what existing conditions may be. Its end is always a “good success” and the glory of God.

THE WIND & THE CLOUDS

“Whoever watches the wind will never plant. Whoever looks at the clouds will never harvest.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4, GW)

There is never going to be a time in your life when you can guarantee that all your circumstances and situations will line up so perfectly that you would never need to deal with or overcome something in order to get to the place you desire to be at that given time.

Our text suggests that we will not always have the perfect conditions in which to do the work that we need to do, yet we can strive to be fruitful despite the absence of optimal conditions. God has given us grace to produce result even in the difficult circumstances provoked by the fall; and He will bless your diligent effort.

COUNT GOD FAITHFUL

“By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.” (Hebrews 11:11, NKJV)

God's plans and purposes, His promises and instructions as revealed in the Scriptures are clear expressions of His paternal love and care for all His creation. His will is pre-eminent but never forced on humanity whom He has endowed with free-will and freedom to chose. Rather God asks us to test His word and see that He is trustworthy. God is all-powerful, yet if it were not for His integrity and faithfulness, His word would be meaningless and powerless to impact lives and inspire change world over.

EMBRACING THE WILL OF GOD

“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. ” (John 5:30, ESV)

The heart of a true follower of Christ always beats in harmony with the heart of the Lord Himself, just as His chimed in sync with the Father’s. Believers are called to be Christlike – a call to live our lives imitating Christ, becoming more and more He who said, “I can do nothing on my own…”!

“I can do nothing on my own…” is a humble expression of Christ’s willing submission to the Father’s will. And what does this exactly tell us about Jesus? Is it a sign of weakness as the ungodly today would be inclined to suggest? Or was it that He lacked the capacity to think for himself and lacked the ability to act by His own initiative and power? Well, the answers are no, no and no. What it does say, however, is that Christ made a decision to do nothing except that which meets with God’s approval and to do it in a way that reflects the love and purpose of God.

And all who received Christ as Saviour and Lord are urged also become conformed to the image of Christ, or to grow in Christlikeness. That means, think and act like Christ:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ” (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV)

 We have many decisions to make daily; and for every situation we face, we are almost always brought face to face with competing options of how to react or respond. But to be Christlike in our responses, those who love the Lord must willingly submit to God’s leading. The believer totally eschews independent will in favour of complete dependence on God as we freely submit to His word as our final authority, and following in the footsteps of Christ our Lord, we do nothing on our own.

Jesus said, “As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just…”, and such would be the character of the yielded heart. Unfortunately, however, there are some so-called Christians who have used and continue to use words like these as a cloak for maliciousness to coerce, oppress, manipulate, and deceive others. They say what God has not said and have done or continue to do what God has not ordered. God denounces them and says, “Woe…” (See for example, Ezekiel 13:3)!

But how did Jesus exemplify His own submission to the will of the Father who sent Him? He did not do it by imposing on others and manipulating them for His own benefit, rather He exemplified it by giving expression to the Father’s love. He did not insist on being served but served in love (Mark 10:45), “He went about doing good and healing all…”(Acts 10:38)

There was no selfish motivation behind what Jesus taught and did. There was no ulterior motive behind Him laying down His life and dying on the cross; He resolutely submitted to the will of the one who sent Him. Even as a young lad of twelve years old, Jesus was devoted to God the Father and committed to doing His business.

As the One who we must imitate, Christ’s own attitude must be our prime example and our guide. He did not seek his own reputation, but pursued the will of He who sent Him. He said, “I seek not my own will but the will of Him who sent me”.

Jesus was free and had the ability to do whatever He desired, but He chose to be dependent and sought to glorify the Father in His life as we all should aspire to do today.

Give yourself to God by faith, serve Him according to the grace that He bestows, and do nothing by the arm of the flesh or a carnal mind. Be intentional in your submission to His Holy will, and do all that you do not seeking your own will. And He will glorify Himself in you and honour you, as He did Christ, and bless you beyond measure!

Embrace the Father's will and do not be weary in well-doing!

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WISDOM FROM ABOVE

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” (James 3:13, ESV)

Our Scripture text challenges us to be wise and to model a good conduct according to the wisdom that comes from above, that is, godly wisdom. In its expansive translation of Proverbs 4:11, the Amplified Bible version affords us a very valuable appreciation of the phrase “godly wisdom”. It means a “comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God”.

When Jesus announced to His disciples, in Matthew 16, the destiny that awaited Him and the imminent violent death He was soon to die on the cross, Peter manifested a kind of wisdom that is all too familiar as he sought to persuade Jesus to save Himself from the cross. Though this could be seen as a friendly advice, it is, however, an advice that would lead Jesus away from the path of fulfilling the purpose of His life: “And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you” (Matthew 16:22, ESV). The wisdom behind Peter’s words was sensual in origin; it was not godly. It was not wisdom from above.

Some of us today may have received such seemingly innocuous “friendly advice”. Someone may have said to you, “you have to use wisdom”; and often what is meant by this is, “save yourself, you don’t have to go through that”. Buy if you are spiritually minded, you will immediately discern that the implication of this friendly advice is an encouragement to sacrifice God's revealed purpose and plan for your life. Such wisdom will only lead you down the slippery slope of compromise where you save yourself some pain and discomfort at the expense God’s will.

Life in Christ is not a promise of life that is devoid of discomfort and suffering, rather it is a promise of life that is full of “grace and truth”. The road we must thread to Zion, will sometimes take us through the valley of the shadow of death. But, His rod and His staff will always go with us to comfort us on the way. And while it is wise, and indeed a duty, for us to live right and to ensure that we take care of this “earthen vessel”, our physical body, by which means alone we can function and serve God on earth; we should, however, never seek to run away from the discomfort and suffering that will necessarily confront us as a direct consequence of resisting the flesh and drawing near to God in obedience.

Wisdom does count the cost of obedience, but encourages obedience whatever the cost. Jesus exemplified this (see John 12:26-27, for example). Wisdom that is from above leads us to walk in ways that demonstrate our love for God, but carnal (superficial) wisdom manifests a love for self and self-preservation.

In the epistle of James carnal wisdom is described as “earthly, unspiritual, even devilish” (James 3:15), and in Matthew 16:23, Jesus called it “a hindrance” in the sense that it does not set one’s mind “on the things of God but on the things of man” (Matthew 16:23). Unspiritual wisdom gives way to jealousy, contention and selfish ambition, and ultimately it will lead to disorder and all kinds of evil practice.

Wisdom from above says, “I always do what is right” (Proverbs 8:20, CEV). A wise person, therefore, is one who comes to an opinion and decides on a course of action on the basis of his or her “insight into the ways and purposes of God”, and whose actions are motivated by a desire to do what is right – that is, the things that please God.

In His earthly life, Jesus lived entirely by the wisdom of God. He “always” did what was right, and was driven by a desire to please the Father who sent Him (John 8:29). Now seated at the right hand of the Father, Christ who personified wisdom has been made unto us wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30).

Jesus has called upon everyone who believes in Him to “learn” from Him; to imitate Him and walk in the meekness of wisdom – the wisdom from above.

May the Lord’s grace abound to you as you set yourself today or renew your commitment to God to live always by the wisdom from above!

JUST A CARPENTER’S SON?

How you perceive Jesus makes all the difference. The world has the idea that He is just another moral teacher or a great prophet of His time. Jesus Himself asked the question: who do you say I am? Do you recognize Him as the “Anointed One”? How we perceive Him is so important for our faith.

“And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).

“Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?” (Matthew 13:54-55)

The people in Jesus’ hometown dismissed Him as “Just a carpenter’s son”. They know His mother Marry and His siblings. And given all these, they could not believe that the same Jesus could be anything other than the ordinary young man that grew up in the neighbourhood. Bible records that they lack faith in Him therefor, and because of their lack of faith, they could not receive anything from the “Messiah”.

It was not for lack of willingness or power on Jesus’ part that not many miracles happened, but for lack of faith. “Faith” receives from God, doubt and unbelief cannot! Jesus cares and was willing to “Do mighty works there”, but the Bible records that “they took offense at him”. 

Jesus, in turn, did not get offended by their rejection. In fact He was not surprised they reacted the way they did, commenting rather that, “A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family” (Matthew 13:57, NLT). Their problem was one of familiarity! And that familiarity bred doubt and unbelief.

As it was then, so it is today: “He didn’t do many miracles there because of their lack of faith”, so will He not do many miracles today where ever lack of faith persists! This is a profound and central spiritual principle. By it we are instructed that no one can hope to see any great move of God in their life without first putting their faith in the Lord Jesus as the One whom the Father sent and by whom He made all things and upholds them.

To receive the peace that Jesus gives, for example, you have to first see Him as He is revealed in the Scriptures, not according to our own opinion of Him. This is He who said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27, ESV). Jesus has “peace” to give.

No one can expect to receive anything from Jesus until they accept the testimony of the scriptures concerning Him and trust Him on that basis alone. We can receive His comfort, healing, salvation, and so on because we know Him, not as the carpenter’s son, but according to His works and the testimony of the word of God. Our greatest prayer then must be, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection...” The more we know Him by revelation knowledge and accept Him, the stronger will be our faith in Him, and greater will be the manifestation of His power in our lives!

He did not do many miracles in His hometown in Nazareth because many of the people who really needed Him failed to see beyond His humble family life in the household of Joseph the carpenter. They failed to see Him as the Messiah that the prophets spoke about.

Your faith cannot rise above your knowledge of God. As you read and reflect on the scriptures daily, determine in your heart, therefore, to know Jesus and see Him as He truly is. Look to Him for the grace for each day. Put your trust in Him and let Him minister to every need in your life.

Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, is the Son of the most High God: He is our Lord and Saviour; He is our healer and deliverer. By His strength we can do all things!

THE LOVE THAT NEVER FAILS

There are many forces and influences on the earth but none as prolific and powerful as the power of “Christlike love” or “agape”!

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance…love will last forever!” (1 Corinthians 13:4–8, NLT)

Love manifests in different forms but it is to Christlike love (agape) that I presently wish to direct our thought. This is the only love that never fails! It will never become obsolete! It will last forever!

Agape love is defined not in terms of feelings but rather by the loving acts it engenders as our reference scripture indicate. Its character is based on God’s nature and actions because God is love.

Christlike love is the love that values, esteems, and is ready to serve. It expresses that unconditional, utmost and self-sacrificing form of love which always sees something interminably invaluable in its object.

It is no surprise then that agape is the character of the love behind God’s decision to redeem mankind from the bondage of sin and it is agape that motivated Jesus to willingly lay down His life as a ransom for the sins of humanity. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NLT).

Christlike love is the purest of all, and is able to modify all other forms of love – affectionate love, appetitive and self-interested love, etc. – infusing them with selfless and noble attributes that endure. For example the Bible urges, “if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:17–18, ESV).

By agape we must love one another sincerely or without hypocrisy. By agape we must love life (1 Peter 3:10), for only with Christlike love are we able to engage with the true concerns of life and living. In contrast, Jesus reproved the love of life that is not concerned with the real object of living but rather occupied with an undue desire to preserve life (John 12:25).

By agape we must also love God in return. ‎"We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19) and showed us priceless kindness while we were still sinners. There is no limit to His love & mercy toward us, or to the might of His power that is able to transform our lives.

And we know and are confident that God’s love has achieved its goal in us, and that we walk in the love of God that never fails because we live a life of obedience toward Him. As John noted in his first letter, “those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.” (1 John 2:5, NLT)

When we love in this selfless, Christlike manner that has it source in God, and also understand that we are loved by God perfectly, all fear is banished for there is no room left for it to thrive. God is love and His love working in you will never fail!

ONE WORD FROM GOD

“And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ” (Matthew 14:28–29, NKJV)

Just one word from God is sufficient. That is all it will take to turn your life around forever! And God only has to speak a word once and it will run swiftly and not return without fulfilling the purpose for which God spoke it. The word of God is powerful and creative, incorruptible and full of light!

In absolute awe of the power and efficacy of God’s word, David affirmed, “God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God” (Psalm 62:11, NKJV).  O how we need to hear every single word that God has spoken and hear it again and again in our hearts that God can do what He says He will do. One word from God is adequate indeed to stir up mountain moving faith in us.

Peter, seeing Jesus walking on water, wanted to go to Him by walking on water too: “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water”, he requested. Notice that Peter was specific about whose word he was going to put his trust in, “Lord, if it is you…” Only a word from the Lord will suffice. There are many voices speaking into your life daily, but only God’s word can produce the will of God in your life. Whose word are you living by?

Peter received the answer to his prayer. He received a word from Jesus that spoke to all his needs. Jesus sent Peter a word with a command; a word of His power! Jesus simply said to Peter, “Come”! And at that very instant as the word “Come” left Jesus’ lips, the power of God was also released that ensures that upon acting on the word by faith, Peter will have the desire of His heart. The word of God will succeed in accomplishing the purpose for which God has spoken it.

Every word of promise, command, instruction, comfort, or of exhortation that God has spoken and recorded in the Bible has the power to produce the will of God, working unimaginable change and breakthrough in your life by the Spirit of God.

Peter received the commanded word from Jesus, he stepped out of the boat in corresponding action to the word that Jesus spoke, and by the power of God’s word a miracle took place that enabled Peter to step on the water to walk toward Jesus.

No word from God is devoid of power. The word of God empowered Peter to act and enable him to do that which we consider impossible. You can step out from behind the wall that has for so long held you back – the wall of weakness, fear, oppression, loneliness or helplessness – and step out on the word of God for a new life. Walk a new walk – a word-of-God inspired walk! You can have a miracle…!

A miracle, said St Augustine, "is not contrary to nature, but contrary to what we know about nature". Just as King David acknowledged, God only needs to speak to your situation once but you need to continually hear that He alone has the power to bring it to pass.

Let this truth take hold in your heart – receive the word of God which is able to change your life forever, and by faith act on it today to release into your life and circumstances the power of God’s word that will set your life on the path where the enjoyment of God’s promises of joy, peace, restoration and more will be your daily life experience!

REJOICING IN HOPE

“…Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5, NLT)

What God can do is not determined by whether or not we believe Him, but what we can receive from Him is. As Christians, the word of God, specifically His promises, is the foundation of our hope.

God who created the morning and the night, and upholds each ensuring that they arrive on schedule, says there will be joy with the arrival of the morning time. This gives us hope that change is coming. But more importantly, we have cause to “rejoice in hope”.

If you believe that God CAN do what He says and He WILL do it when He says He will do it, then even whilst it is still night you can stop weeping and start rejoicing. The weeping “may last”, but does not have to last through the night. Though it is yet night, you now know the darkness will not persist, it will roll away and give way to the light of morning time. And as surely as the morning will come, it will arrive with the expectations of your heart. So you rejoice in hope!

Believing in hope against hope on account of the promise of God, Abram, in Genesis 17:1-8, changed his name to Abraham. He did not feel any shame in repeating what God is saying about him. And he did not concern Himself with what his neighbours will think of his mental state when he, a childless old man with an equally aged wife, should suddenly go about introducing himself as “the father of a multitude of nations”. Rather Abraham was of a buoyant spirit, rejoicing in hope. He kept on giving glory to God because he was fully convinced that God is able to fulfil His word (see Romans 4:16-21).

Hope fills the heart with joy. If you can be hopeful in the midst of the difficult circumstances, then the devil, the enemy of your soul, cannot steal your joy.

Our “hope” as Christians is the expectation we have that future events concerning our lives will turn out just as God said they would. And “faith”, which is having "assurance of the things we hope for" compels us to “act now” (presently) in a way that accords with the future which the word of God gives us cause to expect. It is not “pie in the sky”; it is believing in God our Creator and Father, and therfore speaking, thinking, and acting like Him - He calls into existence the things that do not exist!

By choosing to “Rejoice in hope” we are making a faith decision to focus on the plans that God has for us and not to dwell on the contrary evidence of present circumstances. Difficult times will not last forever – “joy comes with the morning”. God will be God! He is not man that He should lie about His ability or about His desires for us! His thoughts for His people are thoughts of good, not of evil; to give them an expected end!

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12). “Hope does not put us to shame…” (Romans 5:5)

FIVE SIMPLE RULES - Part 5

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)

“Five Simple Rules” are principles of Christian living instructed by Apostle Paul in the closing verses of his first letter to the Corinthian church, specifically verses 13 and 14 of the 16th chapter.

The first four principles focused our minds primarily on the value of being equipped to defend our faith and holding on to what God says is ours in Christ in view of the prowling presence of our spiritual enemy, the devil. He seeks opportunity to catch us off-guard with a surprise attack aimed at undermining the victorious life we are called to live in Christ Jesus. So the believer is instructed to be vigilant, steadfast in faith, courageous, and strong. However, this fifth principle, love, does not speak to any one area but affects every aspect of the Christian life: Do everything with love!

Rule #5: Do Everything With Love

As I started typing the words, “Do everything with love”, an almost comical voice went off in my head, “What’s love got to do with it..?” (…a reference to the song by Tina Turna in which love was described as a second hand emotion). But then it occurred to me that this precisely the question: What’s love got to do with living a victorious Christian life?  And the unequivocally, unwavering and unconditional answer is: “Everything, everything, and, yes indeed, everything!” But this is “agape” love and not the emotional love Tina sings about. It is of a superior quality and character. We possess it and are able to express it because God first loved us (1 John 4:10)

Love has got everything to do with being able to live the kind of life for which God, motivated by love, sent us a Saviour. In John 3:16, one of the most popular passages in the Scriptures, the Bible declares, ”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God did everything that He did for us with love!

Christ came to earth out of love for fallen humanity, lived a sinless live, died for our transgression and rose again for our justification so that we may have the capacity to live a triumphant life as a people of God. But this new kind of life, the New Creation, created as an expression of God’s love – sacrificially and unconditionally offered to all who would accept it, can only be successfully lived by living every aspect of it as an expression of the “agape” love of God, which has been “poured into our hearts” (Rom 5:5) – whether it is in hating and shunning sin or in obeying God, we do all things with love.

You may be “doing everything” that the Bible teaches as an expression of your faith in God, but the Bible also teaches that you must do everything with love. Your faith will count for nothing if it is not activated, energized, expressed and working through love:

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love”. (Gal 5:6)

“If speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud”. (1 Cor 13:1-4)

The believer may be alert in vigilance and standing firm in the faith, never lacking in courage and in strength, but if these are not done “with love”, then he or she cannot escape doing these things with wrong motives and will end up with wrong outcomes. Such work will not glorify God.

To do all things with love is simply to do things God’s way and in God’s time (i.e., God’s how and when) regardless of how you feel about doing what He commands you to do or who you think should or should not benefit. God’s Kind of love is unconditional and it is not selective or self-centred. Love is purpose driven: God’s purpose. Jesus was able to complete His sacrificial mission and still found it in Himself to pray for the forgiveness of those responsible for Him suffering on the cross because His obedience and total submission to the Father’s purpose was love driven.

One who obeys God only when it is comfortable for them to do so does not walk in the agape or God-kind of love and does not walk in God (1 John 4:7). Love is supreme!

As the motive force behind our actions, the absence of love will be exposed by the obvious absence of the attributes of love. 1 Corinthians 13 as well as some other New Testament passages do identify some unique, observable qualities of love that we must embrace as standard Christian behaviour traits and attitude.

Love’s uniquely selfless qualities ensure that as we do everything with love, the greater good as the word of God defines it, will be served and God will be glorified in our deeds. Love is patient and waits for others, love is kind and does not ignore the disadvantages of others, love does not envy and does not covet what belongs to another, love does not puff itself with pride but is humble, and love is not arrogant and snobbish but is sensitive and considerate. Love never gives up but is always hopeful and never fails!

“The love of God constrains us…” and underlies every true success. A life lived by the motivation of “agape” love is a life lived in a way that is consistent with the will of God!

