Spirituality

Lord, shield me against complacency

It is extremely easy for any Christian to get distracted by the glamour and glitz of this world. This is especially true when things are going smoothly. He tends to take his eyes off the Christian journey and gravitate towards secular norms, thus becoming complacent. Whereas before, he thanked God for everything; now he takes all the credit, look in the mirror and pat himself on the shoulders.

Still, while I think complacency is preventable, living in a materialistic society such as America, makes it all too easy to get lulled into complacency. The Patriarch David knew a thing or two about this. Acts 13:22 states the following: “After removing Saul, God made David king over Israel. God testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’” However, success would change David. Despite all the accolades and admiration from God, David, like Adam and, Eve got distracted by the lust of his eyes and sinned.

It seems the key to keep focus on the path God mapped out for us is to be lowly before Him at all times–in feast and famine. Whenever a human being acknowledges that he is nothing without God, then it is not hard to be humble. It is not surprising that some of the most loyal members in the body of Christ are those who are humble, mostly the poor. These are people who more often than not do not know from where the next meal comes, yet their steadfastness and commitment to serve God is unyielding. They know what it is to trust and depend on God for everything.

Father in heaven, I pray thou will shield me against complacency. Let me be like Job, a man who never faltered in plenty or want. Lord, help me to focus on the path your father have mapped out for me and let me be humble at all times. Amen!

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A love song to Jesus

I chose to dedicate this song to Jesus because the lyrics explain exactly how I feel. I do not know about anybody else, but I honestly do not feel this way every day. Some days I get overwhelmed with daily activities that I have to dig deep to come up with a “praise”. However, over the past three weeks I have this renewed vigor and vitality for Jesus, and I am not ashamed to express it

This new thing that has come over me is hard to put into words. It reminds me of a famous quote from a famous song: “When I think of the goodness of Jesus and what He has done for me, my soul cries out hallelujah thank God for saving me”. It is like an Epiphany. It brings joy, peace and happiness to my soul.

Folks this man Jesus is real. This is not a joke. When we surrender all to Him, exciting things will happen in our lives. In the book of Matthew chapter 11:29-30 Jesus entreat us: “Take my Yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. Yes! My Yoke is easy, and my burden is light”. Knowing what we know about Jesus, how can anyone continue to resist such an offer.

I dare anyone to do what I did. I shed the cares and burdens of this world and took the Yoke of Jesus upon myself. Today, I can see and feel the results. “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man who trust in him” (Psalm 107:1).

Defy the critics and live in anticipation of Jesus’ return

Repent! Jesus is coming soon

Repent! Jesus is coming soon (Photo credit: Ben Sutherland)

Despite what critics think, there is manifestly no doubt that Jesus will return for His church when most of us least expect. His return was imminent when Saul got struck down on the Damascus road, and it is even more imminent today. However, no one knows the minute or the hour. Jesus Himself said so: “But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Therefore, brothers and sisters, every Christian should live in readiness and anticipation of that day. If we do not, we may jolly well end up like the five foolish virgins.

The five foolish virgins got locked out of the banqueting hall; because of their failure to live in readiness and anticipation of the Bridegroom. They knew He was coming, but because of haphazard planning, (lack of spiritual readiness), they missed their only chance to have a seat at the banqueting table. One can only imagine how those poor women felt, when they heard the words: “Depart from me. I never knew you”.

The Bible never told us what happened to the five foolish virgins. We can only assume. However, it tells us what will happen to those of us who are not ready when Jesus returns for His church. In 2 Peter 3:10, the apostle Peter warns: “The Day of the Lord will come “like a thief in the night”. On that Day, the heavens will disappear with a roar and the elements will melt and dissolve, and the earth and everything in it will burn up”.

Just like in the days of Noah, many people doubt the word of God. Some people pretend that they believe but their actions do not match their words. Still, some people think there is plenty of time before Christ returns. Another group claims it has been two thousand years since Jesus promised His return and it is yet to happen.

Two thousand years may seem like a long time to us, but to God it is not. Here, is how the apostle Peter addressed this issue: “Moreover, dear friends, do not ignore this: with the Lord, one day is like one thousand years and one thousand years like one day. The Lord has not been slow to fulfill His promise as some people think; quite the opposite, He is patient with us; for it is not his intention that anyone should perish, but that everyone should turn from his sins” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

Finally, my dear brothers and sisters, it does not matter how long we wait. God does not count the days, and the years like we do. Furthermore, He is giving everyone a chance to repent. Therefore, the most obvious thing to do is to live in spiritual readiness and preparedness for the Bridegroom when He returns.

Love Triumphs and Grace Prevails

Jesus helped by Simon of Cyrene, part of a ser...

Jesus helped by Simon of Cyrene, part of a series depicting the stations of the Cross. Chapel Nosso Senhor dos Passos, Santa Casa de Misericórdia of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Oil on canvas, XIXth century, unknown author. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

One of the most significant events that had ever occurred in the history of the world was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at Calvary. It was a horrible and despicable act, which had been preordained and deemed necessary for the atonement of sin. Those who saw this historic event saw love triumph over evil. The proverbial captives who were bound and blindfolded were set free–not because they were innocent. But because of the grace of God. Here, is how the apostle Paul puts it: “For by grace, you have been granted a stay of execution through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, and not a result of works, so no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Admittedly, the keeper of the flame thought he had the condemned (You and I) in his grasps forever, but Jesus armed with instructions from His father stepped up to the execution stake and paid the ransom with His life. It was not His will but that of His father, the righteous Judge who had handed down the death sentence many years earlier.

Still, we are not free from blame yet. We are on probation. Therefore, if we do not break up our folly grounds and turned from our wicked ways, we could still end up in the enemy’s clutches once again. Many will argue, and I have in the past that Jesus died for sins once and for all. However, after reading Matthew 7: 21-23 I realized that Jesus’ death on the cross saved humanity from imminent destruction but most assuredly not forever.

Here, is what Jesus told His disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. On that Day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we expel demons in your name? Didn’t we perform many miracles in your name?’ Then I will tell them to their faces, ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!

God never turns His back on anyone

“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who turns to God from his sins than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent” (Luke 15:7).

The story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) is an example that God never turns His back on anyone . Even a rebellious child is welcome back into the family, if she decides to return home. That is exactly what happened to Lynda Alsford of the United Kingdom.

English: Parable of the Prodigal Son Jan Sande...

After months of wallowing in the filth of swines and nothing to eat, she realized there is no place like home.

“When she came to her senses, she said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your daughter; make me like one of your hired servants’. So she got up and went to her father.
(Luke 15:17-20)

Lynda Alsford of the UK was a devout Christian for 27 years. She spent the last six months of 2009 as a church Army evangelist. Nevertheless, her faith in God wavered, and she quit the church, but not forever.

Here, is how she describes her aboutface in her book: “He Never Let Go: The true story of a prodigal evangelist: “I had come to a major crisis in my faith. Doubts about God had been building up over the previous few months and had come to a head while I preached that sermon“. “It is a lie. It is all a lie. Do not believe a word of it”. These are not the words you would expect a Church Army evangelist to be thinking while preaching at a carol service. However, that is what I was thinking on 20 December 2009 as I preached the most evangelistic sermon I have ever preached”.

“By Christmas 2010, I’d realised that if God couldn’t be reasoned into existence then faith had to be involved. Faith, I realised, was an act of my will. It was not a feeling. It was a decision I made.

So, one day in January 2011, I made that step of faith. I prayed to God, telling him that I believed he existed.

All the peace and joy of believing came flooding back. I knew once more that there is a God.

Within a few months, I’d had a dream about Jesus. It led me to wake up knowing God’s love in a far deeper way than I have ever known it.

My faith is now far stronger than it was before – it’s more real, and I am finding freedom from things that have held me back for years. I now know beyond all shadow of doubt that God never lets us go”.