God's Word

God’s WORD will stand the test of time. Everything that lives eventually dies but the Word of God abides FOREVER. Time passes, memories fail, expectations waver, and even circumstances change but God remains true to His Promise. He is COMMITTED to accomplish all that He has purposed. For His Word is TRUE and PURE - tested and refined seven times over.

No promise of God has ever fallen to the ground. Everything He says will come to pass. Nothing and no one can annul the promise God makes to His children. God's Word will go forth and carry out everything He wants to achieve for it carries the weight of His PURPOSE. It will never return to Him void. Because God has both the POWER and the WILL to do EXACTLY what He says. 

You may forget. But God remembers. You may give up. But God NEVER. 

God is watching over His WORD to fulfill it. It cannot fail because GOD never fails. He will have the last WORD because He is the ETERNAL GOD.

Looking for peace?

Read Philippians 4: 4 - 9
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Rejoice and again I say Rejoice!

What does this word ‘rejoice’ mean? It means to celebrate, give thanks, express joy, delight yourself, be glad etc. It’s easy to do this when there is occasion to celebrate, when we receive good news, when things go according to plan, when we are loved and appreciated by those we care about. Which, I’m sure you will agree, doesn’t happen often enough. But Paul is advocating joy as a choice. Not in things but in the LORD. Not sometimes but ALWAYS.

At first glance, it would appear that happiness and joy are one and the same. But there is a difference. Happiness depends on the people and circumstances of your life. It is external and almost always fleeting. But joy comes from within and is not dependent on external factors. Regardless of the situation you are in or the people around you, Paul tell us to rejoice! Unlike happiness, joy is a decision you make; not a fate you resign to.

If we allow circumstances and people to dictate our mood and frame of mind, we will be sorely disappointed because circumstances are unpredictable and people are unreliable. Throwing ourselves at the mercy of these variables will lead us on an emotional roller coaster ride. One day we are on top of the world and the next day we are down in the dumps. But joy is a personal choice.

Many people fail to recognize that the freedom we have to exercise choice is God-given. We are made in the image and likeness of God. Just like our Creator, we are given the ability to think, feel, reason and make choices. This sets us apart from any other living creatures on this planet. Decide that nothing is going to rob you of your joy.  Not people, not circumstances, not things. Not the past, the present or the future. If there is anything that is making you anxious or causing you to worry, bring it to the Lord. Pray. Direct your petitions to Him. But don't forget the thanksgiving part!

Having a heart of gratitude gives us heavenly perspective of things. Paul reminds us of this truth in 2 Cor. 4: 16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Our afflictions are light and momentary in the light of Eternity! Who knew that counting your blessings can cure you of your shortsightedness and give you an eternal kingdom perspective? Far too many people focus on what is wrong with their lives and have an unending pity party of their own making. But God doesn't want us to carry our problems. He wants us to hand them over and leave it to Him. So pray and make your requests but always in the spirit of thankfulness for who He is and what He has already done.

Do you know what happens when we put our troubles in God’s hands? He puts His peace in our hearts.

God’s peace is not from this world. It is not temporal. No man can take this peace away from you because it is not from this world. The peace of God is like nothing you’ve ever known. It’s beyond our human comprehension. No one can explain how it works. When we surrender our anxieties and worries to God, His peace flows in and stands guard in our heart and mind.

God’s peace, unlike His love, is conditional. We can only receive His peace in exchange for our worries and cares. Have you ever heard of the Monkey Trap? The idea is to put a banana inside a jar big enough for the monkey’s fist. When the monkey sticks his hand inside to grab his “prize”, he finds he can’t get free. He is trapped. The reason being he doesn’t want to let go of the prize. Many of us fall into the Monkey Trap. We want to be free but we still want to hold on to the banana. We want peace but we don’t want to let go of our anxiety. We want God to be in control but we still want to tell Him what to do.

Life coaches tell us that we can achieve peace by doing less or more of something. Spend less time at work. Meditate more. Eat less meat. Take more walks. These are practical ways and many will attest to their effectiveness. But the peace that passes human understanding can only be found in Christ Jesus. Only JESUS can give us peace because He is the Prince of Peace. Jesus says,
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

We can have peace in the face of adversity because Jesus has already overcome. The finished work on Calvary is what gives every Christian true peace of mind. Every principality and power has been defeated. Every sin cleansed. Every sickness healed. Worrying is an exercise in futility when Jesus has already conquered the world. So rejoice in the Lord for therein lies your strength.

