An accomplished year Week 52, 2013

You seem troubled nnanyi, what is the matter?

“ I have not done much this year really. It was a silent year without much accomplishment. Little did we meet targets.”

Do not trouble yourself too much daddy for I know you have been sowing the word. Even when we seem to have done little the Lord by His Holy Spirit has accomplished much: "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows — how, he himself does not know.  The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.  But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." Mark 4:26-29(NASU).

“Thank God for your kind words and wisdom, yet I wish I had more to set forth.”

More things like what?

“Well a better bank balances for instance, and some more structures on the ground. My colleagues in ministry have quite a bit of that to show but I seem to be dry.”

What did you use the money to do then? Were there cases of embezzlement? “Certainly not! We used up a lot on welfare; widows needs and specific needy brethren took a huge chunk...  o we had witnessing programs, low scale you know. No media attention.”

I hope it is not the lack of acclaim that is disturbing you nnanyi. You told me you had a sense of fulfilment during those programs did you not?

“Yes, seeing those souls repenting and believing in Jesus, seeing the joy expressed on the eyes and faces of those needy who were blessed brought me much satisfaction.”

 It should, it should; for the scripture says He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities Isa 53:11(KJV) .The other colleagues you speak of do not glory in the structures they have but in the souls reached. For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.1 Thess 2:19-20 (NASU). No sound minister of the gospel ought to glory in structures which burn but souls which are precious. The greatness of a man, of a church, is not in the things they acquire but in the things they give. It is the positive impact on souls: a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Luke 12:15(NIV). God has accomplished much this year through you: souls have been impacted for the Kingdom.

Saturnalia or sanctification week 51, 2013

So it is Christmas season once again. What will you be found doing? There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks Lk 2:8(ISV).  Some use the holiday season to annex an extra day or two and avoid work. Offices notoriously are sparse (some abandoned) in this period. Taking care of what is entrusted into your hands even in the inconvenience of a cold night is praiseworthy. The angel of the Lord was sent to this group; not to those derelicts of duty, avoiding tasks they are paid to do. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them Lk 2:9(ISV). It is not only them that were met while on scheduled duty. The angel of the Lord also went to Zechariah’s duty post to give him God’s message. An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the incense altar Lk 1:11(ISV);  a duty post that had seen no angelic appearance since the setting up of the temple. Emulate this group in this season. Be not among those who default; it doesn’t matter that (as far as you know) nothing special has ever happened to those who did their duty, and no hurt to those who did not. There is more for those who have heard the Lord.

Some choose this season for all kinds of revelry. Indulging in overeating and drinking, participating in lustful and sensual meetings; defiling the flesh and spirit. Saturnalia in short. It is so pervasive some give it as an excuse not to mark the birth of Jesus. You who have heard the message in this season purpose to get into the Lord’s presence. When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us."  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger Lk 2:15, 16(ISV). Encourage one another to go into the homes, conferences, fellowships and meetings the Lord is to be found. He is away from the rest. Come alone in the quiet place by yourself and worship the Lord. Be transformed from hearers to those who experience the Lord in this season. This transformation resulted in their becoming witnesses, the first human evangelists of the incarnation. How did they evangelise? When they saw this, they repeated what they had been told about this child.  All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them Lk 2:17, 18(ISV). Simply repeating the message they heard. Evangelism made easy: repeat the message you heard having experienced it. You don’t believe Jesus was born on December 25 so you won’t celebrate? I doubt He was born on that date too but I will be in church. Do not be overcome by evil of saturnalia, but overcome evil with good. Indifference does not defeat evil: good does.

Forgive the betrayer Week 50, 2013

Can anyone ever argue in favour of any sin? Dare we suggest tolerance for the deepest of betrayals or be seen to make light of infidelity? Nay. But no wound is so deep that we allow the wounded die; no offence so grievous that we watch the offended in prison. To wound a spouse by adultery is unforgivable to many, yet Hosea’s wife was unfaithful and adulterous, and what did God say?  Then the LORD told me: "Go love your wife again, even though she is being loved by another and is committing adultery. Love her the same way the LORD loves the people of Israel, even though they look to other gods… Hos 3:1(ISV).

To the adulterer I have one word, “Repent in dust and ashes”. Adultery exacts payment far in excess of the pleasure it offers. And whoever committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away Pro 6:32(Webster). To the wounded: No spouse is worth a strained relationship with God. Even if we cannot prevent a spouse’s unfaithfulness, we must prevent it (no matter how recurrent) from harming our own relationship with God by bitterness, unforgiveness or hardness. Remember God is not partial and always judges by the same standards. What He said to Hosea is what He says to you now o man: love your adulterous wife. O woman love your adulterous husband! For God shows no partiality. Rom 2:11 (ESV).

You know the pain we cause God when we worship idols is akin to adultery. Yes all greed, covetousness, and worldliness is adultery. For you know very well that no immoral or impure person, or anyone who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God Eph 5:5(ISV). Yet after His gross displeasure and chastisement God says “return”. Since God refuses to send us away permanently when we most certainly deserve worse, can we not seek to be imitators of God?

When the refusal to repent causes separation stick to1Cor 7:10-11(ISV):   To married people I give this command (not really I, but the Lord): A wife must not leave her husband.  But if she does leave him, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. Likewise, a husband must not abandon his wife. Seek reconciliation if estranged, or else remain unmarried. The marriage relationship is a mirror of our relationship with God, of Christ with His church. If we give room for irreconcilable differences with spouses then we say there are irreconcilable differences with us and God too.

If this sounds hard to you, remember it also did to the disciples. His disciples asked him, "If that is the relationship of a man with his wife, it's not worth getting married!" Mat 19:10(ISV). Since God plans no divorce for you, know how to pray for your spouse. Know how to approach your marriage. Grace2u.

I hate divorce Week 49, 2013

What of this knotty issue of divorce? What is God’s mind on the matter? I have read the Bible several times and am yet to find a place where the Holy Spirit spoke to anyone to divorce! If you find one please tell me. Several punishments are prescribed for sin but I am yet to see where divorce is ever prescribed by God. I see where God asked Abraham to put away a second wife: But what does the Scripture say? "Drive out the slave woman and her son…” Gal 4:30(ISV).  I see where returnee exiles offered to put away strange wives of their own accord. Now let us make an agreement before our God to send away all these women and their children. We will do that to follow the advice of Ezra and the people who respect the laws of our God Ez 10:3(ERV). (May I say to practice this will be contrary to the spirit of keeping vows made before the Lord as with Joshua and Gibeon in Josh9:18-20). Did they inquire from God as Moses does in issues, did the Spirit speak? Second wives may also have been there.

Instead I hear "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel. "I hate it when one of you does such a cruel thing to his wife. Make sure that you do not break your promise to be faithful to your wife." Mal 2:16(GNB)  God is saying categorically “I hate it”. 

Our key passage was on the question of divorce. And Jesus says “Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Mat 19:6(NIV) It is God that joins. He does not separate: it is man doing the separating. Jesus made it clear the permission to divorce came from Moses (not God), and it was the result of the hardness of heart. He told them, "It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not this way Mt 19:8(ISV). When something hardens the heart Moses allowed it. Have you ever considered what hardens the heart? Is it the love of God? Is it the fullness of the Spirit? Is it the wisdom from above (James3:17)? No. It is Sin. Instead, continue to encourage one another every day, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin Heb 3:13(ISV).  That God does not accept that separation is obvious in the warning "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." Mk 10:11-12(ISV).  I want you to note the present continuous tense used here. It is not “has committed” but “commits”. Do not for sexual gratification risk eternity. We shall come to the matter of adultery.