I Trust In The Faithfulness of God

You have to go through certain experiences to experience the faithfulness of God. The Christian journey is not just a walk in the park. Our adversary, the devil is always plotting and devising strategies to make us fail along the way. His aim is that we move from our right position with our Creator. He will use any trick in the book to ensure that we lose our balance and focus. But at the end of the day we should come out boldly and proclaim, "I will trust in the faithfulness of God."

I have come to realize that the devil will use two key instruments to attack us - trials and temptations. Remember, his aim is that we fall into sin which leads to death. He will either push you (through trials) or pull you (through temptations). What matters the most is not what the devil does, but is how you react or respond to his tricks. You need to resist him and stand firm. How do you stand firm if you to not trust in the faithfulness of God?

Isaiah prophesied (Isaiah 40:6-7);

"All flesh is grass, 

And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it;

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades

But the word of our God stands forever"

God has promised not to leave us or forsake us. The sweetest words I always cherish from the LORD are often whispered in the midst of everything going on, when you feel you are alone or no one can understand what you are going through. He will come with that still voice and say, "I AM WITH YOU!" Sometimes it will make no sense but I choose to believe Him because I know He is faithful. Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful.  His word stands forever. I trust in His faithfulness!

This year has been a year of learning for me. In different aspects of my life I have been learning new things and being exposed to new settings. Above all, I have been learning to serve my Master. Listen carefully when Jesus says, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls," (Matthew 11:29). What He meant was that we have to be His students, His disciples. In this instance the yoke symbolizes partnership with Christ and the Lordship of Christ. 

The learning process is not easy, but Jesus is faithful to be on your side - when you choose to take His yoke. This learning process calls for obedience and submission to the Lordship of Christ - but He is such a humble teacher. Sometimes you may feel like giving up because of the amount of trials and temptations you face during the learning process - but He is such a gentle teacher. He is faithful to remind you, "I AM STILL WITH YOU!"

God is actively involved in the affairs of His people - those who trust in Him. In a few weeks we will be celebrating the birth of our Saviour, our Redeemer, the author and finisher of our faith, the Captain of our salvation, Jesus Christ. His birth was announced many years before it actually happened and Matthew captured the prophecy, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." (Matthew 1:23). Through His Son Jesus Christ, God chose to dwell amongst us and through the Holy Spirit, He is dwelling in us. He is with us everywhere we go and in whatever we are experiencing. He is watching the path of the righteous. He is faithful. 

My dear friend, I have been quiet for quite long in this space, but I have been listening and learning - still I am learning. The biggest lesson I have learnt so far is that I can confidently trust in His faithfulness. Even when I go astray, He is faithful to bring me back to His path. His everlasting Word is the lamp on my feet which gives light on my path. Each step that I take, the light continues to shine a step farther. In Him there is no darkness at all. 

Great is thy faithfulness!

INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK: Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!

"You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you,”
 -2 Chronicles 20:17

Our God is a faithful God. Our God is a loving God. Our God is a caring God. He knows His people and He always takes good care of them. He never disappoints. He is an awesome God.

So many times we try to fight battles that aren't ours. We try to use our own limited strength to fight a battle that is too big for us. We depend on our own limited understanding and methods. When we fail we get hard on ourselves. We shift blame to others. We even shift the blame to God.

When you walk with God you learn to recognize and listen to His voice. He is the one to tell you when to attack. He is the one to tell you to keep on fighting. He is the one to tell you to stop and watch. He is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27). He is the Commander in our lives. We have to do whatever He commands us to do.

As I am writing this I hear the song by Jimmy Swaggart stirring in my heart 

"His voice makes the difference,  

when He speaks He relieves my troubled mind, 

it’s the only voice I hear that makes the difference, 

and I’ll follow one day at a time."

There is no way you are going to listen and follow His commands if you do not trust in Him. You have to believe that He is the good Shepherd and He will lead you to greener pastures. Along the way you will walk through the valley of the shadow of death. It won't be easy and they will be many voices that will try to deceive you but do not be afraid, just listen to His voice.

We are always in a battle. Trials and tribulations are always looking to pull us down. Sometimes we even ask why bad things happen to good people. My dear friend, remember that there is the Word dwelling in you and it is because of that Word that tribulations or persecution will arise. We need the Lord to tell us how to approach the battle. 

I once said victory has been declared to our favour but we still have to go on and fight the good fight of faith. There are times when we don't have to fight at all but be still and watch God do His work. When the people of Moab, Ammon and others planned to attack Judah, Jehoshaphat, who was the king was afraid and set himself to seek the Lord. The people of Judah gathered together to seek the Lord's help.

God responded through Jahaziel. The Lord said, "You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you,” (2 Chronicles 20:17).

Jehoshaphat encouraged the people of Judah to believe in God. He appointed people to walk before the army and sing praises to the Lord. Amazingly the enemies fought and killed each other. Jehoshaphat and his people did not have to fight but believed in voice of the Lord.

My dear friend, you may be facing a huge battle ahead of you, just position yourself, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. God is with you. In the presence of the Lord there is fullness of joy. God is in the generation (company) of the righteous.

