Turn it around

The agony of defeat can be damning and depressing, but it must not consign us into a corner neither must one single event define who we are. Though temporarily hurtful, it must create the positive and aggressive instinct in us to be a much better person. Many have overcome the place and object of defeat in their lives to great exploits and come-backs. Joshua turned around his waterloo with the nation of Ai to a success story, King David confronted his place of humiliation and handily crushed the Amelekites to reclaim his treasures.

The place and object of defeat must never be a place of dread and fear, rather they must be overcome and be seen as symbols for our breakthrough. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Speaking and Repenting

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 4:5 [KJV]

Recently, I watched the documentary about the "Fab Five", which was a group of young men playing basketball for a college. With all documentaries, there is the follow-on commentary which attempts to give you insight in the actual lives at the time. Long story made shorter, one young man had some very negative things to say about his competition. Needless to say, the comments went viral as do all words these days and many people have been making comments on thoughts spoken out loud.

As we read in Paul's letter, make sure that we have the grace of God season our language so that the words that we speak will build up the body of Christ instead of break down the barriers. Sometimes the emotion of the moment or the time can cloud our judgement, but then, we must and I mean must lean on Christ for guidance and direction. Don't let situation break down your belief. Not committing the sin is easier to recover from than repenting, for that always leaves a scar or other momento.

Be Encouraged,

Martin

A guarantee

Friends,

We certainly live in gravely uncertain times. No one expects their world to turned upside-down by earthquakes, tsunamis, economic upheaval, or political unrest and rebellion. Yet, we have seen all of these happen again and again just in the past months. And in the short period of the last 30 or 40 years, the world has changed in more ways than you and I can count.

For sure, it would be nice to be able to rely on something, right? Wouldn't it be a relief to really know that we can be confident in at least one aspect of our lives?

Ephesians 1:13-14 [NKJV]
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (emphasis added)

Christ did something remarkable when He bestowed His spirit upon us. He gave us the opportunity to experience a portion of what we can expect when we are reunited with Him in glory. That small amount is more than just a preview ... It is a down-payment on the full inheritance which He has promised.

We cannot experience that full inheritance in this current, fallen world. But in the same way that "earnest money" is an assurance to contract parties that the terms of the agreement will be fulfilled, Christ's gift of His spirit assures us that we will enjoy the complete and abundant reward of being in His presence for all eternity.

Be encouraged, Jose

A new Bible study

Friends,

The latest lesson from the book of Judges has been published. You'll find it at Bible Study Audio and if you take the time to listen, you'll learn much about how the LORD expects us to respond to what the world is offering. The lesson focuses on the Canaanite tribes that Israel (we) failed to drive out of the Promised Land. We do the same when we "accept" or "tolerate" sin in our own lives.

If you want the full inheritance of God, we must drive out the sin that seeks to remain a part of our lives. Listen to this important lesson, brothers and sisters.

Be encouraged, Jose

Listen to Me

Friends,

Almighty God has something to say to you and to me right now. Are you ready to listen?

Psalm 81:8-10 [NKJV]
Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!
O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
There shall be no foreign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
I am the LORD your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Too often, we allow ourselves to worship things besides the One True God. But those gods are not who delivered us from bondage, nor did they rescue us from the grip of satan.

Choose today whom you shall worship. Choose wisely. Choose Jesus.

Be encouraged, Jose

Remain resolute

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 (NKJV)

The Lord demands that we put our whole hope and trust in Him and nothing else. Knowing fully well the fierce and subtle onslaught of the adversary on our claim to salvation in the segment of time, we are to stand firm and hold steadfastly on not the traditions of man, but on the word that has been revealed to us by His Spirit and the scriptures. In casting our burden upon Him, we set ourselves up for peace, which must precede any divine increase and growth in our lives.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NKJV)

Having done all things, let us remain resolute, stand firm and see the goodness of the Lord as we continue to abound in every good word and work to His glory.

Be Encouraged,

Afolabi

A bit too comfortable

Friends,

Have you been living in partial victory?
Do you find yourself struggling against the same issues, day after day, month after month, year after year?

It's not the first time for you, for me, or for anyone else.

But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
Judges 1:21 [NKJV]

The tribe of Benjamin did the same thing that all the others did. They took the land and declared victory. Indeed they were victorious. But they did not drive out the ones that they defeated. The victors therefore did not take full possession of their reward.

The Jebusites are a threshing people. They represent the weight of condemnation and self-recrimination. They beat us over and over with the guilt and reproach of our sinful past. In so doing, they drag us back to relive that past, to repeat those same stumbles, and to deny us the full experience of living under the blessing of God.

Why did the Benjamites allow the Jebusites to live with them? Who knows.

Why do we allow the sins and the weight of our carnal past to remain with us? Why don't we drive it out? Are we too comfortable with the familiarity of those life choices?

Choose today, brothers and sisters. Continue to live under condemnation and guilt and shame. Or drive out that Jebusite spirit, and live in the freedom that abundantly flows from genuine repentance.

Be encouraged, Jose

More from the book of Judges

Friends,

Please visit Bible Study Audio for the latest teaching from the book of Judges. In this lesson, we learn about the cities that God's people are to take as they (we) enter into their (our) inheritance. The names of those places speak directly to what is happening in and around our lives today.

I pray you are blessed and encouraged by this teaching.

Jose

On whose authority

Friends,

When a leader speaks, the weight and authority of his role support his words. Too often, we confuse leadership and celebrity, giving undue influence to those who are famous because of being famous. To often we dismiss the true authority of God's word in favor of the deception and bondage of the world's word.

John 7:16 [NKJV]
Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.

Our Lord recognized that His authority came from the Father, the One who sent Him. We would do well to acknowledge that authority in our own lives. And to bring our own actions into submission.

