Verfiying the heart

Friends,

Almighty God wants us to know that we belong to Him. He wants us to be confident in His love for us.

Psalm 11:5 (NKJV)
The LORD tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. (emphasis added)

The word "tests" is translated from the Hebrew word bachan and means to examine, try, or to prove. By putting His sons and daughters through this process, The LORD brings us to a place of peace and comfort. The process reveals our heart to ourselves. We will be forced to end any self-deception. And then we will know what He already knows. Then, we can rest in knowledge and security of His gift of salvation.

Be encouraged, Jose

God's limits

Friends,

How often have we deceived ourselves into believing that God's mercy precludes Him from exercising perfect justice? How many times have we accused our Lord of cruelty when He does exercise perfect justice?

The fierce anger of the LORD will not return until He has done it,
And until He has performed the intents of His heart.
In the latter days you will consider it.
"At the same time," says the LORD, "I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people."
Jeremiah 30:24-31:1 [NKJV]

Even though translators have these verses in separate chapters, we can see that they truly flow as a continuous thought. And in this single, unified word, we see the goodness and the severity of our LORD.

Indeed, He is kind and merciful and longsuffering and patient. And truly, the LORD is fiercely just, and exercises perfect judgments over all mankind, including His precious children.

Be encouraged, Jose

Know the path of those who walked before

Friends,

Certainly we know that man has changed very little across human history. We are still tempted by the same desires. We are still committing the same atrocities. We are still falling into the same old snares and stumbles as we did hundreds and thousands of years ago. Along those same lines, Paul instructs the believers in Corinth to study what happened to our ancestors as they navigated through the wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land. He admonishes them, and us, to understand that what they did lead them to incur God's wrath. Their stories were recorded so that we would learn from them and not follow their unholy examples:

1 Corinthians 10:9-11
nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. [NKJV]

Sisters and brothers, it is time for us to ask ourselves the tough questions: Are we tempting Christ? Are we complaining about what God has chosen for our lives? Have we failed to learn from what our forefathers experienced?

We have their stories to learn from. Let us do just that ... learn from them. By doing so, we open our hearts to experience the mercy and blessing of our Father, the Great and Almighty God of Heaven and earth.

Be encouraged, Jose

Yet will I trust Him

Friends,

The degree to which we trust the LORD cannot truly be known during the good times. It is only when we fully acknowledge His complete and total sovereignty ... even during times of hardship and tribulation ... that we can know whether really trust in God or not.

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
Job 13:15 [NKJV]

Recall that Job was declared righteous before God. He is never told why he must endure the affliction that he experienced ... and neither are we. Indeed, he cries out to the LORD for a reason, and receives none.

And yet, Job trusts in the LORD.

And so must you and I.
We must trust in His goodness, in His perfect judgment and will, and in His completely unconditional love for us. Then we can accept all that comes from His hand as good, and perfect, and overflowing with love.

Be encouraged, Jose

Ignore the Faith Fads

Friends,

It seems that everyday, a "bold new ministry" makes its claim for our attention. We see churches incorporating the ways of the world in order to appear "relevant" and "in touch." We see celebrity preachers touting their latest book meant to improve your family, your job or your diet. Or someone else wants us to watch their DVD that explains how to fast, how to pray, how to worship, or how to serve.

We need to learn from those who have been anointed to teach the Body about sound doctrine and appropriate actions. And no one can legitimately claim to have figured it all out. And we know that the Lord is revealing Himself anew each day. Yet, we are wise to return to Scripture, in order to keep all of this in perspective:

Hebrews 13:9 [NKJV]
Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

Remember that part of the enemy's plan is to distract the Christian from paying attention to the Lord. In so doing, Satan disrupts and hinders the growth of our relationship with God, which slows our transformation into His perfect image. Since we are commanded to resist the devil -- even unto blood -- then vigorously testing the doctrine of the day must be a key element in our battle plan.

Hold up every instruction to the shining light of God's Word. By the Holy Spirit, you will see what is deception and what is truth. And then you can put the truth into action, and experience the freedom and peace that is beyond understanding.

Be encouraged, Jose

My Redeemer lives

“Look, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him; When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him. But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
Job 23:8-10 (NKJV)

A lifetime summary is a synopsis of the beginning, mid and end of the exploits of someone. This summary gives a detailed and full perspective view of the entire history of the person and not just part of it. The story and summary of Job was almost defined by his worst season when he lost all he had. But he (Job) never succumbed to the limited and transient challenging moment of his life, neither did he base his next life's decision based on the tragic turn of events in his life.

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth;
Job 19:25 (NKJV)

In a season, it may be hard to perceive the presence of the Creator in some of our circumstances and situations. We must refused to be defined by just our present circumstances. Our life is in God's hands. Even though we may not see or feel Him like Job, we know after he has tested us, we shall come forth as gold.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi