Nothing between us

Friends,

Think, for a moment, of the images that express remarkable intimacy... the comforting touch of a close friend, the vulnerability of sharing deep truths, or the private time between a man and his bride.

All of these images point to the relationship that our Lord has created with us. He expresses this intimacy in many ways, of course, and some might escape our notice. For example, when He established the original Passover, God instructs His people to take an unblemished lamb from their flock, and ...

Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. -- Exodus 12:8 (NKJV) ... emphasis added

The Lord, who is a Consuming Fire, wanted nothing to come between Himself and the chosen lamb. So therefore, it was not boiled, sautéed, or deep fried. It was cooked with direct fire. The Lord is making a connection here, brothers and sisters. He is touching His chosen. The flesh will be burned by it; that much is certain. But in so doing, His chosen people are made ready for what is to come next: redemption, emancipation, freedom, salvation.

Be examined today, friends. How would you describe your intimacy with the Father? Can you feel the heat of His presence, or is your experience diluted with easy teaching? Are you wowed by fancy rituals and excellent presentation, or is the true Word of God preeminent?

The time is now. This the day of preparation. Go to the fire, Christians. For what follows is amazing.

Be encouraged,
Jose

Power in Truth

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
Roman 7:15 (NKJV)

It is true we go through our challenging and struggling seasons. With warring parts in our members like in Apostle Paul's experience, we must confront the weaknesses in our lives with the truth of God’s empowering word.

And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.
John 8:32 (NKJV)

Knowing the way and the truth are desirable and commendable things, but the knowledge alone will not change us from our broken and condemned state. It is the application of the truth by the power of the Holy Spirit in our daily walk that will bring about the real renewal of our mind. This transformation sets us completely free.

Brothers and Sisters, going it alone usually doesn’t work. But we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. It is this strength and applying power that I pray for us today. May we continually find the ‘truth-applying’ power to every season and times of our lives, Amen.

Be Encouraged,

Afolabi

Who Do You Work For?

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Colossians 3:17 [KJV]

As we are winding down the year and work on positioning ourselves for a new start, we have to ask the question of who are we working for in this day and time? Are we true to the letter that Paul wrote to the Colossians years ago? Are we working for the Lord and giving thanks to Him? Or are we in the "rat race" and working to obtain more stuff?

When we look back over our life, do we see evidence that we worked for Christ instead of ourselves? Can we point to where we did what God said? When we find those moments, we realize how much more rewarding they are now. We realize that we had the correct focus and God worked everything out for His Goodness and our benefit. During the time, we may have felt differently, but our faith kept us on the path. What a reward that became when we put in our work for God!!!! He has the best pay scale ever. He is always there to make us whole. Praise God for the job that He has given me in His Kingdom.

Be Encouraged,

Martin

The Him in us

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
1 John 3:4-6 (NKJV)

He was bruised, decimated and defiled that we may gain eternal life. Yet in the lawlessness and destruction of the world, the Son of Man was manifested that He may take away our sins. While the sins are taken away, the flesh in us resists and obstructs the revelation of Him in us. That is why "the weapons weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

When every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Him in us, then His paid price for us is not in vain. To do otherwise is to crucify the Shepherd of our soul again. The Him in us must not be mocked nor violated, but must be exalted above all in our life.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Faith without stupidity

Friends,
God's sovereignty is at the core of my belief. He is involved and in charge. We plan, devise, and consider the potential consequences of our actions. But at the end of the day, every result is in the hand of God. Nothing, not even the smallest detail, escapes His notice. I take great comfort in this belief... knowing that the most kind, generous and loving being is actively controlling all events, whether I notice them or not.

Some people would logically conclude, then, that we can live recklessly, presuming upon God's protection regardless of the normal consequences that He has ordained. No one would argue that stepping in front of a speeding train is going to end up in a big mess for the believer and non-believer alike. But what of the more subtle situations? Jesus tells us:

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. -- Matthew 10:16 (NKJV)

Is God absolutely in charge? Most certainly.
Does He demand that we behave with wisdom and maturity? You better believe it!

Be encouraged,
Jose

We give Thee thanks

Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5 (NKJV)

Like we ought to do everyday, we bring focus to the awesome grace, mercy and goodness of the Lord toward us through the year. When we bring the gift of salvation, the forgiveness of our debts, healing, provision, unrivaled benefits, victory, protection, mercies and daily renewals into remembrance, our soul just ought to revel and bask in the attitude of praise and thanksgiving. How can our soul take all of these lightly and for granted?

To you Oh Lord be all praise, glory, honor and majesty. Thank you Lord for you are good and your mercies are from everlasting to everlasting.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Again, Patience

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
1 John 4:1-4 (NKJV)

You have heard this before and many times, test all spirits before you receive them. Many false prophets are aware of this truth, so they even come to our world in His name, professing to be evangelists and ministers of the truth, they even sound like the truth, yet they pursue a different agenda to the Kingdom that they try and perfectly impersonate.

Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NKJV)

Therefore again, let us with patience run this race of faith, with patience we will wear out the impostor, with patience we will unravel the true agenda of every ministry, with patience and steadfastness and His grace we will not miss the mark. In all that we do, let patience have its way and at the appropriate time.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Returning to praise

Friends,

When we stop to consider all that God has done, how do we get through a day without falling to our knees in grateful appreciation?

Luke 17:17-18
So Jesus answered and said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?

I am as guilty of the next man of getting busy and neglecting to take the time to focus my gratitude on the One who is truly worthy. His grace is sufficient, of course, but it is imperative that examine what Christ has done and return to Him in praise.

Let it never said of us, brothers and sisters, that we are among the 90% who accept His blessings and go on without acknowledging that He has done a mighty work in us.

Be encouraged,
Jose

Have patience, Be patient

By your patience possess your souls.
Luke 21:19 (NKJV)

When the Lord was asked for signs and tips about the end times, He gave a rather gloomy picture and daunting scenario. There will be persecutions and sophisticated deceptions that will require a discerning mind and spirit to detect. In all these there will be prevalence of a sheered conscience, moral decay, widespread destruction and uncommon calamities everywhere. Wolves will come in Sheep's clothing, dishing out the word so much like the real thing, but we have been warned and given the way out of these things. With patience we will wear out the deceptive ploys and antics of the adversary in sheep's clothing, with patience we will overcome the dread and scaring events of the end time.

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 14:4-6 (NKJV)

With patience we will ultimately possess our souls.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

God’s way

So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.
Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)

To win the battle of life, you need to focus your strength in the praise of Him, for He inhabits the praise of His people. To focus on something else is to live an inefficient and ineffective life. Joshua in the Battle of Jericho laid down the arms and chose to implement God's way for dealing with Life's battles (Joshua 4). Hannah knew better with the ridicule and provocations from Peninnah and her children that her fist or anger could not match the challenge at hand but only her faith in Him - who never forgets - could make her prevail and this she pursued rigorously (1 Samuel 1). The faith fight may seem long, bitter, sore and endless, but the end is so sweet, joyous and eternal.

For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favor is life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalm 30:5 (NKJV)

I pray the Lord will continually give us the wisdom to apply faith in all our challenges and walk with Him. Faith your issues one on one, put on the garments of praise, thank God for the present situation, glorify him, Bless his name for where you currently are, and what he will do and continue to walk in His will at all times. This is the King’s way, it never fails.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

God is Bigger than All My Problems

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Psalm 37:24-26 [KJV]

Even when we think that all is lost, it is not. God holds a promise that carries past our generation. He says that even when we fall, we are not out. We are held by His Hand. Is there any more comfort than that? God has us even when we fall. He is bigger than all my problems. He will be merciful to us and hold us with His Hand. God wants us to know that that He loves us and that we can trust Him.

Are you carrying something around that you should give to Him? Let God have it today and let Him hold your hand through the situation. God will always be there in the midst of all the events that are happening. "Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world."

Be Encouraged

Martin

The Shepherd's heart

Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
1 Samuel 17:26 (NKJV)

Israel had been intimidated for a long time by the armies of Philistine. Their adversary was a colossal figure, huge, imposing and intimidating. His description by warfare standards would make any opponent cringe and crumble at the sight of this Philistine Champion. But David hearing and seeing the trauma and dread that fell on his people as a result of the threats and rants from Goliath was moved and wanted this 'reproach on his people' taken away. Just like the good Shepherd that never allows reproach and harm to come our way so was David prepared to do battle in the face of danger and a formidable adversary.

Do you have the Shepherd's heart? Do you use the talent and strength that the Lord has given you to emancipate the weak or do you use these to exploit them? We must be driven by this simple example of the Shepherd's heart because we are our brother's keeper.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Our own undoing

Friends,

Lest we forget that the ongoing work of sanctification is accomplished by the LORD and not by us, we would do well to remember what Isaiah recorded:

Isaiah 6:5
So I said:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.

Isaiah was no slouch. He was a faithful man of God, dramatically used to remind Israel of the promises made and kept over many generations. He spoke boldly and forcefully against the rebellion of that day (and of our times, for that matter). And for all the anointing that fell upon him, even he recognized his inadequacy in the face of a Holy God.

What about you, brothers and sisters? Do you realize that we are in no way, shape, or form, worthy of being the presence of God? When we come to that place, we can finally begin to understand the fullness of grace that He has bestowed upon us. It is the beginning of revelation... to understand the depth of His love for us.

Be encouraged,
Jose

No wavering

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25 (NKJV)

As the days go by, we take a step closer to our call to glory. Our fervent prayer is for length of days that are purposeful, meaningful, impacting and beneficial not only to ourselves, but our world and generations to come. With our steadfastness of hope comes a sacred responsibility of invoking the treasure in every brother and sister for good works. We are in this race together and we must cheer each other up in this performance for the audience of one. He that has called you and I is faithful and He will never fail.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Signs and Wonders

Friends,

One of the reasons I'm so glad to be a Christian is that Jesus has created a genuine relationship between us. And as a result, I get the privilege of hearing from Him and speaking with Him.

This morning, I stopped at a convenience store for a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich. I wasn't going to, but I could really sense His leading in this... even if it was something as seemingly trivial as a egg, cheese and turkey sausage on a pancake (which is really good, by the way). Then I walked out of the store and saw it: a beautiful rainbow painting its way across the morning sky. Then I noticed a flock of geese slicing their way south. I stepped out into the cold air ... and that's when it hit me.

This is my absolute favorite kind of day!

God had planned all of these things. And sure, I wasn't the only person that realized that it was a cool, autumn morning. And surely there were others who saw those geese and that rainbow. But God wanted me to see them, and to take note of them. Without the little detour into that store, I would have driven to work struggling through the hundreds of thoughts competing for my attention, never taking the time to speak to my Lord.

But because He loves me, he changed my direction and had me notice what He does. And when I thanked the Lord for this perfect day, we got to talking, which turned a mundane morning commute into a time of prayer and worship.

Be encouraged,
Jose

Ready To Serve

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. Psalm 51:7-14 [KJV]

How do we get ready to serve? First we have to go to God and get in the right spirit. Not in the right frame of mind, but in the right spirit, because once the spirit is right, it will help the frame of mind. David was caught red handed stealing and covering up. He had no other out, but to go to God and get ready to serve again.

How do we do that? We must go to God and line up with Him again. He will be able to complete the list of things above in our life so that we can get to our assigned task. Praise, worship and service are the tasks that we are called to do. Let's get back in the game and be ready to serve.

Be Encouraged,

Martin

Work to win

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NKJV)

As members of the Body of Christ, our common goal of increasing the Kingdom must not be relegated to the cares and issues of our times and world, rather we must seek wisdom to navigate what seems to be a complex mix of God's children and creations. Paul from the above scripture employed different strategies but with one underlying goal that is to bring salvation to as many that will receive and accept it. We are the salt and light of the world, while we set to win for the Kingdom of God, we must not be influenced by the world but we must influence the world lest we lose our taste and flavor.

Let us with certainty run the race set before us, impact our generation and bring value to God's kingdom here on earth with heavenly wisdom. We must not take our eyes away from the ball even in the midst of all the different attractions.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Trembling kings

Friends,

The so-called opinion makers of the west have been attacking Christianity for a generation and a half. They attempt to marginalize believers with sarcasm, lies and hyperbole. I always find it comforting that this behavior is foretold in Scripture:

Psalm 48:4-5
For behold, the kings assembled,
They passed by together.
They saw it, and so they marveled;
They were troubled, they hastened away. [NKJV]

The world has decided that these public figures are as powerful as kings; and therefore they hang on their every word. Consider the behavior of these "kings" as it relates to Christianity: They see it and, instead of desiring to understand it, they mock it. Is that not a typical reaction of fear and prejudice?

The point of all this is, brothers and sisters, that our LORD saw this coming. He has this state of affairs well under His control. And therefore, we can be confident that He will ensure that their mockery, like all things, "work together for good to those who love God" (Rom 8:28b).

Be encouraged,
Jose

Dangerous mixing

Friends,

False professions are nothing new, and the evidence is in the actions (which have always spoken louder than words).

Deuteronomy 29:19
and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart'—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober. [NKJV]

Now is a great day to reexamine our walk. Does it align with our words? Do we say all the right things and sing all the right notes, but harbor and nurture secret sin? Or have the words we've heard and said taken root? Are we truly a different and peculiar people? Can the world tell us apart as easily as we can tell the difference between a drunk man and a sober one?

Sisters and brothers, it is never easy to be different in this world. We will most assuredly be labeled as fanatics. But it is an integral part of taking up our cross each and every day. And it is a way of obedience and blessing.

Be encouraged,
Jose

Seek Wisdom

Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him. Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
1 Samuel 18:12-16 (NKJV)

Right before Saul's presence and reign as King of Israel, David excelled, did great exploits and incurred divine favor and the acceptance of the majority of the people. King Saul did not receive this well and planned evil for David all the way. But because God was with David, he escaped all the evil schemes of Saul on him. Rather than react negatively to the king, David obeyed and served him the more. He simply acted wisely through the divine wisdom given to him.

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

It takes the spirit of God in us to overcome the natural instincts of the flesh, it does take wisdom to respond to life according to His will for us. In all our ways, lets seek wisdom from above.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi