The most powerful legacy

Friends,

Sin has devastated the world. What was once glorious, peaceful and filled with integrity, is now ripped apart by war, strife, deceit and death. Each of us bears the scars of the result of Adam's disobedience. And each of us bears the scars of our own sin and suffering. Fortunately, the Lord God did not leave His creation in that state.

Romans 5:5 [NKJV]
But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

Because we come from the line of Adam, every man has followed in his flawed footsteps. That is quite a powerful legacy.

But the legacy of Christ is greater than all of the legacies of all the men that have come before us. His work has justified His followers, and we bear the weight and wages of sin no more.

Be encouraged, Jose

I AM... His Grace is available

13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.
Exodus 3:13-15 (NKJV)

Moses after his conversation with God was given what seem like an herculean task.... Emancipate the nation of Israel from the hand of the Egyptians. Moses was quick to identify his deficiencies, weaknesses, shortcomings, limitations, and inabilities. But Jehovah God assured him that I AM was available to him, His grace was available to him, and that he needed not fear or shrink back for the tasks ahead.

Apostle Paul was also assured of the God's grace sufficiency in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). The grace is available to every child of God who will simply trust Him in this year. Therefore take pleasure in your weakness, for in it I AM is available to strengthen you, His grace is available and ever sufficient.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

For good works

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV)

The grace of God is promised in abundance for God's children. The grace to abound in all things resulting in sufficient and more than enough resources to fulfill purpose and accomplish goals. The succeeding abundance is for the expansion and increased capacity for good works and the furtherance of heaven's agenda. The priorities and goals of the grace should not be misconstrued or termed as liberty for self indulgence.

His grace must propel us and increase our propensity to do greater good works. The grace must not be misused.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Boast only the work of God

Friends,

It is far too easy for a man's ego to fool him. We are quickly convinced that the Lord saved us because of our good works, our compassion or our willingness to serve our fellow man.

Where is boasting then? It is excluded.
By what law? Of works?
No, but by the law of faith.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Romans 3:27-28 [NKJV]

Our salvation is utterly dependent on the grace and love of a wholly sovereign God. Nothing is outside of His will or His power. We boast only His mercy. And we give glory to only true God who is worthy.

Be encouraged, Jose

It is enough

Friends,

Some believers refuse to engage in certain types of ministries. They say that they are not "gifted in that way." I confess that I have done the same. I am privileged to be married to a true prophet of the Lord. And through her words, this particular weakness was exposed.

Sisters and brothers, in various seasons of life, we are called to do certain things, and called not to do others. But to say that we lack a particular gift is to say that Christ's gifts are limited, finite, and not quite enough to fulfill the Father's promises.

This simply untrue.

Ephesians 4:7 [NKJV]
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

The grace of Jesus is sufficient for every calling and every ministry.

Be encouraged, Jose

Shame is removed and replaced

Friends,

The wounds of our lives can leave a deep and persistent scar. But we have been given a new life ... the old man is crucified with Christ ... and in that life we are privileged and graced with great love and healing.

Isaiah 61:7
Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,
And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs. [NKJV]

Honor and affirmation are bestowed upon the children of God by our Father. No lies of Satan, nor any attacks from his foul host, can take those away. He will attempt to steal it, but Christ will not allow the enemy to possess what has rightfully and legally been give to the Christian.

Honor is yours, brothers and sisters.
Joy is yours!

Remember.

Be encouraged, Jose

Who deserves the credit?

Friends,

We are always tempted to believe that our place in God's Kingdom is somehow the result of our own action. People insist on clinging to the notion that adoption in the Lord's family is subject to man's free will. Even as evidence presented by God's infallible word proves otherwise ...

Psalm 71:6
By You I have been upheld from birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.
My praise shall be continually of You. [NKJV]

If something was done before your birth, how can it be the result of your actions? If we believe these scriptures, then we must set aside any belief that our salvation is due to any work on our part.

Grace is bestowed on us. We receive it because we - like all creation - are subject to God's sovereign will.

Be encouraged, Jose

Our peace

Friends,

There is an ongoing search within the heart of every person. Some people are aware of this search. Others are not. But regardless of whether we acknowledge this quest, it is part of who we are. It is a desire ... a deep longing ... for peace. Some men chase it through "self-awareness" while other expect to find it in conquest. There are as many attempts as there are people. And all of them will lead to the same dead-end.

There is only one correct path.

Ephesians 2:4 [NKJV]
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

There is only correct path, because there is really only one destination that is truly peaceful -- full of peace. Not all roads lead to it. Only the way of Christ leads to Christ. He is our peace.

Be encouraged, Jose

Why he raised us

Friends,

The Lord does nothing in vain. Everything He does has a purpose.

So why, then, did He raise us up to eternal life?
Why bestow such an incomprehensible gift on creatures who have betrayed and disobeyed Him?

The answers, brothers and sisters, is found here:

... and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
-- Ephesians 2:6-7 (emphasis added), NKJV

The simplistic answer is that Almighty God has done a wondrous work. He wants all of creation to know it.

You and I are His prized possession ... His trophy. He chose us and wants there to be no mistake about it. And He wants all to know that this gift's value is beyond measure.

Be encouraged, Jose

A Savior for the ignorant

Friends,

Although I'm not a lawyer, I've been told that it is well-known legal principle that ignorance of the law is no excuse. Not knowing that an activity is illegal may reduce the severity of the punishment, but it will never remove guilt. That is why all men are accountable for obedience to God's Law:

Leviticus 5:17 (NKVJ)
If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.