Not very long ago I was facing a huge battle and I cried to the Lord. My heart was troubled and I was confused. As I was spending time with my loving Father, reading His word and praying, His Spirit comforted me and led me to Jesus words, "Have faith in God" (Mark 11:20). 

Things got tougher but those words kept ringing in my mind - "Have faith in God". The enemy was saying "it's not going to happen" but I believed in God. I chose to listen to the promises of God and ignored the lies of the devil. I came to a point that I will not even bother focusing on the spiritual warfare but instead position myself, be still and see the salvation of the Lord. In the process God changed my prayer focus. He revealed to me Paul's words, "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2).

At the end of the day God saved me from the evil plans of the enemy. I shall fear no evil!. The enemy did not give up the fight until the end but the Lord was victorious. At some point I was not in control and God was amazing as always. I sang a song of victory (my wedding went ahead as planned - in case you are wondering what am on about!).

My dear friend, whatever you are facing, know that you may not need to fight in this battle. Throw everything to God and position yourself, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord! 

INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK: "...cling to Me"

"For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the LORD, ‘that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.’ (Jeremiah 13:11).

I can't help but feel God's disappointment with His own people whenever I read the book of Jeremiah. The people that God chose as His own special treasure had decided to drift away from Him. They had decided not to obey His commands. They had decided to deny Him as their God, who has on many occasions helped them through difficult times. They had made a choice to deviate from the divine plan that God had for them. The disobeyed His call for repentance as proclaimed by the prophets.

My dear friend, we are the spiritual Israel. We are God's chosen generation and we are so special to Him. Let us not disappoint Him. He has chosen us for a specific reason. Through us His name should be known everywhere we go (renown). Through us God must be praised. Through us God must be glorified. We are His people and He is our God. 

The people of Israel did not listen to God's voice. God wanted them to cling to Him but they would not hear. They were caught up in their worldly desires. Even though we are the chosen ones today, we should not forget that we are still living in the world. If we fail to cling to God we are making ourselves susceptible to worldly forces that will drive us farther away from our dear God. 

Before Joshua died, He warned the people of Israel to cling to God and not associate themselves with the lifestyles of the nations they found in the Promised Land because "...they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD your God has given you," (Joshua 23:13). 

Let us not lose what we have by failing to cling to God. The word cling is defined as to hold fast to something; to adhere as if glued firmly; to hold on tightly or tenaciously. That is what God is expecting from us. God made Jeremiah to wear the linen sash around his waist before telling him go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock. Later he told Him to go and fetch the sash. Jeremiah says, "Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing," (Jeremiah 13:7).

God wants you to be profitable for His kingdom. You are an ambassador for Christ. You are an ambassador for the kingdom of God. Therefore God wants to profit from you. He wants to be known through you. He wants to be praised because of the way you conduct yourself. You are the light of the world and God's glory must shine through you. 

All you have to do is to cling to Him like the linen sash on a man's waist. Biblically, linen is a symbol of righteousness and purity. Even though we are in this crooked world, we have to exhibit the righteousness and holiness of God and He shall be glorified. If we cling to God, He will make sure that He takes care of us because whatever happens to us, His name is on the line, and He shall not allow his name to be ridiculed. 

My dear friend, God wants you to stay with Him and He will stay with you. He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Let us rejoice "For God is with the generation of the righteous," (Psalm 14:5). 

Whatever happens, God is saying, "Cling to me!"

INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK: Lay aside every weight

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us..." (Hebrews 12:1)

Dear Friend,

I don't know what you have been going through lately. I don't know what has been troubling your mind. I don't know how big is your problem. I don't know what is holding you back, stopping you from achieving your goals. I don't know who is standing on your way, trying to pull you down, making your life miserable. All I know is that God loves you, He cares for you and He is a faithful God.

My friend, I think now is the time you need to take a moment and fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. In the midst of your stressful issues just remember that Jesus is waiting for you to turn your eyes to Him. He has heard your cries. He has heard your prayers. He knows what you need right now and He shall supply for all your needs. He will take you out of your misery. But He needs you to turn your eyes to Him. David understood this very well when He said, "My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net," (Psalm 25:15).

God is pleased when we keep our eyes on Him and we cannot please God without faith. The writer of the book of Hebrews illustrated how several men of God - the cloud of witnesses - pleased God with their faith. The key to this is to know that God exists and He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

There it is my friend; in the midst of your distress, just seek the Lord diligently. It's time to lay aside every weight that you are carrying and lay aside the sin that easily ensnares us - that is the sin of unbelief or lack of faith. If you know that God has heard your prayers, believe that He will respond in due time and lay aside all your worries.

The Macmillan dictionary defines lay aside as not to let yourself think or be influenced by something so that you can achieve an aim. Our aim is to run with endurance the race that is set before us. My friend, do you remember the Apostle Paul telling his spiritual son Timothy that he had fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith? That is exactly what God expects from you. He is the one to fulfill His purpose for you, all you have to do is to lay aside every weight and focus on Him.

It does not matter what tomorrow brings, but all you have to do is to lay aside every weight you are carrying. Actually just throw it to God and and do what He wants you to do. Stop worrying about it. Listen to Paul when he was talking to the Ephesian elders;

"And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God," (Acts 20:22-23).

My dear friend, I write this letter because I love you. This comes from the depths of my heart. I have been there myself but God has taught me to lay aside every weight and do what He wants me to do. "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you," (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). The more I focus on doing His work, the more He is sorting out my problems. 

It's time you lay aside every weight and fix your eyes on Him!

With love from above,

Stanley

In The Midst of Our Disgrace God Reveals His Amazing Grace

(Originally published in the Swazi Gospel Sun)

Sometimes you spend time and money planning to achieve a goal you set for yourself. You go out of your way to make sure that it happens. You sacrifice a lot to ensure that what you are planning turns out to be a success. You pray for God’s guidance and provision and you see things coming together.

You even celebrate, “All things work together for good to those who love God!”  Just a couple of days before you realize what you have been striving to achieve something happens that disrupts all the plans and you lose all everything and everything comes to nothing. Well, that is the experience I am recovering from.

It is amazing that before all this happened God had put in my heart the urge to pursue His knowledge. I even wrote on this subject in my previous article. The day before discovering the trouble I got myself into, the Holy Spirit led me to put together this piece with words from the Scripture.

GOD’S THOUGHTS AND WAYS

God’s thoughts are HIGHER than ours

His thoughts are VERY DEEP

His understanding is UNSEARCHABLE

His understanding is INFINITE

His ways are EVERLASTING

His ways are JUST

His ways are JUST and TRUE

His paths are MERCY and TRUTH

His way is PERFECT

WHATEVER THE LORD PLEASES HE DOES

He teaches and guides the HUMBLE

He teaches those who FEAR Him

SHOW ME YOUR WAYS, O LORD;

TEACH ME YOUR PATHS

TEACH ME YOUR WAY, O LORD I WILL WALK IN YOUR TRUTH;

UNITE MY HEART TO FEAR YOUR NAME

As I reflected on all the events that took place I realized that in spite of my loss and shameful situation God love was all over me. I got to understand what James really meant when he wrote “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing,” (James 1:2-4).

Dealing with the loss of something that you are emotionally attached to is very hard. It is even worse when you realize that you could have done a lot of things to avoid the disgraceful situation from happening. Guilt takes over and you start beating yourself over it. That is the point where we lose it and we start doing things we are not supposed to be doing.

However, through it all I have learnt how much God loves us. I have realized that God allows us to go through tough and disgraceful conditions to reveal His amazing grace. Our Lord Jesus Christ went through disgraceful circumstances for God’s grace to be revealed. That is how God demonstrates His great love for us. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

I have heard so many times people asking why bad things happen to good people. My answer is simple; God is demonstrating His great love. My dear friend, in my young life I have learned that we cannot understand God’s thoughts and ways and it is not our duty to try to figure it out. God cannot be scientifically proven. All we have to do is to be obedient to His instructions and let Him do His work. All we have to do is to glorify Him because His plan is to make us complete, not to harm us.

In whatever challenges we are facing in life we have to know that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. This is what separates us as children of God and those of the world. When the world questions, “Where is God?” we are rejoicing because we know that we have faith in the God who is love, the God who redeemed us with the blood of His only begotten Son whose death demonstrated the love of our Father. “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, SO THAT YOUR FAITH AND HOPE ARE IN GOD,” (1 Peter 1:20 -21).

That makes us know that God is with us all the time, we are in His presence. The greatest wonder of being in the presence of the Lord is that we gain the confidence to face anything. If we have faith in Him He hears our prayers and provides whatever we need. When you are in the presence of the Lord there is no need to be worried and afraid. Jeremiah says, “You came near when I called you, and you said “Do not fear,” (Lamentations 3:57).

If we pursue the knowledge of this God we believe in, we will not be afraid because this is the God who said to Moses, “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest,” (Exodus 33:14).

This is the God who assured Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord you God will be with you wherever you go,” (Joshua 1:9).

This is the God who declared to Jeremiah, “I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” (Jeremiah 15:20).

This is the God who encouraged Paul in Corinth, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city,” (Acts 18:9-10).

This is the God who said to Daniel, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them,” (Daniel 10:12).

God wants us to go on and do His work without fear because He is always with us. Like the true, good Shepherd, He is always taking care of us and there is no reason to be worried. Like Daniel we need to set our minds towards gaining understanding and humble ourselves before God. “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way,” (Psalm 25:9).

God loved us through Jesus Christ so that we shall have eternal life and nothing shall separate us from His love. He will never leave or forsake us. What more can we ask for other than the presence of the Lord?

The Almighty says, “I the Lord search and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve,” (Jeremiah 17:10). We need to keep our hearts pure all the time to better position ourselves for the blessings from the Lord. We need to keep our minds clear so that we are able to focus on what God wants us to do.

My dear friend, today you may be going through an embarrassing situation, the people you trust may be judgmental to your faults, you may be finding it hard to forgive yourself for a mistake that cost you a lot, you may be discouraged to even continue praying, you may find it a draining task to read your Bible – just know one thing, God is with you. Today He is saying to you, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me,” (Psalm 50:15).

I have said it before; God loves us, God cares for us, God is faithful!

Encouragement is a Daily Necessity

(This article was first published in the Swazi Gospel Sun, Oct 30-Nov 12, 2010)

I find it a bit funny that each time I want to write about encouragement as a subject I end up doing it instead. It is like a farmer who is trying to teach someone how to plant cabbages and ends up doing the planting. I want to believe encouragement is something we need to live by.

Most often than not I find that people need someone to say or do something to give them courage when they are in their lowly state. In the absence of an act of encouragement the enemy finds an opportunity to come in and plant thoughts that will drive that particular person away from the Lord. How many times have you seen or heard of people turning to alcohol, drugs, sexual activities and even suicide because of depression? Somebody could have noticed the signs at some point.

In most cases we are so pre-occupied with our lives that we become oblivious of the people around us. The Word of God says, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others,” (Philippians 2:4 NKJV).

To me this simply means that you should care about the next person. You should be ready to listen when they need to get something off their chest. What I have come to realize is that once someone talks to you about what is bothering them they feel relieved and better. What encourages them is that at least someone cared to listen.

One of the amazing experiences is when someone comes to you with their problems and hope to get a solution from you when you are also dealing with your own issues. Each time I offer words of encouragement to someone I feel re-energized and encouraged myself. That has inspired me to keep on encouraging the people I interact with.

What we say is very important. You should know what the right words to say and the right time to say those words. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29 NKJV)

This is an important part of life because you never know what the devil might do during that time when the person has lost courage. The Word of God says, “See to it brothers that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness,” (Hebrews 3:12-13 NIV).

Sometimes people wonder how one manages to keep a positive attitude in all situations. True, this is not so easy and it comes as a result of surviving several trials and tribulations. In this life I have learnt that my challenges are nothing compared to what others are going through. That makes me feel better, but it doesn’t take away that I am facing a challenge and I have to deal with it.

Let us be frank, there are times when you wish to be left alone to deal with the situation on your own. These are the times when you do not need anyone to come to you with ideas borrowed from self-help books. These are the times when you do not even have the courage to open your Bible. These are the times when you get tired of hearing people telling you “it’s going to be ok!” In essence these are the times when you do not want to hear from people who want to help you.

The other day I was touched by a friend who sent me a message about the troubles she was going through. What was most difficult was that she could not spell out the real problem. All she could say was that it was something that has to do with her past and now manifesting itself and messing with her life.

This is just one example of people who are going through such emotional rough patches that they cannot share with other people lest they are judged or ridiculed. The enemy finds a perfect opportunity to install thoughts of death or ‘permanent loss of memory’ as the best solution.

How do you come out of such a situation with a positive mind? Paul says, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content,” (Philippians 4:11 NKJV). To be content means to be satisfied (or happy) with who you are, whatever happens it does not change who you are. You are complete in Jesus Christ and you can do all things through Him because he strengthens you. In other words, you remain with the faith that Jesus will give you the strength to pull out of any situation.

It all begins with locating yourself – who you are and where do you stand? If you have a solid foundation in your life you will be content with the knowledge that whatever the situation, it shall not sweep you off your position. Instead it will make you stronger than you were before.

I have learned that in whatever state I am in I should be thankful to God. What is it that I should be grateful for when things are not going my way? When everything I do seem to be crashing against the wall? My dear friend, God knows and his eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Whatever happens, remain loyal to God and you will find great satisfaction inside your heart. The Word of God says many are troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivers him from them all. As long as you believe in this, you will be content with you current state of affairs and wait patiently upon the Lord. Remember this: “Now godliness with contentment is great gain,” (1 Timothy 6:6 NKJV).

Working Your Faith In Times of Trouble

When you are in trouble the only thing you need is someone to come to your rescue. As children of God we are blessed because we have our Father who is always watching us and saying, "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other,” (Isaiah 45:22). The confidence that we have is that God will always be there for us.

I am thinking of the Apostle Paul. He was jailed and the Philippians paid him a visit. It is amazing that Paul was the one who was jailed and probably needed to be encouraged to stand strong. However, he turned things around and exhorted the people who had paid him a visit.

Despite being in chains, Paul never lost faith and instead his faith soared. To him all the difficulties he was facing were good for the furtherance of the gospel. To him the fact that he was chained because of Christ was making him happy because that was spreading the gospel without fear and much better than words.

As Paul continued to encourage the Philippians he said, "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ..." (Philippians 1:27 NIV). I think that is where most of us as Christians fail. When we are faced with challenges, our actions tend to be more driven by emotions. We tend to act in anger, pain, sorrow etc. We end up saying things we were not supposed to say, do things we were not supposed to do because of the trouble being too much to bear. Whatever happens, we should remain godly.

When we come to God for rescue, we should come to Him with a clean heart. The Apostle Paul says God has not called us to uncleanliness but to holiness. Another Apostle, one of my favourite characters in the Bible, Peter testifies to this when he writes, "But just as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct;" (1 Peter 1:15).

Holiness the only way we can see God and we can be called God’s people. "Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19). God only listens to the righteous.

With that foundation, whatever happens we surely shall establish our faith in God no matter how big are our troubles. Although I am not a fan of ’how tos' because they tend to grow into 'laws', allow me to forget about that for a while and consider how to work your faith when troubles surround you. I will draw lessons from Psalm 3, which David wrote when he was running away from his own son Absalom who was turning against him.

1. When you are faced with troubles, this is what you need to know and believe:

• The Lord is your shield - Whatever happens, know that God will always protect you 
• The Lord is your glory - You are worthy before God and the troubles that you are facing do not mean that you are a worthless person as you or some may think. You are honourable.
• The Lord is your lifter - God is the One who can make you rise above every situation. Even when you are down, He will lift you up and keep your head up.

2. With that knowledge, this is what you need to do:

• Cry out to the Lord - This means that you need to call out the name of the Lord and He surely shall hear you. Although He sees what is happening, He needs you to call upon Him to your attention.
• Lie down and sleep - What this means is that you need to take a rest (relax). In other words, do not press those panic buttons. Sometimes you need to act as if nothing is happening and when you 'wake up' to your troubles you will realize that the Lord is sustaining you.
• Do not be afraid - The enemy delights at inducing fear on us when we are in trouble. Even when tons of troubles are all around you, do not be frightened. In the absence of fear, there is faith and vice versa.
• Ask God to save you - When you say "Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God!" He surely shall answer your prayer. You need to call upon Him in faith to come to your rescue.
• Praise the Lord - The risk is that once He sets us free from our troubles we forget to give Him the credit. Give Him all the praise because salvation belongs to Him and He is the one who gives blessings to His people. When I read the history books in the Bible I realize that in most cases people would rejoice before the victory comes. That is a good lesson to learn and adopt.

Have faith in God. He loves us and does not want us to perish. All that He needs is for us to look at Him and be saved. "A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all," (Psalm 4:19 NIV).

*All Scripture quoted from New King James Version unless stated otherwise.

The Faith and Assurance I Have in God

We were saved by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ and this grace was a gift from God. This has made us a new creation (workmanship), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (see Ephesians 2: 8-10).

The Word of God instructs us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is a clear indication that being saved is not enough, but we have to grow in the knowledge of our Lord. God rewards a man according to his conduct and to the fruits of his doings. Therefore our knowledge of Christ should be effective and bear fruits.

God prepared our good works beforehand and the onus is on us to grasp them and walk in them. We can only grasp that when we are spiritually mature enough and with spiritual immaturity we have no access to what God has prepared for us. In Galatians 4:1-2 Paul wrote, “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.”

What this means is that when you become a child of God you have the good works that God prepared for you but until you grow to the rightful stage where you become a son of God (mature), you can’t have access to them.

Paul also illustrated this point by saying, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal,” (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).

The book of Hebrews explains that everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

In other words, those who are mature are wise enough to discern both good and evil and they are led by the Spirit of God that knows even the depths of God. The Spirit reveals the hidden things of God. Therefore, maturity means being led by the Spirit, walking in the Spirit and living in the Spirit.

God speaks to us (his children) in a way that we are able to comprehend, hence the illustration of milk and solid food. That is why people of this world count God’s wisdom as foolishness because they cannot understand the language he speaks and they have no relationship with him. Sometimes someone may say something led by the Spirit and you fail to understand because you are still a child. I recall someone telling me that God said I should ‘separate myself’ and at that point I could not understand what the statement meant. However, as I grew in his knowledge I began to understand that message and I obey.

God speaks wisdom to those who are able to discern his wisdom. “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8).

This is the wisdom that we should yearn for. God established our purpose here on earth before time began. We need to listen to him in order to grow, meditate in his word day and night. He instructed Joshua to ensure that the Book of the Law shall not depart from his mouth, but he shall meditate in it day and night, that h may observe to do according to all that is written in it. “For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Holy Spirit teaches us all things and guides us as we read the Word of God. This is where we draw our strength. This is where gain knowledge and wisdom to understand what God says. I have been keeping notes of the time I spend reading the Word of God it is amazing to track how I have grown from strength to strength.

There have been times when I have been challenged and my faith called into question but through the knowledge and wisdom from God I emerged a conqueror. This is confirmed by the scripture, “A wise man is strong, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength,” (Proverbs 24:5).

The Word of God is pure and never changes, and he always fulfills his promises. Faith is not just believing God can; but it is believing that God WILL. That is why we always rejoice in his name. Listen to him when he says be thankful in ALL circumstances, he means just that. It all makes sense when you have the knowledge and wisdom to understand why you should be grateful when you are going through a painful experience.

God rewards those who earnestly seek him. I pray that we grow and eagerly wait for his wisdom and knowledge all the time. It is not a once off experience, it is a continuous journey that goes through high mountains and dark forests but we never give up because we know God will lead us through- He is our hope. This is what he says:

“My son, eat honey because it is good and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste. So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul. If you have found it, there is a prospect and your hope will not be cut off,” (Proverbs 24:13-14).

Supplementing Self – Control with Perseverance

Perseverance is defined as a steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief or a purpose. Until he ascended from this world, Jesus continued to preach and teach what the Father had sent him to do. He never backed down even when his authority was questioned several times.

Jesus was here to fulfill God’s purpose for us. He faithfully served God until the end. He could not stop doing his mission until he finished what God sent him to do, i.e. save the world from sin. There was a time when Jesus felt like the journey was tough for him. When he was in Gethsemane he began to be sorrowful and trouble. He told Peter, John and James, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me,” (Matthew 26:38).

When he was praying Jesus asked God to take the “cup” away from him. Being in human body, Jesus was feeling and seeing the sorrow that was about to befell him. It was a painful experience for him that he wished it could be reversed. This was his purpose and for a moment he felt like it could be reversed. Now here comes perseverance… he immediately said, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Even during this painful moment he persistently adhered to his purpose. Remember he said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and FINISH HIS WORK,” (John 4:34). If Jesus was not steadfast in allowing the will of God to be done even when it hurt the most, would he finish his work?

Even thought the spirit was willing to take the pain, the body was weak. However he allowed the will of God to be done. That is why when he prayed for the second time he said “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done,” (Matthew 26:42).

Here we learn how Jesus persevered to do the will of God despite the pain he was feeling. He was steadfast in prayer. The only way he could defeat the temptation of giving up doing God’s work was prayer. When you pray, God will fulfill his purpose for you. Remain steadfast (firmly loyal, constant, unswerved). When you persevere, in addition to your ability to practice self-control, your knowledge of Jesus Christ will be effective and productive. You will realize how much he loves you through the wonderful works he will do for you.

See also http://stanleylistens.blogspot.com/2010/05/effective-and-fruitful-knowledge-of.html

Supplementing Knowledge with Self-Control

Challenges and temptations will always be there and you need to overcome them. Discipline and self-control are essential when dealing with temptations. Your knowledge is tested when dealing with temptations and you have to use your knowledge. However, your knowledge will be worthless if you do not use it to exercise self-control.


Jesus himself faced temptation at some point and the devil used the knowledge of heavenly secrets to tempt him. Jesus resisted and the devil fled. If you resist the devil he will flee from you and Jesus is a perfect example of self-control practice in this incidence.

The devil knew that Jesus had the power to turn the stones into bread but Jesus drew from his well of knowledge and said, “It is written ‘Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,’” (Matthew 4:4). He controlled himself from not yielding to the temptation of performing a miracle thus obeying the commands of Satan. You see, when the devil tempts you he uses your strength and power. You have to resist.

The devil realized that Jesus was using his knowledge of God and decided to use the same strategy to tempt him. When you defeat the devil on one level, he raises his standard as well. The devil used what is written in Psalm 91:11-12 to tempt Jesus. But the Lord used the word of God again and said, “It is written that you shall not tempt the Lord your God.” The truth is that God would keep the promise and send angels to catch Jesus if he threw himself from the highest point of the temple because he is as faithful God. However, Jesus controlled himself not to listen to the devil and test God’s promise.

The devil was even willing to risk everything he had if Jesus bowed down to worship him. Mind you, Jesus would have accomplished his mission to take the world away from the hands of the enemy, but he refused to worship anyone else other than God. The devil presents everything wonderful to you, and he presents the easiest options to achieve your goals but without self-control you can fall into that temptation.

You need to supplement your knowledge of the heavenly secrets with self control. In that way, your knowledge of Christ will be effective and fruitful. God will reward you with great things as you grow in knowing him.

Supplementing Virtue with knowledge

Because of our faith in Jesus, we live a righteous life. In order to reap more rewards of our virtue, we need to add knowledge to eat. We need to develop the earnest desire to know him and we shall receive the fruits of his knowledge in abundance.

Jesus asked his disciples who do people say he is and he then asked them, “But what about you, who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). Peter replied by saying that he is the Christ, the son of the living God.

Because Peter illustrated that he has had the earnest desire to know Jesus, he was blessed and his knowledge was effective and productive. He received all the powers from Jesus and his work after the ascension is well documented in the book of Acts.

Another lesson we learn here is that the more you seek the knowledge of God, He reveals to you the mysteries that are hidden from men. For his knowledge of who Christ is, Peter received this blessing from Jesus;

“Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,” (Matthew 16: 17-19).

This is it! Because Peter supplemented his virtue with knowledge, he received a powerful blessing that gave him authority to control everything on earth. More than anything he received the keys to the kingdom of heaven. He received the anointing to lead people to the kingdom of heaven.

The knowledge of the heavenly secrets is a blessing given to those who seek the kingdom of God and are walking with Jesus all the time - those who develop a close relationship with him. The disciples asked Jesus why he was speaking in parables to the crowd and he responded by saying that the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has not been given to them.

“But blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear but did not hear it.” (Matthew 13: 16-17).

The revelation of the secrets of God was not given to many righteous people because they did not have the privilege of knowing Christ. If you seek to know more about the secrets in heaven, you receive your fruits in abundance. “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have in abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him,” (Matthew 13:12).

You can have faith, live a righteous life but if you do not seek the knowledge of the secrets of heaven, you even risk losing what you already have.

Supplementing Faith with Virtue (goodness/righteousness)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be given to you as well,” (Matthew 6:33).

In this message Jesus was teaching about not worrying about the future but instead putting your faith in God. Jesus was teaching that our priority should be seeking God’s kingdom and his righteousness. Because we have faith in God through Jesus Christ, Jesus was teaching us to supplement our faith with his righteousness (virtue).

In other words, we should live a righteous life so that we receive the kingdom of God. These are the fruits therefore: “All these things shall be given to you as well”. The things that we spend time and energy worrying about shall not be fulfilled unless we rest our faith in God and then strive to live a righteous life. God already knows what we need and he shall provide as long as we focus on entering his kingdom (through living a righteous life).

We are longing for good fruits through our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we need to be good ourselves just as he was and is a good teacher and Lord. If we do not add goodness/righteousness into our faith, how do we expect to bear fruits?

Jesus told the Pharisees who thought he was driving away demons from a man by Be-elzebul’s power, “The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good and an evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil,” (Matthew 18:35).

Prior to that Jesus figuratively said that you make a tree good and its fruits will be good. In order to bear good fruits of knowing Christ we need to add goodness to our faith and our prayers will be effective and productive.

Living a good life simply means doing the will of God. The kingdom of God is for the righteous and that is why Jesus was teaching us to first seek that. Jesus also said, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven but only he who does that will of my Father who is in Heaven,” (Matthew 7: 21).

In other words Jesus was saying that many people may have faith in him but that alone is not enough to enter the kingdom unless you live a righteous life to supplement your faith.

Effective and fruitful knowledge of Christ

“For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love,” (2 Peter 1: 5-7).


Faith is the foundation of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we received him as our Lord and saviour, we began to have a relationship with him. We began to know him simply because we believed (had faith) in him. “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave them power to become children of God,” (John 1:12).

Through him we have become children of God. More than anything we have become friends with him because we believed in him. Knowing him is not enough though if it is not effective and does not bear fruits.

Jesus said, “You did not choose me but I chose you that you should go and bear fruits and that your fruit should abide (last) so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16).

Peter presents seven qualities that are needed to supplement our faith in Jesus Christ. “For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (2 Peter 1: 8).

The seven qualities are:

1) Virtue (goodness/righteousness)

2) Knowledge

3) Self-control

4) Steadfastness (perseverance)

5) Godliness (Holiness)

6) Brotherly affection (kindness)

7) Love

The important thing to note is that Peter presents these qualities as building blocks, with faith as foundation of everything. In other words faith is the root of our knowledge and as you grow in knowing him you develop each quality and grow deeper into knowing him thus bearing fruits.

In the next discussions we will look at each quality and draw some lessons from Jesus’ teachings and his life with regards to each quality.

The Lord Will Fulfill His Purpose for Me (Psalm 138: 8)

“His Divine Power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness,” (2 Peter 1:3).

What the Lord has commissioned has to be accomplished. Each one of us has a purpose to serve the Lord. God has a purpose for each one of us. He says he knows the good plans he has for us, plans to prosper us. Because he is the faithful God, what he has purposed shall be accomplished.

In Isaiah 55:11 he says, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth, it will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Once God has spoken, it shall be so. I know God has a purpose for me. He has empowered me to serve that purpose. He has armed me to fight a good fight and serve him as my Lord and Saviour, the only true God.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life. There is nothing that can withstand his divine power. Through his power we have all the resources we need to serve God’s purpose. There is nothing that we cannot do because we have everything we need. As long as we are willing to allow God to fulfill his purpose we shall conquer.

How do we get hold of the resources that we need? It is though the knowledge of Jesus Christ and as Paul stated, there is nothing that surpass the greatness of knowing Jesus Christ. You cannot taste the greatness of knowing Christ if your knowledge is ineffective and unproductive. You cannot accomplish God’s purpose if your knowledge does not bear fruits.

The Worth of Knowing Christ - Part 2

Standing Firm in the Lord


(Philippians 3: 12 -21)


1) Pressing on towards the goal

My call is to receive the glory of God, to attain my portion of the glory – that is the biggest prize. “I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Pressing on means you have the faith that you will reach the end of the race. You are not prepared to give up. You have the courage to go on. You do not fear the path you need to go through. No matter what comes you just press on.

“For God did not give us the spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1: 7). If you want to know Jesus you need to remember that the Spirit you have is powerful and not faint-hearted. You press on because you have the love for what you are doing. You press on because you have the passion for what you are doing and nothing is going to stand on your way. Jesus is love. If you love him you would not allow anything to stand on your way to get to him.

Self-discipline is an important element when you press on. You ensure that you avoid things that will distract you from reaching your goal. There will be challenges along the way to distract you but you need to have the discipline to overcome the challenges. “Blessed is the man who preservers under trial, because he has stood the test, he will receive the Crown of life that God has promised to those who love him,” (James 1:12). Press on (persevere) even when you face trials.

2) Forget the Past

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do is forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,” (Philippians 3:13). Paul knows very well that he was persecuting the people of God but he never allowed his past to haunt him. He forgot about his past and pressed on.

Sometimes we allow our past mistakes, failures and backgrounds to hold us back. We forget that our faith in Jesus Christ has made us a new creation and the past is gone. Jesus Christ has qualified us to inherit God’s glory. We are born again – rooted and built up in him. Therefore the past has nothing to do with us. We need to forget the past and press on.

3) Mature

“All of us who are mature should take such view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have attained,” (Philippians 3: 15 -16).

Forgetting what is behind and pressing on requires one to look at things from a mature stand point. Those who are matured are those who are led by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God has the power to reveal or clarify what may not be clear.

Paul says let us live up to what we have already attained. Being led by the Holy Spirit is a gift for the matured. “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God that we may understand what God has freely given us,” (1 Corinthians 3:12).

The Spirit teaches us everything and reminds us everything that Jesus said whilst he was on his mission here on earth. Therefore we should live up to the Spirit so that we may know who Jesus is. If we live up to the Spirit we will forget the past and remember what Jesus taught us. We will press on to what God has promised us through Jesus Christ.


4) Fellowship

“I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly,” (Psalm 111:1).

The Psalmist demonstrates the importance of praising God, not just on your own but with other people. He talks about praising the Lord in the company of people that live according to God’s will (council of the upright and in the assembly).

Paul also encouraged us to worship the Lord with others. Because Paul knew he was righteous and living according to the will of God, he encourages us to follow his example as we join others in our quest to know Jesus. Joining with others comes with a caution: “take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”

This means that we should be careful of the people we associate with when worshipping God, are they led by the Spirit of God? This basically cautions us to discern the nature of the spirit leading the people we worship with “for sinful nature (spirit of the world) desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want to do,” (Galatians 5:17).

This warning guard us against losing track of our goal, i.e. losing the Spirit that teaches us God’s way. Take note of those who live according to the pattern that was given to us so that we “do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19)


5) Set your mind in heaven

Our citizenship is not here on earth but in heaven. This is where Jesus is seated on the right hand of God. Our focus therefore should be where Jesus is – heaven. If we focus on earthly things then our destiny is destruction.

Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and here thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be,” (Matthew 6:20-21).

We can have everything on earth but these things are temporary and we may lose them anytime. The things of this world may defer us from our quest for the truth (Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life).

Paul says, “What is more I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ,” (Philippians 3:8).

In order to know Christ you do not have to spend time thinking about earthly riches, but think about Christ. We have to be like-minded with him because we have the mind of Christ.

Conclusion

When all has been done, ran a good race, we get a better understanding and knowledge of Jesus and he will crown us. He will transform us from our earthly bodies and we will be like him (glorious bodies). “That is how you should stand firm in the Lord,” (Philippians 4:1).

The Worth of Knowing Christ - Part 1

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death (Philippians 3:10)


a) I want to know Christ

Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for his sins, he sat at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Knowing Christ is equivalent to knowing God and the knowledge of the Holy One means understanding. Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact representation of God.

I want to know Christ.

I want to make a relationship with Christ.

I forget about everything else and I yearn for the glory of Christ.

I want to be sustained by the powerful word of Christ.

I want to know Christ.

I have a burning desire to know him better

I want a deeper understanding of his glory

Meeting Christ is not enough, you have to have a mutual relationship with him. To grow as a Christian you have to have a better understanding of who he is.


b) I want to know the power of his resurrection

“Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God,” (Colossians 3:1). Knowing the power of his resurrection means focusing where he is. He was raised and he went to sit at the right hand of God.

He conquered the world and hence he is the Lord of Glory. Therefore we should set our hearts where is, on the things above, were our treasure is. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal,” (2 Corinthians 4: 18).

The power of his resurrection is that we were raised with him. “When you were dead in your sins and in the circumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,” (Colossians 2:3).

The power of his resurrection made us to be alive. The power of his resurrection is a fulfillment of the promise that if we believe in him we shall have eternal life. We are born again because we were dead in our sins. The only way to know the power of his resurrection is focusing on the things above.


c) I want to know the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings

Knowing Jesus means building a relationship/friendship with him. A true friend is one who shares even in his suffering, the pains of his friend. “Now, if we are children then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. If indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8: 17).

In the consequent verse Paul says: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. “But rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you… However, if you suffer as a Christian do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name… So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good,” (1 Peter 4: 13-14, 16, 19).

As a Christian you should not fear when you suffer because Christ also suffered but endured until the end. Fellowship in his sharing in his suffering means staying strong by doing the following:

i) Rejoice

ii) Praise God

iii) Commit to the faithful Creator

iv) Continue to do good


d) Becoming like him in his death

The humility of Jesus Christ was outstanding even in his death such that the people who watched testified that surely he is the son of God. He suffered like any human being but he humbled himself even though he was in the very nature of God.

That is the attitude we need to develop. Even though we may be co-heirs with him that should not be something we boast about and exalt ourselves. Pride should not overrule the way we handle ourselves. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: …and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5, 8).

Conclusion

I WANT TO KNOW CHRIST JESUS AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SHARING IN HIS SUFFERINGS, BECOMING LIKE HIM IN HIS DEATH

[Know who he is, focus on where he is, appreciate how he felt, and do what he did when he died]