Looking for peace? Start rejoicing!

Bitter Waters Made Sweet

 Exodus 15 : 22 - 26 ( New King James Version)

²² So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. ²³ Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.^{[a] 24} And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” ²⁵ So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.

There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, ²⁶ and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” 

This past two months, God has taken me on a trip down memory lane. Together we have  revisited important milestones in my past, stopping at altars I had built along the way as I journeyed with Him, inspecting stones of  remembrance I had put up to commemorate His promises to me. Promises He gave me 10 years ago so vivid as if just spoken yesterday! I am amazed at how He has kept His Word from falling to the ground, guiding me, reassuring me, directing me so that today I am exactly where He wants me to be. 

This scripture came to me in a prayer meeting one Friday in 2000. I remember clearly as God explained  to  me how that tree Moses cut down changed the destiny of a people who were weary and thirsty from their journey to the Land of Promise. Bitter waters that spelt death and curse transformed into life and blessing because of one solitary tree. It was the first time, I realized that God was calling me to leave the familiarity of a  beaten path to tread the unknown with Him. My life was not meant to be one where I would grow tall and strong  to provide shade to many travellers passing by but one where I had to be uprooted and tossed into an unfamiliar environment in which my identity ceased and became one with it. I didn't  fullly understand it then and I am not sure I fully understand it now. All I know is that God's Way is perfect and all I need to do is trust Him completely for the journey that lies ahead.        

Anorexic Christians

Yesterday, I had a two hour conversation that went nowhere. Interesting because the man I was speaking to had left ‘church’ some 15 years ago. I’d assumed that since both of us were on a similar journey that we would have much to share. I realised I had been mistaken.

A question as simple as, “What do you do in your free time?” invited an effusive explanation of how unconventional and controversial he was in his understanding of God and His ways. In the course of our conversation, he said he didn’t need to read the Bible because he could hear directly from God. (He admitted he’d read it about 3 times in the entire 50 some years of his life.) When I shared that I felt I needed to read the gospels again, he became uncomfortable. He then told me to respect him because he had left religion and church much earlier than I did and therefore was wiser. When I explained that I saw him as my equal, he was clearly uncomfortable and said so. At the end, he left saying I should ask God for confirmation that what he’d said was valid and true.

Many great men of God have given their lives to defend the written word we call the Bible. William Tyndale stands out in my mind. He was strangled and burnt at the stake because he would not bow to the religious order of his day. He wanted to give us a translation that was true and paid with his life. Martin Luther gave the people the Bible in their common language. When people began to read and understand the Word of God, there was a major revival.

John’s gospel calls Jesus the Word who existed with God from the very beginning. Jesus Himself often quoted from the writings of Moses and the prophets and explained them to his disciples. He overcame temptation with Scripture. The early apostles preached to the crowds using the Scriptures. The early believers stayed true to the teachings of the early apostles. The book of Revelation ends with a warning not to add or subtract from the testimony of John as given by God.

God speaks to us through His Son. His Son speaks to us through His Word. The late John McKay wrote that God’s Word is the expression of God’s Thought, revealed in His Son. Jesus rebuked the Jewish leaders for reading the scriptures but rejecting Him whom the scriptures spoke about. This then brings me to this conclusion.

Reading the scriptures without a relationship with Jesus yields very little.
Having a relationship with Jesus without reading the scripture also yields very little.

To say that God speaks to us through the bible only when we are infants but discards it to speak to us directly is unthinkable. To say we have read it before and therefore don’t need to read it again is pure arrogance and ingratitude.

Psalm 1
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, whatever he does prospers.

Many churches will teach you a formula. But you can follow it and still remain as ignorant as ever. So I won’t tell you to do that.

I will tell you to read the scriptures, bind it to your mind and to your heart. Read it, chew on it, digest it and ask the Holy Spirit to make it clear to you. He is the best tutor! If you have no time to read, then listen to it. The moment we think we can dispense with it, we are in danger of starving to death spiritually. Don’t believe everything from the pulpit just because it is coming out of the pastor’s mouth. A speaker once said that Christians are the only people who will believe something they have never read for themselves. How pathetic is that?

Build on the foundation of Christ’ words. Anything else is flimsy and weak. If you think you don’t need to read the Word of God, try not eating for a day. See how long you last. What kind of Christians will we be if we can go for months and years without spiritual nourishment?

Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Every word means all of His words. Ancient authors penned words that are still relevant to us today. They can never be redundant. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.”

In many bibles, the words of Jesus are highlighted in red for easy reference. Do you know them? Can you quote them? Do you understand them? More importantly, do you obey them?

Or are you an anorexic Christian?

The Amazing Properties of God's Word

God's Word

Washes and cleanses us from all unrighteousness

Keeps us from sinning against Him

Convicts us of sin and leads us to repentance

Transforms us by renewing our mind

Pierces our darkness and brings enlightenment

Brings clarity to our mind and drives out confusion

Speaks the truth and exposes every false way

Frees us to walk in liberty

Increases our faith and dispels doubt

Instills courage and casts out fear

Guides and directs our way

Comforts and counsels us according to His will

Tests and proves what we believe

Purifies and refines our character

Heals us and makes us whole

When you read the gospels, you will find that whenever Jesus spoke, amazing things happened. Sinners were forgiven, demons fled, blind could see, lame could walk, lepers were cleansed, hungry were fed, dead came alive, raging seas became calm, hypocrisy was exposed, children were blessed, etc.

This Jesus, who is the Word become flesh or the Living Word, still speaks to us today.

Listen to Him.

The Beatitudes (RCV)

The institutional church reads Matthew 5 quite differently from how the original author intended it. I'll call it the 'Beatitudes (REVISED CHURCH VERSION)'!

On Members
1. Blessed is he who attends church every Sunday without fail, for he shall be called Spiritual.

2. Blessed is he who tithes regularly, because he will be permitted to vote in the AGM.

3. Blessed is he who upholds the traditions of the Holy Fathers, for he will be called a loyal son of the Church.

4. Blessed is he who attends cell group for he will be deemed part of the community faithful.

5. Blessed is he who attends all social events on the church calendar for he knows the meaning of true fellowship.

6. Blessed is he who is rich in works because it helps disguise a lack of true spirituality.

On Ministry
1. Blessed is he who can sing and play the guitar for he will be set apart to lead others to worship.

2. Blessed is he who is endorsed by his leaders, for his ministry will never lack support.

On Leadership
1. Blessed is he who leads but even more blessed are those who follow his lead.

2. Blessed is he who never questions leadership, for it is crucial to the unity of the church.

3. Blessed is he who submits to his pastor/leaders for it is equal to submitting to God himself.

4. Blessed is he who has vision and charisma, for it is divine proof that he is 'anointed' to lead.

5. Blessed are those ordained to be pastors/ leaders for they are God's chosen ones.

6. Blessed are the church staff for they will be considered worthy to serve God's chosen ones.

On Speakers
1. Blessed is he who prophesies encouragement for he will be invited to preach again.

2. Blessed is he who comes adorned with a string of credentials for he comes in the name of the Lord.

Gospels revisited - Part 1

Mark1:9-11
It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Mark 9: 2-8
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— 6 because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.
7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 8 Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.
-The Bible (NKJV)

Twice God commends His Son. Under Jewish law, two witnesses are all that’s needed to establish a fact. Since God can only swear by Himself, He alone gives witness to His Chosen one. Not once but twice. And nowhere in the Bible, will we find God conferring similar praise to anyone apart from His Son.

The only man God ever endorsed was His Son.
The only ministry God ever endorsed was obedience to His Word.
The only method God ever endorsed was the way of the cross.

Guess what? Nothing's changed.

Why do we insist on an individual to mentor us? Forcing ourselves to fit into a ministry mould? Draining our brains trying to hit on the right strategy or method to carry out kingdom business?

What then should our response be? Read the gospels. Examine the claims Jesus made about Himself. Think about what He said (in particular what He didn't say).

Jesus never said, "I know a way"
Jesus never said, "I know of a truth"
Jesus never said, "I know about life"

He said "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE. No one can come to the Father except through me".