For this reason, every man needs the saving grace provided by Christ. We cannot ignore those who may not have been taught the laws of God thinking that their ignorance will be sufficient to save them. The wages of sin ... all sin ... is death. And the redemptive power of Jesus is the only way to overcome that just and righteous penalty.

Be encouraged, Jose

Sufficient Grace

The world had gone to the extreme, pressing further in evil and provoking a kind-hearted God to the point of regret and destruction.

7 So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Genesis 6:7-8 (NKJV)

Thank God for the shed blood and price of calvary, an all sufficient grace for an undeserving world. He has paid the price for us all and as Noah was spared in the first judgment, we have a chance to get it right through His grace.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

God provides

Friends,

The world tells us that we can all get to heaven, if we just try hard enough. Religions tell us that we can follow their rules and rituals and practices, and they will lead us to heaven.

But the truth is that there is only way to achieve eternal life in the presence of God. And that way has nothing to do with our human effort.

Genesis 22:14 [NKJV]
And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob provided the atonement for our sins. He did it in Himself. It is a gift ... unearned by human effort. It is grace.

Be encouraged, Jose

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

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

How we receive each other

Friends,

Maybe it was years ago.
Maybe it was yesterday.

Someone wronged you. They owed you something ... perhaps it was merely an apology ... and did not fulfill it. They deprived you of something meaningful ... perhaps they deprived of you of their kindness, love and affection.

No matter how it happened, you were wounded by their actions.

Philemon 1:15-16
For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave - a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. [NKJV]

The question now is this:
Can you receive them as a brother? Can you acknowledge that you've been hurt without holding a grudge? Can you accept that Christ has given them grace sufficient to repent?

This can be one of the hardest things we are called to do as Christians. But it is no more than what Jesus did for us ... and for Him, it cost Him His life.

Forgive, brothers and sisters, as we have been forgiven.

Be encouraged, Jose

Bearing witness

Friends,

One way or the other, our words and thoughts and actions will bear witness to the true condition of our soul. People the world over blame God for being mean and unfair. They demand to be judged as righteous, even though there is ample evidence of their failure to live up to even the most basic standard of moral conduct:

Isaiah 3:9 [NKJV]
The look on their countenance witnesses against them,
And they declare their sin as Sodom;
They do not hide it.
Woe to their soul!
For they have brought evil upon themselves.

People claim to have kept the commandments even though they spent their adolescence in rebellion against their father. They declare their innocence even as they declare entire passages of His word as irrelevant and outdated. People claim to love and worship and obey the LORD, and in the next moment disregard His Sabbath.

We deserve the wages of sin.
Truly, our own thoughts and words and actions bear witness to the evil in the natural man's heart.

Without the life and death and resurrection of Jesus, we will have fully earned the evil we have brought upon ourselves. But by the grace of Christ, those who are His are declared righteous.

Be encouraged, Jose

For good works

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:4-10 (NKJV)

His available grace has been bestowed on all that all may come to the knowledge of His love and nature. His acts teach us unconditional love, love not driven for self gain and gratification but with a sacrificial intent not demanding a kickback or favor.

As specially crafted people destined and designed for good works in Christ Jesus, let us walk and work in this path and role with our all so as to fulfill our purpose in Him that has called us.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

The declaration's response

Friends,

Is it possible for a man to be blameless? In our limited judgment, we can only say no. Yet how does Almighty God, the maker and keeper of covenants, come to say this ...

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”
Genesis 17:1-2 [NKJV]

In our awkward logic, we read the translated passage and assume that Jehovah is giving Abram two interrelated commands: to walk before God and, while he is doing so, to behave in a way that brings no blame or judgment upon himself.

But that is not exactly what is going on here.
The LORD is giving Abram one command: to walk before Him. As He does so, the LORD will render a judicial judgment: that Abram is blameless. God is making a declaration. A decision. God has extended His grace upon Abram. It is not in response to Abram's walk. Abram's walk in is response to God's grace.

This is the same transaction that occurs between the LORD and all of His people ... including you and me. So let us walk before Him, for He has declared us blameless. Not because of what we did or did not do, but because He has declared it be so.

Be encouraged, Jose

God made the first move

Friends,

We are in a covenant with Almighty God. It is a new covenant, because we cannot keep the old covenant of works. Because of Adam's disobedience, we are unable even to desire to keep the original covenant. But the LORD decided to extend His grace to us:

Jeremiah 31:33
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. [NKJV]

It is important to notice something very subtle in this passage. It is that God is speaking in the first person, and is declaring what He is going to do. You and I were incapable of initiating this new covenant. Because of original sin, we had no desire for peace or reconciliation with God.

Rather, God Himself sent His Only Begotten Son ... an amazing invasion of this fallen world ... to fulfill all of the conditions required of being in the eternal presence of the Father. And by doing so, He formed the relationship that we - as His followers and His children - so desperately need.

Be encouraged, Jose

If not for God

2 “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, When men rose up against us, 3 Then they would have swallowed us alive...
Psalm 124:2-3 (NKJV)

The Psalmist boldly and confidently declared a real testimony. It was a story of triumph and victory over the schemes and overtures of men. So lethal and deadly were the intent of men, but the grace of God remained sufficient.

6 Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. 7 Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124:6-8 (NKJV)

We must never lose sight of this uncommon grace and mercies from our Savior, neither must we take it for granted. If not for God!!! what would have been the lot of man? To God be all glory forever more.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi