Get-out-of-jail-free Card

An ancient kingdom made a decree that anyone caught cutting firewood from the king’s farmland will die. A young orphan despite the warning went ahead to cut firewood from the farm. As the decree dictates, the boy must die, as that farmland is sacred, firewood from it should only cook the food the King, and his family members will eat. The only son of the king offered himself in the boy’s place and died for him – what a love.

Since the beginning of creation when Adam and Eve chose to sin, God has desired to bring everyone into a right relationship with Him. God foreknew that we cannot restore this relationship by ourselves no matter how hard we tried, so he put redemption plans in motion to restore us back to Himself. God’s redemption plan was not just to save us and let us roam aimlessly, No!

…and forget not [one of] all His benefits-- Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

(Psalm 103:2b-5, AMP)

 

God has in His plans also to heal our disease, provided an escape for life’s miseries, material blessings, renewed energy, etc. we should therefore not settle for less than God has provided for us. We have to be confident that whatsoever we ask in Jesus’ name God will grant it to us.

The Prince from the preceding story could have chosen not to die for the orphan, after all, he did not commit the crime for which he is dying, but he did it anyway. The poor young orphan did not pay the Prince to do so, I do not think he could even afford to pay him, if payment was required, but the Prince died for him all the same.

 

Jesus paid the price to redeem us so we can serve God in holiness and righteousness. That does not totally eliminate the possibility of sin. When sin happens, we can find our way back to God and find ready forgiveness. God paid a great price for each of us. Let us decided to live for him who died for us.

I write this, dear children, to guide you out of sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a Priest-Friend in the presence of the Father: Jesus Christ, righteous Jesus. When he served as a sacrifice for our sins, he solved the sin problem for good--not only ours, but the whole world's.

(1 John 2:1-2, MSG)

Motivated by Love

God has blessed us by His grace. He has blessed us in many ways and has given us gifts for ministry. When we realise that God wants to use our talents and abilities to help others, there is sometimes the temptation to feel self-important.

Sometime this past week when we read Mathew Chapter 21, Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, we were astonished that people of Jerusalem were asking who Jesus was (Mat. 21:10b) despite all the miracles he had done. This is contrary to what is obtainable these days. With little anointing or been used to do one miracle or more, ‘men of God’ would start asking for 7-jeep motorcade before they would come for a program or  how much they will collect as honorarium. 

“First pride, then the crash-- the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”

Proverbs 16:18 (MSG)

That is not God’s plan. Instead of thinking of ourselves too highly or thinking we are too good for a humble place, we need to look at ourselves sensibly and seriously recognising that God has given us a measure of faith as He has to every Christian. Our part is to find and accept the place in the Body that God has for us.

Because God has given one the gift of working wonders or faith that can move mountains, should not make one think their gift is more important than one given the gift to help. The eye should not tell the ear he is more important or the hands the mouth. It is only together can we function properly – the individual units making up the whole.

let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over;… Keep a smile on your face.

Romans 12:6-8, (MSG)

Even if we prophecy, have mountain-moving faith, speak in toughs of angels, give all we owe to the poor or even give ourselves to be burnt, if we are not doing them with the right motives – love. Love is patient with both people and circumstances. It does not attempt to get even when wronged by others (1 Corinthians 13:4 – 7). Love is to be what both what motivates and define what we do and say.

How are you using the abilities God has given you? Are you saving God because you love Him and want to? Or are you serving out of a sense of duty? What motivates your Christian service?

However, always remember love should be the major motivation for our services in the house of God else, the spiritual gifts are useless. 

Are you Kidding Me?

One of the world’s notable church heads (one of the biggest in the world) was asked his stand on same sex marriage and all he could come up with was “who am I to judge”. Who am I to judge… are you kidding me? How can that be his response when billions of Christians (at least of that denomination) will take his word as law? Unity among Christians (not minding the denomination) is dependent in loving relationship among them and shared doctrinal belief.

“You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.”

(Ephesians 4:4-6, MSG)

This goes to show that the church is a single community of all believers in Christ, Christ who dwells in all that believes. Thus, we all have one hope of an eternity with Christ. We have one God to whom all who believes owe their allegiance and in whose name we are baptised both in water and by the Holy Spirit. We all believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and Saviour of all people.

 

All of the above beliefs centre on God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. They are essential to Christianity and separate it from other religions. Any deviation from these beliefs is a deviation from the gospel. These must be at the core of the beliefs of any church that claims to be Christian.

Any and all practices that are not consistent with the dictates of the Bible (which is the manual for Christian living) are mere waste of time and against God. A church (Christianity as whole) cannot accomplish its calling its purpose and mission unless it is unified in doctrinal beliefs and core values. Christianity, without this unity, will eventually develop division (as is the practice these days) and will not grow in numbers.

We should be conscious of the Bible’s stand on thorny issues like abortion, same-sex marriages, euthanasia, praying to saints, embryonic stem cell research, infant baptism and others. The process of spiritual maturity is not an individual matter. We are responsible for both our growth and the growth of the whole body of Christ.

Let us always remember therefore that there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all”

God of Wonders

When we were a lot younger, after fasting and praying one of us went back home being hungry believed God for a miracle – the miracle of food because there was nothing at home to eat. She brought a plate, placed it on a table and started praying. After a while, she will open her eyes, only to find that the plate is empty as it was before she started praying. She repeated this, over and over again, and got the same result. At a point, she got tired and had to stop because she was very tired. When she opened the door, a woman was standing there, with food for her. The woman has been standing there waiting for her to finish praying.

All God requires of us is faith – only believe he will do it. There are times when God enables a believer to have faith for, and expect, an extraordinary demonstration of God’s power. The impossible becomes when this gift is in operation.

"Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, "Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle."

(Matthew 17:20, MSG)

God is not a magician; he does things in his own way and in his own time. Man’s wisdom is foolishness before God. We should not always want things done our way, or just the way we want it. God knows the better ways to give an answer to that which worries us.

Have you ever been worried that you prayed for the sick or for a God to demonstrate wonders and it is not fort coming or it did not happen as you prayed? Any problem or questions we may have regarding healing or unanswered prayers may defy answers in this life. Nevertheless, we can be rest assured that the things we see as unanswered prayers, He has things under control and wants us to put our complete trust in Him.

God still stands ready to intervene in our impossible situations when we pray. God’s Word declares that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Believe God, have faith, step out in your new found and renewed faith in God, and you will be in for unprecedented surprise.

Battery Charger

In a one of the lectures I attended, the teacher said that speaking in tongues is to Christians what charging is to phones. The Holy Spirit recharges Christians and keeps us connected to God. Our spirit language enables us to live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, be led of the Spirit, have the fruit of the Spirit, manifest the gifts of the Spirit and go from glory to glory until we are transformed into His same image. It is essential that we keep connected to the spirit so we can be spiritually alert.

When Jesus commissioned the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father, He did not say, “Do this if you feel led to do so, or if it fits in your doctrinal or denominational beliefs, or if you have the time, or if you are so inclined, or if you feel comfortable about it.” No! Jesus commanded them to wait until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Since Jesus put such importance on their receiving this gift, which is more than enough reason for every Christian to seek God until they receive it too.

There are moments when our minds are incapable of adequately expressing our love and praise to God. At times like this, the spirit of God within us can express worship and praise we could never put into words. He will use our tongues and our lips to express the worship to God in a language we do not know. This worship is like a refreshing river of life flowing through us. When this happens, we can experience a peace within.

Dr. Andrew Newberg, M.D. is an American neuroscientist. He has been a prominent researcher in the field of nuclear medical brain imaging. In particular, his research has focused on the development of neurotransmitter tracers for the evaluation of religiosity as well as neurological and psychiatric disorders including clinical depression, head injury, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

When Dr. Newberg, compared brain scans of Christians praying in tongues with Buddhist monks chanting and Catholic nuns praying, the study showed the frontal lobes—the brain’s control centre—went quiet in the brains of Christians talking in tongues, proving that speaking in tongues isn’t a function of the natural brain but an operation of the spirit.

“If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him.”

(1 Corinthians 14:2, MSG)

“Three things, then, to sum this up: When you speak forth God's truth, speak your heart out. Don't tell people how they should or shouldn't pray when they're praying in tongues that you don't understand. Be courteous and considerate in everything.”

(1 Corinthians 14:39-40, MSG)

God can use us to encourage, instruct, comfort, and build up others. Let us step out in faith, asking God to use us in gifts of speaking and discover what He can and will do through will vessels to touch lives of others and bring glory to His name.