Provoke not the Maker

45 Furthermore the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 46 “Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the South,[g] 47 and say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. 48 All flesh shall see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.”’”

Ezekiel 20:45-48 (NKJV)

In His infinite and steady mercies, He made oaths with Israel, yet they flagrantly disregarded His Statutes and Ordinances, choosing their personal and destructive ways to that of their Maker. To every action there is a consequence. The choice of a lifestyle of willful disobedience will incur the fury and wrath of the Maker.

His word declares the kindling of a fire, One that is unquenchable and so conspicuous that the world will know that this is the Lord's doing. We must avoid any/all confrontation with the Lord and reject every rebellion to His Kingship.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Do You Believe Yet?

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:6-8 [KJV]

With the happenings in the world, do you believe that God is real? In Matthew, Christ predicts these occurrences, but states that we should know that these signs are only the beginning. No need to worry yet, but the time to believe is now. We should all take note that belief is the first item on our list that gives us access to the kingdom. As we watch the world, we remember that God still has everything under control. We have to "Just Believe".

Be Encouraged,

Martin

A joyful investment

Friends,

Each day, we owe it to ourselves to be reminded of just what we have in Christ Jesus. We defeat the enemy, little by little, when we recall the abundant blessing that has been purchased on our behalf.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
Ephesians 1:7-8 [NKV]

In Christ, we have redemption. He gained it by the power of His blood. And this is no small thing. He has made this grace to be abundant towards us, His people. Its value is beyond measure and imagination. Its power is eternal and enduring. And finally, the Lord did not do this thoughtlessly or carelessly. He did it according to the wisdom of His perfect will.

Brothers and sisters, have you considered this blessing today? Have you really taken the time and energy to understand what it truly means? To do so is an investment in joy.

Be encouraged, Jose

Bible studies - new sessions

Friends,

The latest Bible study sessions are now published at Bible Study Audio. You'll find a study from the first chapter of Judges and from the sixth chapter of Isaiah.

I pray you are blessed by this ministry.

Be encouraged, Jose

It depends on who's looking

Friends,

Here in the United States, Christians are increasingly the targets of scorn and ridicule. While we are as yet spared from the suffering and martyrdom that we see occurring in other countries, our beliefs and moral codes are frequently attacked as bigotry. And yet, this is to be expected. Our Lord reminds us of this ...

Psalm 22:6-8 [NKJV]
But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
“He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

When the world looks at you and me, they see Jesus. And when the world sees Jesus in us, they will hate us. Christ told us to expect this. And He gave us His example of how we are to respond:

Psalm 22:9
But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.

Jesus responded by recognizing that, while the world looks at Him as a merely a worm, their point-of-view is irrelevant. The only perspective that matters is the One held by the Father. When He counts us as righteous, then all is good... no matter what happens around us.

Be encouraged, Jose

As Christ did

15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
1 Peter 3:15 (NIV, ©2011)

The scripture says it so well. The liberties, and freedom of the present age can lead to reckless abandon and destruction. Believers as salts of the world must spice and influence the world and not the other way round. We will be required to stand up for our believes, hopes and truths we share and have. When we get to this situation, it is another opportunity in disguise to witness and showcase the Maker of All. Our delivery and witness of the message must be right, with the message packaged for reception by the targeted audience. The audience receiving the message is also as important as the message itself. It must be gentle, and not hostile or fanatical.

The times and situations will dictate the mode of delivery and how it will be accepted. Our goal must be to continue to seek creative means under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit to package and deliver the good news to this modern age without fuss, fanfare or taking out of the message. The Lord's delivery was perfect and always changing lives forever. Our witnessing and delivery of the message and good news must have the same outcomes.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Tis the Season

Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. John 2:19 [KJV]

Time to start the celebration has come. We are approaching the season that sets Christianity apart from other religions. Christ bore the sins of the world so we could have access directly to God the Father. He took on for us what we could not bear. His sacrifice opened the door to a new way of life. Let us remember and appreciate over the next 40 days what Jesus did for us.

Be Encouraged

Martin

Be Magnified

Friends,

What is the proper response to the Lord's actions?

In everything He does, His will and His glory is evident. His will is perfect and good. The outcome will bring Him glory. And nothing is better or more important than that!

So again, I ask you ... how should the men and women of God respond to what the Lord does?

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!”
-- Psalm 70:4 [NKJV]

We who seek the LORD are a unique people. We recognize that the sovereignty of God is absolute and complete. His hand touches and directs all things. So we see the events of history unfold and proclaim that the LORD is good and worthy to be praised! Let us magnify His Name!

Be encouraged, Jose

Find peace

Friends,

We always seem to be in some season of ritualistic observances. Beware of the trap they represent.

Isaiah 50:11
Look, all you who kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with sparks:
Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled—
This you shall have from My hand:
You shall lie down in torment. [NKJV]

The LORD keeps His promises. This we know. And He promises to chastise His people when they give up the pursuit of intimacy with Him in exchange for the satisfaction of some ritualized form of godliness.

Brothers and sisters, let us be free of calendar-driven spirituality and tradition-bound practices. Let us pursue Christ in spirit and in truth. Purse holiness and find peace.

Be encouraged, Jose

Forget About It

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Matthew 5:11 [KJV]

Ducks let water fall off their backs and move on. Can we do the same? Above Christ warns that people will talk about us and hate us and persecute us. He states that when this happens, we will be blessed. How does that happen? Because He is looking at the bigger picture in the grand scheme of our life. We, however are living in the moment and plotting our revenge. Instead, let's look at the big picture and hand the revenge to God. If we don't engage this line of thinking, we can see the benefit and the blessings. So, when some one says like water off a duck's back, we can relate that we just let that stuff fall off so God can handle His Part and we can benefit from the blessings.

Be Encouraged,

Martin