Timely beauty Week 28, 2017

I hadn’t understood that truth at a time, in fact the connection between the two bits of scripture were initially lost on me, but they are a great comfort. It is stark reality.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

What gain has the worker from his toil?   I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end Eccl 3:1-11(ESV).

There is a time for everything, and everything is beautiful in its right time. Now when anything happens outside of its time, like rain during the dry season, it is not beautiful. Tears at the death of a loved one are beautiful. Screams of joy at the birth of a long awaited baby are equally beautiful. What matters is the timeliness. It is also the good Lord that determines seasons and times, ours is to prepare for those times and seasons and make good use of them. For each season has a purpose. And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me ... unto the uttermost part of the earth Act 1:7, 8(ISV).

How must we respond to changing seasons and times? We must press on with the work of the kingdom no matter how the season appears in our understanding. Just as you do not understand the way of the spirit in the womb of a pregnant mother, so also you do not know what God is doing in everything he makes Eccl 11:5 (ISV). No matter whether we interpret it as favourable or unfavourable, we must joyfully work. Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season 2Tim 4:2(ESV). But actually no season is unfavourable when it comes in its God-sent time; each season is beautiful, and a season for focused, though differing, labour. Sow your seed in the morning, and don't stop working until evening, since you don't know which of your endeavors will do well Eccl 11:6(ISV) 

Exercise unto fitness week 27, 2017

I realised I was panting with a little exertion. Was it illness? Was the heart failing? Those were the symptoms of lack of fitness. If you’ve ever exercised after a long layoff you’ll agree it’s not easy. The heart pounds, the pains come, and the desire to stop keeps calling. Fitness does not come by birth but by a combination of good food and exercise. You have to exercise to be physically fit. After more than a week of steady exercise the panting stopped, a feeling of wellness washed over me. Relief! There are diseases which come because one is not physically fit, and diseases fought (at least in part) by staying fit and improving fitness. The good thing is that everyone with normal faculties can become physically fit.

Have you noticed godliness is akin to fitness, something attained (not bequeathed)? Hear this: But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come1Tim 4:7, 8(KJV). This indicates that like we exercise the body, train the body unto fitness so we train, we exercise our souls and spirit to its own fitness called godliness. Instead, train yourself to be godly1Tim 4:7(ISV). So righteousness is given you as a gift at new birth but godliness is what happens when you work out. And so, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only when I was with you but even more now that I am absent, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling Php 2:12(ISV).

In physical training you work against resistance, repetitively and gradually increasing the resistance, distance, speed etc. How do you exercise spiritually? How do you train yourself to be godly? The above verse tells us: just as you have always obeyed. It is by obedience. Repetitive obedience to what the spirit of God says that we do the spiritual workout. It becomes easier and easier to obey God and live the Christ like life. Gradually those things which God says “do” that seemed impossible become possible and habitual! The thing about fitness is that we work to get fit, and keep working to keep fit. No matter how physically fit one is, should exercise stop the fitness is gradually lost. Then you have to start again. Fitness is not just a matter of age; it is very much a question of exercise.

Physical fitness it a matter of practice; ever heard someone say “I’m going to the field to practice”? Practice what you believe God has told you, practice what you hear from His word and you grow in the faith. But solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to distinguish good from evil Heb 5:14(ISV). Child of God a life of continuous godliness is possible. Yes every born again child of God can be godly. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence2Pt 1:3(ISV).

How spiritually fit are you? 

The sacrifice of Abraham’s son Week 26, 2017

The Holy Books tell us the story of how the Almighty God requested the patriarch Abraham to sacrifice his very beloved son to God on Mount Moriah. When Abraham in obedience to Almighty God’s command brings his son to the mountain he ties him up, lays him on the altar and raises the knife to slay him. Just then the angel of God calls to him and requests Abraham not to slay the son. God has provided a ram caught in the bush as a sacrifice in place of the son!

We are today called sons of Abraham, and are facing death as well. On Mount Moriah Abraham’s son faced death at God’s command. Today we face death equally at God’s command, this time because of our sins. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son Eze 18:20. Do you realise you (just like every one) has sinned? Or can you honestly claim never to have lied, stolen, coveted what is not yours, lusted after another, or committed any other sin? For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Rom 3:23.   In His justice the Almighty has decreed all who sin shall be banished from His presence forever: as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death Rev 21:8.

But there is good news. Just as God provided a ram on that mountain to die instead of Abraham’s son (God provided it; not father Abraham) the same God today has provided a lamb to take away our sins. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! Jn 1:29.  As that ram was slain on the mount, so Jesus was slain for our sins. Because of our sins he was given over to die, and he was raised to life in order to put us right with God Rom 4:25.

Right from the garden of Eden God has been providing a substitute for man. When Adam and Eve sinned against God they took measures to make up. As soon as they had eaten it, they were given understanding and realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and covered themselves Gen 3:7.  Today we seek to cover our nakedness and shame with different things, sometimes with devoted almsgiving (zakat), and much prayer with fasting. We strive to do what is considered good for all men, but none of that is satisfying to God to take our punishment away. Then God provided a cover for them. And the LORD God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them Gen 3:21. This act, just like the sacrifice of a ram at mount Moriah was pointing to Jesus, to how God intends to help us against sin. As an animal was sacrificed to clothe Adam and Eve after they sinned Jesus has been sacrificed to clothe us in God’s righteousness. Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God 2Cor 5:21

Obed-edom Week 25, 2017

What is a blessing? Is it an indistinct entity claimed by some without tangible evidence? So the ark of the LORD remained for three months in the household of Obed-edom the Gittite while the LORD blessed Obed-edom and his entire household2Sam 6:11(ISV). We don’t know the details of Obed-edom’s blessing, but it was glaring. Others could see it and testify about it. Obed-edom wasn’t the one bearing the news about; others reported it. Later on, David was informed, "The LORD has blessed the home of Obed-edom and everything he has since he's in possession of the Ark of God." So David went out joyfully and brought up the Ark of God to the City of David from Obed-edom's home2Sam 6:12(ISV). When God blesses you it will be seen, clearly seen and testified about.

Why did God bless him? It was because he hosted and cared for the ark. Now the ark represents the presence of God Almighty.  Have you hosted, are you hosting the Almighty? Notice the ark remained... it wasn’t coming and going. Is God’s presence abiding in your house? Or do greed, sexual sin and wickedness suppress it? Anyone who has received Jesus Christ into the heart has the presence of God. What of God’s servants, God’s children? That’s another way to host the presence. I am telling you the truth: whoever receives anyone I send receives me also; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me Jn 13:20(GNB)  . Now in 3 months the blessing was manifest. I say it won’t tarry when people will see you are blessed in Jesus’ name. People will know it is because you host His presence, not because of anything else.

And so because a man received the Lord’s presence, at a time it was considered risky to one’s life to do so, at a time an anointed king was terrified to do so, his entire household is blessed. Yet not only he. Look at that: You attract tangible blessing upon every member of your household; spouse, children and servants. Claim this upon the head of that family member you get scared will not conform to Jesus. Even those associated with you! So the Ark of God remained in the care of Obed-edom's household for three months, and God blessed Obed-edom's household, along with everyone associated with it1Chron 13:14(ISV). And just before you think it is only on other people it says on everything he has. What do you have? Business? Academics? Projects? Areas of service? They must be tangibly and visibly blessed within a time span in Jesus’ name. Care for the ark; nurture the presence of God in your life and family. You know the blessing of Obed-edom is what encouraged David to take the ark back. So shall your blessing move men, encourage kings, yes people you have never discussed with to go joyfully and serve the Lord Jesus and host His presence also in Jesus’ name. That in itself is an incredible blessing. A gatekeeper (1Chron15:24 NIV) to influence the king and by that an entire nation! What a father, what an example.

You know what? His voice is never recorded in all of these, nor any change of jobs.

Read more of Obed-edom’s blessing in 1Chron26:4-8