FIVE SIMPLE RULES - Part 4

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” (1 Cor 16:13-14)

The Christian life is a victorious life by God’s design. It is the will of God to supply all of the believer’s needs according to His riches in glory[i]. What this means is that no earthly limitations can be imposed on the extent to which God is willing to go in order to provide for those who put their trust in Him, those who, through Christ, have entered into a covenant relationship with Him, and the extent to which those needs are met.

In part 3, we examined the need for courage in the life of a victorious Christian. But courage is not enough. A courageous person lacking in strength will soon succumb to weariness. Now in the fourth part of our study, we turn our attention to the importance of being strong.

RULE #4: BE STRONG

Why be strong?  What kind of strength does the believer stand in need of? Where does the believer’s strength come from? These and similar questions readily float to the top as we examine the instruction “Be Strong”.

From earlier parts of our discussion, we noted that the Christian faces constant opposition and sustained attack from an adversary, and this adversary is not flesh and blood nor can his onslaught be overcome with weapons that are of a physical nature. The Bible teaches that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. These are the spiritual powers and forces that stand in opposition to the victorious life the Christian is called by God to live. And the weapons the believer needs to engage with these spiritual forces of darkness are spiritual in nature.

So then, how strong do you need to be in order to mount not just a determined defence of what is yours in Christ Jesus, but also to launch an emphatic and overwhelming counter attack capable of pushing back the frontiers of darkness and extending the reaches of the kingdom of light? The scriptures leave us in no doubt about how strong we need to be and where our strength comes from. David, who was familiar with what it takes to be victorious against all odds, declared:

“...The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1, NKJV)

And Apostle Paul wrote:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes” (Eph 6:10-11)

Our strength comes from the Lord! Simply put, when we stand against the schemes of the devil we are to be as strong as if the Lord Himself was present. And that is what we will look like being clothed with the whole armour of God!

Praise God! The Lord supplies the strength that enables us to enforce the victory that Jesus won for us through His death. The same power that raised Jesus from death and made a spectacle of Satan is at work in us – we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.[ii]

The ability that the Lord supplies in the day of adversity is sufficient to see us through: “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds”[iii]. If we depend on our own strength, which is the arm of flesh, we will faint and we will fail: “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small”[iv]

The fourth rule for living a successful Christian life as we have discussed here in this study, challenges us to be strong and to seek to receive that strength by faith as part of the supplies of God according to His riches in glory (not trusting in our own physical strength, which is the arm of flesh).

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said. ” (2 Chronicles 32:7–8)

You can face life’s challenges with the confidence that the Lord is your strength. Christ has overcome the world[v] has made those who put their trust in Him overcomers! Be strengthened by faith with all might according to God’s glorious power!

---

[i] Phil 4:19  [ii] Phil 4:13  [iii] 2 Cor 10:4  [iv] Proverbs 24:10  [v] John 16:33

FIVE SIMPLE RULES – Part 3

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.  And do everything with love.. (1 Cor 16:13-14, NLT)

The third of our five simple rules to a victorious Christian life is “Be Courageous”. It is a fitting progression from the first two – “Be Watchful” and “Stand Firm in the Faith”. To do either of these first two things successfully, we have to be courageous.

RULE #3: BE COURAGEOUS
There are very few certainties in life, just a handful of things we can really be sure of. For the most part therefore you will need to make constant recourse to courage in other to successfully navigate your way through life.

Courage is defined in the Webster’s Dictionary as “the quality of mind which enables people to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness or without fear”. It involves acting with resolve and boldness.

Fear, especially fear of failure, has always been the most significant barrier to success in any endeavour. There is no shortage of the challenge to courage in the scriptures. But it is worth pointing out that the presence of courage does not imply the absence of fear.

 “If we’re growing", said John Maxwell, "we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone”. This means that the fear factor will always present. However, the thing that sets the courageous person apart from the rest is the fact that he or she does not allow fear to influence or dictate the step he or she is going to take next. Indeed, someone (I’m not sure who) has described courage as “being one step ahead of fear”.

The believer has not received the spirit of fear or a cowardly spirit, as we discover from 2 Timothy 2:7. On the contrary, what we have received is the spirit that emboldens or gives courage. We find then that this call to live a courageous life is not an impossible challenge: God has given Christian the capacity and grace to fully satisfy this third rule of a victorious Christian life: “Be Courageous”!

By the effectual working of the same grace that enables us to approach the Father boldly (Heb 4:16), we can face up to our fears, resist them, gain mastery over them and grow in confidence to live faithful moral and spiritual lives. We have need of courage to resist our adversary the devil, to overcome his trials and temptations, to keep our ground, boldly defend truth and contend earnestly for the faith.

It’s in the nature of God’s call upon us as His workmanship, His ambassadors and His vessels that we develop a different attitude, one that expects the demonstration of the spirit and the victorious power of God in every opposition, and not one that is harassed into capitulation by the storms of life and by Satan and his host of wicked spirits.

Christian courage flows from a sense of devotion (1 Chronicles 28:2) and  of duty (Joshua 1:9) to God. It is a life of faith established on the promise of God’s abiding presence (Hebrews 13:5-6). The promise of God’s presence belongs to all believers. It is an assurance given by God to neutralize fear and provoke courage in the heart of His people! "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world" (1John 4:4)

Your courage will grow as you learn to take God at His word! (1 Samuel 30:6, KJV). Look to Him as the ever-present helper who is always there with you as you navigate life’s challenges and walk the path that your obedience to His word has led you to tread.

May the Lord fill you with grace to run with courage the race that is set before you!

FIVE SIMPLE RULES - Part 2

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love. (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, NIV)

In the first part of this post we recognized our urgent need to be watchful and alert to the activities of the devil, the one revealed in the bible as our adversary, the enemy of our soul.

Now we turn our attention to the second pre-requisite of a victorious Christian life we identify in the text as “Stand firm in the faith”.

RULE #2: STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH

The thrust of Satan’s scheme against a Christian hinges on a plot to destabilize, discourage and derail your trust in God, but God wants you to stand firm in the face of wayward winds that blow against your Christian beliefs and witness.

As a principle of victorious Christian living, to stand firm in the faith requires that a believer be steadfast in holding and defending the truth of the gospel. It is a challenge to be a faithful doer of the Word, affirming the truth of God’s Word in all circumstances; and refusing to give up “the ground of truth” despite challenges that press us to the contrary. It is a call to firmly maintain and hold on to our personal confidence in God.

A central proposition of our Christian faith teaches that: “...anyone who comes to [God] must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrew 11:6, NIV).

What we know and believe about God, our conviction that God is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do, is based on His self revelation as we diligently search for Him. But the enemy of your faith does not want you to abide in the truth.

The devil is a thief, and is intent on undermining your confidence in God. He is always working to get you to doubt what you believe about God and about Jesus Christ.

He planted a seed of doubt in Eve’s mind with the question: “Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?” (Genesis 3:1), and with that, he derailed her trust in God. Apostle Paul saw that danger in the Corinthian church (a danger which is still as real, if not more, among contemporary believers) and warned:

“I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” (2 Corinthians 11:3–4, NIV)

A victorious Christian comes up against the wisdom of the world, the lies and deceptions, but refuses to succumb to their influence. He keeps his ground and sticks with God’s revelation. He knows and is sure of the One in whom he has believed, and refuses to be moved from his convictions.

There are many voices, but only one is the voice of the “good shepherd”; there are many words but only the word of one is the truth. The word of God is truth (John 17:17), but the voice of the stranger is the voice of a lying spirit.

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 (1 Tim 4:1, ESV)

It is the will of God that you keep standing firm in the faith and not pay attention to deceitful spirits. God has given you the Spirit of truth by whose effectual working you are able to understand the truth and distinguish it from the falsehood of false teachers.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. (1Co 15:1-2 ESV)

You have the grace to stand firm and live a victorious Christian life. By faith alone you enter into that grace wherein you have been called by God to stand firm! (Rom 5:2). The greater One who is resident in you (1 John 4:4) enables you by His empowering presence to firmly stand in defence of your Christian faith with unwavering confidence.

You have not believed in vain: God exists and He rewards...! Keep standing firm in your faith!