Governing all nations

Friends,

We look forward to the day when the worldly, flawed governments of the world fall. In their place will rise a perfect and perfectly good King.

Psalm 67:4
Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth. Selah [NKJV]

When the LORD judges the people, He will do so according to His law and will. There will be no injustice. There will be no corruption. There will be no tyranny.

We cannot bring this about through our own efforts. Our part is to submit to lawful authority and to pray for the coming of the Lord. In that day, there will be great rejoicing! For the LORD will judge us righteously!

Be encouraged, Jose

Evidence of righteousness

Friends,

Let your heart be governed by a simple instruction:

Psalm 4:5
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the LORD. [NKJV]

Do not over-complicate this with burdensome rules, emotion-filled rituals, or distracting traditions. Seek righteousness and demonstrate it with every word, thought and action. Such a sacrifice will be opposed by the enemy. It is evidence of a heart that trusts in the LORD. And it will shout the good news of salvation and victory!

Be encouraged, Jose

Hallmarks of a blessed life

Friends,

We still cling to a odd, temporal notion of what it means to be blessed. We see a big house, a nice car, a healthy family, or success in business and call that man blessed. We see a struggling family, or a disruptive illness, and choose not to see in any blessing in that.

But contrast that view with what God says about blessings:

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 84:5-7 [NKJV]

The whole basis of whether a man is "blessed" or not has nothing to do with present-day circumstances. Rather it has everything to do with the eternal condition of the heart.
Does the heart draw its strength from the LORD?
Is the desire focused on moving through this world and to the LORD?
Are the eyes set on things above?

These, brothers and sisters, are the hallmarks of a blessed man. It is worth examining our hearts today for evidence of their presence.

Be encouraged, Jose

Renewal necessary

29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,

31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31 (NKJV)

The Lord is available to them that can seek and depend on Him. Experience shows that even in our elements, when we are highest in our energy levels, it is not impossible to be dissipated within minutes, growing weary and feeble when things don't go the way we expect. The strong is weakened, slumber and slack reigns forth and our stamina is compromised and rendered ineffective.

The physical may sometimes fail, even with the best of nutrients for the body. These doesn't usually measure up, not even the material acquisitions, social status and all the appellations of life. At this point, we know that only waiting on Him is the answer.

Have you grown weary, tired and exhausted in your usual routine of life? Its time to wait on Him for renewal and refreshing.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

The only opinion that matters

Friends,

There is a true word of God. But because it's not always what we want to hear, we might - in a time of weakness - seek out a second opinion. Or a third. We do this when we are looking to justify sin and rationalize evil. Not one of us is immune.

It may seem fairly obvious, but it's worth repeating: God is not amused or pleased by this:

Her heads judge for a bribe,
Her priests teach for pay,
And her prophets divine for money.
Yet they lean on the LORD, and say,

"Is not the LORD among us?
No harm can come upon us."

Therefore because of you
Zion shall be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins,
And the mountain of the temple
Like the bare hills of the forest.
Micah 3:11-12, NKJV

The men and women who bribe their pastors to condone their sin are in for a rude awakening. You ask how a pastor could be bribed? It's easy, and shameful. But a big donation for that new program or building fund. It takes two, of course ... that pastor must be willing to value the contributions (tithes and otherwise) more than obedience to Christ. And of course that pastor is headed for disaster, as well.

And after all of that, everyone involved expects ... even demands ... that the LORD smile and bless and approve of such abominable behavior!

Rather than belabor the point, let's go to the solution.

As true believers, we have an obligation and a freedom to obey Christ Jesus. We are now able to hear His word and know His voice. Do not waste that gift by foolishly and sinfully looking for ways to disobey Him. Do not ask a brother to condone sin. Do not ask a sister to rationalize and justify sin.

Instead, stop the sin. Heed the voice of Christ!

Be encouraged, Jose

Faith is it

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

John 14:1 (NKJV)

One scratches his head and ponders in the face of daily challenges of life. Can I really stand up and uphold my faith and belief in this hostile and negative environment. It has even become a thing of ridicule to even be seen as a believer... so in the eyes of the world. But we need not bother, neither should we panic over the ferocious and aggressive threats and influences of the world. The matter is simple and settled. Refrain from panic, worry and fright mode, but rather believe in God and His son, Jesus Christ.

18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:18 (NKJV)

One in Christ is not on his own but with the greatest one. Stand firm, cast away all fears, faith up and

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

The antidote for hate

Friends,

It seems that hatred and accusations of hatred are everywhere. If two disagree, each accuses the other of hate. If a man stands up for his beliefs and refuses to compromise his faith, then he is accused of hatred.

It boils down to the discomfort some feel when their sinful behavior is called what it is: sin. The sinful ones react harshly, angrily, and sometimes violently. Fortunately, we have a defender:

Psalm 9:13
Have mercy on me, O LORD!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death, [NKJV]

Praying for justice is neither hateful nor sinful. Seeking the wisdom of the One who is truly in a position to render a judgment? This is a loving and humble act. We who truly follow Christ do not usurp His authority. We call upon it and depend on it. And we rejoice in the judgments of a perfectly good and sovereign King.

Be encouraged, Jose

For the will of God

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
1 Peter 4:1-2 (NKJV)

There is no immunity for us on the insatiable demands and aggression of the carnal man, rather we must mortify him, arrest him and bring him to submission to the obedience of the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Our Lord Himself had to subject the flesh with the same mindset to terminate the regime and connection with sin and the carnal man. Until this is done, the natural connection to the desire and lusts of the flesh will remain.

We must submit our will to the Holy Spirit who in turn will empower us to overcome and connect 'supernaturally' to the will of God for our lives. This connection to the things of the Kingdom is not natural, but supernatural through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. If we must live, let us live for the will of God and not the lusts and destructive agenda of the flesh.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi