Only in Him

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV)

For what reason are we alive today? For what reason do we exist at this time of history? There is hardly a day in all the news outlet known to man that someone's demise isn't reported either through natural causes, man-made causes, disasters or other causes. Life and the breath of life is suddenly snuffed out and a once vibrant, hopeful, energetic body and soul is harvested confirming the futility of all that is under the sun. Having this knowledge ought to help us re-adjust our mindset of life and all that is therein ... all we have, our accomplishments, riches, physical endowments and achievements must never be our glory objects, they must never be the sole driving force of our life's pursuits, but our reverence, awe, yearnings, and glory must be in Him who provides, heals, protects, the giver of all good things and Him who harvests the souls of men.

If there is anything we glory in, it must be in the only One wise and Almighty God who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

When Did I Help Christ?

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:35-40 [KJV]

Just wait until we get to heaven and hear the history of how we helped out Christ in these situations above. We will be just like the folks in the story and ask the question, when did we do these things? Every time we provide assistance to others, we are performing these tasks. There are no banners displayed to say we are helping Christ, but as the physical body of the Church, we are working to demonstrate the love that Christ has for people.

We sometimes look at the opportunity to help as a bother. We wonder why someone cannot make it out of their situations. We have no idea surrounding the circumstances of where they are or why they are there. We know that God is the only true judge and we should take advantage of any pure opportunity to help without pretense or looking for some reward to come because of what we did. God knows how the folks got to where they are and He also knows our intention for helping them out. Let God handle the purity of the acts and let us just do what God has called us to do. If we keep it that simple, then we can help Christ and not ever worry about it.

Be Encouraged,

Martin

Diverse strategies, one intent

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,[d] 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)

Apostle Paul's mission and intent was clearly defined. He had a goal worthy of pursuing to its logical conclusion. Like the Lord Jesus Christ clearly displayed in the gospels, the strategies of the gospel are dynamic and multi-varied with all resulting in one common goal - winning souls for the Kingdom of God. From the Apostle's stated strategies here, there isn't any clear cut pattern or one single way by which to reach this objective, the end here justifies the means of winning precious souls that the King of Kings died for.

Our goal is to serve all men..... atheist, unbelievers, murderers, adulterers, etc. Their soul is precious to Him and nothing is too much for us to do to reach these for the Kingdom sake. It is part of our individual and collective mission, and we must not shy away from it or be ignorant of it.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Beware of the fascination

Friends,

I confess that I find myself, on occasion, heavily distracted by politics. Even though there is no question as to who I am voting for and why, I still catch myself seeking out news and opinions on this year's presidential race. Perhaps that's why the Lord pointed out this verse to me today.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ
- Philippians 3:20, NKJV

So yes, I have responsibilities that come as part of life on this planet, in this country. And those responsibilities include voting according to my beliefs and values (as opposed to media popularity). But I suspect that I'm not alone when it comes to needing help in staying focused on what is eternal, as opposed to what is noisy.

Let us pray together that we be diligent in our duties, but not at the expense of being devoted to Christ.

Be encouraged, Jose

How to be

Friends,

A few years ago, the Lord showed me the difference between boys and men. He told me that boys think about what they do, whereas men think about who they are. Considering who he is forces a man to slow down and truly examine his motives, his intentions and his thoughts. Then he can assess the quality of his actions. Anyone who has raised one knows that boys cannot slow down. In a sense, the ability to slow down is a primary indicator of maturity.

In the same manner, our Lord focuses on the heart. In other words, He is less concerned about what we do than He is about who we are. Because He is perfectly and completely mature, God can do this perfectly and completely. And what does He want us to be?

Romans 12:12 (NKJV)
[Be] rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

The qualities expressed in this verse (as well as those that come before and after) describe essential characteristics of Christ:
He focused not on the adversity, but on the hope that was set before Him.
He patiently endured trials and tribulations that would make all other men wilt.
And of course, He never ever stopped praying.

Let us be conformed to the image of Christ that He has placed in each of us. Let us have our identity be in Christ Jesus. That is who we are. We can evidence that fact by ... rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.

Be encouraged, Jose

Because the harvest has come

And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Mark 4:26-29 (NKJV)

So it was succinctly described in the above verse, we are scattered on this planet at every continent with a specific divine mission and goal to sprout and grow. Out of our efforts He breathes and bestows increase for the yields to manifest. When our grains ripen, He takes us with Him because the harvest has come. The harvest must always succeed the sowing. Our pursuits (period between sowing and harvest) must bring forth a harvest for Heaven to partake in us. A fruitless sojourn will only be cleared, packed and set for burning and destruction.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Be Ready

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Matthew 25:1 [KJV]

As we recall this parable, we know that the central theme is to be prepared. Sometimes we get prepared, like for the Y2K events that did not occur. Some of us may still have items left from the original stockpile. Sometimes we prepare for events like hurricanes that do come through and we are ready to handle the worst that it brings. In life, we make choices about how we prepare. Let's think about those for a moment.

When we hear of an upcoming event, we can plan to get ready or assess that we are OK in our current state. Either way, we are making a choice. We can establish a plan or go with a take events as they come, and again, we have made a choice. Some events arrive faster than we can react and we are stuck with the predetermined choice our survival instincts make. Again choices have been made.

Since we are choosing something at every turn, let's prepare for the events and make better choices. For it is better to be prepared and not have to use the plan (like Y2K), than not to have a plan and hope that we can ride out the events upcoming (like a hurricane, tornado or the return of the Lord).

Be Encouraged,


Martin

For the right reasons

A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.
Mathew 16:4 (NKJV)

The Sadducces and the Pharisees made it a past time to continually test and seek the Lord for a sign from heaven. Like many 'believers' and 'non-believers' today, these folks get preoccupied and dissipate their energies on seeking signs, and wonders without any consolidation of their salvation in the Lord. The Leaven of the world like (these folks) and their cultures will trivialize the kingdom and its principles, playing buying time tactics, seeking for the end time with the goal of making excuses for deferring salvation and kingdom pursuits and works.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

When we seek Him, we seek Him not for the toys and benefits alone, not for the signs and wonders alone, but because He is the Creator and Lord of all. To do otherwise is to reduce Him to a convenient god that's only good for doling out benefits. A wicked and an adulterous generation will continue to seek signs and though they be surrounded by many but will never have their soul and spirit quickened or activated to identify what they seek because of their distorted agenda, but they that come to the Lord must believe that He is and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

The Backwards Pull

Friends,

There is danger lurking around every corner. It is the temptation to draw back to the world, to succumb to the temporary pleasure of sin. As with all of our issues, this is nothing new. All of us know the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, and what became of those bastions of depravity. And yet, even as those cities burned, there were those who didn't want to leave.

Genesis 19:24-26 [NKJV]
Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But [Lot's] wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Think about what the normal, human response would be to fire and brimstone raining down from the skies, burning everything they touch. In my mind, all I can imagine doing is grabbing my wife and kids and running ... fast. Surely, the sound of destruction and the heat of the flames will tell me all I need to know about what we're leaving behind. But Lot's wife felt the tug of what she left behind, and it was too much for her. Not even normal self-preservation could overcome her desire to stay immersed in the sin of this world.

A test will be there for us, as well. And it will show us what God already sees. Let us pray now that, when the LORD tells us to leave what this world holds precious behind, that we will run to Him. Not looking back, but looking forward to that place of peace and salvation.

Be encouraged, Jose

That gut feeling

Friends,

Here in America, we use the word "gut" to describe an unmapped part of our being. It's a combination of our intuition, our emotional center, and the holding tank for our courage. We "follow our gut instincts." Shocking news can make us feel like we "got punched in the gut." An act of bravery? Well, "that took a lot of guts." And if asked to point to our gut, it's that (sometimes growing) area between our lungs and our loins.

Let's make a connection now to God's word.

The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul,
But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.
Proverbs 13:25 [NKJV]

What is going into your gut? Does it have the power of God?

Brothers and sisters, when we take in the Word of God, it nourishes and strengthens our gut. Our intuition becomes better aligned with God's will. Our emotions will become healthier because the heart will be fortified with the Lord's wisdom. And the resurrection power of Christ Jesus will strengthen and embolden us, making us courageous in the face of the world's traps, taunts and temptations.

Be encouraged, Jose

Be alert and ready

These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Mathew 10:5-8,16 (NKJV)

The mission to every child of God is clearly and strategically cut out. We are sent into a world that is hostile, cunning, crafty, militant and haters of the knowledge of the Creator. But we are sent not to conform with the world and be changed by it, but to engage the world with a mission to influence and impact it for the Kingdom. We must not alienate ourselves from the lost, rather we must seek them passionately with the intent to reach their soul for the kingdom of heaven that is at hand. In fulfilling this divine mission, some will heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons and ultimately bring real people and souls to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The mission is fraught with dangers and hazards, thus we must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. We must be alert and ready and never forgetting our mission.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Trusting God

And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 2 Samuel 22:2-4 [KJV]

Samuel talks about trust and we have been talking about trust all week. One of the major questions we always have for God is can we trust you? He is always keeping His Word and Promises and keeping us in the clear, but we still ask the question. The reason why is that for every man, woman and child that we know, we have been let down. It is hard to believe that we can really trust someone we cannot see, feel and touch, while we can't trust fully in those around us. "Just our nature".

God has proven over time that He can be trusted and we can rely on Him. We just need to keep Him out of the class of others and remember that He is the one true God. He has, will and will continue to deliver on all His Promises. Has He failed yet?

Be Encouraged,

Martin

The mind of the rich

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Mark 10:23-25 (NKJV)

The saying of the Lord concerning His advice to the rich young man stirred up questions in the minds of the disciples. They simply asked ..."who then can be saved"? One can also rephrase their question as thus... 'is it possible to be rich and safe to enter the Kingdom of God'?. Jesus thus answered them “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” This translates to this - Yes it is possible to be rich and enter the kingdom of God, but it will require the renewing of our mind and seeing the gifts, riches and blessings that He has endowed us with for what they are and not make thin gods out of them. The Rich's priorities are somewhat different, driven by motives to amass, increase at all cost and through whatever means. Any thing that will alter that mindset brings sorrow and anguish to the rich. But the renewing of our mind and focus to things that are eternal and seeing these gifts and blessings as things in our temporary custody for blessing His creations and works. This will bring to us peace that surpasses our human understanding.

When we release our all to Him, His spirit begins to work the impossible in us and the rich man's challenges for entering God's kingdom is turned into an opportunity to be used for His glory.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

How does that taste?

Friends,

There's an old expression that people use when their predictions have been proven incorrect. They'll say that have to "eat their words." It's as if, by pulling them back into our mouths, we can somehow erase the fact that we've said them.

Proverbs 13:2-3 NKJV
A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth,
But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.
He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

It never fails that what we said has been recorded and remembered. They will come back to us. The question is, will we be glad to see them when they return? When we speak in the language of the world, reinforcing its ideals and rapidly declining standards, we will surely find them bitter. It is as if our lips are open wide and destruction zooms in.

However, when we guard our mouth from the evils of carnal thinking, then our speech will reflect the Word of God. We are preserving and nurturing our life in the LORD.

Either way, brothers and sisters, we will eat our fill. The choice is made by our actions ... in advance. Speak well, so that the taste will be sweet.

Psalm 119:103 NKJV
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Be encouraged,
Jose

Expecting

Friends,

How often do we look to the heavens in despair or exasperation?
How many times do we look up and cry out, "Why?" As if to accuse our LORD of not having a perfect reason for the things He does.

Psalm 123:2 [NKJV]
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the LORD our God,
Until He has mercy on us.

The writer of this Psalm, King David, has seen his fair share of life's curve balls. He has done some supremely stupid things. He has done some horrifyingly evil things. And he has endured the consequences of these actions, as well as the horrendous actions of others. And here he sings of looking to the LORD with great expectations... waiting for the loving touch of a gentle mistress, knowing that lovingkindness and mercy are on the way.

Brothers and sisters, let us look to the heavens with this same trust. It is more than just hope. It is a deep, quiet confidence that brings peace and rest, no matter what is going on around us.

Be encouraged,
Jose

Will you?

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.
John 12:9-11 (NKJV)

To be a recipient of His grace and mercies will always create armies of plotters, haters, and killers whose goal is to silence, quench and hide any proclamation of His wondrous works either in person, through news, or any medium. Many came to Bethany where Christ had supper with the disciples and other invitees. Lazarus a recipient of Christ mercies was also in attendance, but as many as those that were the event, many like in today's world came with their hidden agenda to remove any trace and source of the good news.

As vessels and carriers of His presence, goodness and mercies, we will be prime targets for the adversary and his agents, but we are more than conquerors through Him in all things. Even at the face of danger and peril, will you show up and stand for Him? He will always have our back. We just need to get on and about His kingdom business.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Incomparable

To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike?
Isaiah 46:5 (NKJV)

As the seasons of life passes by, our circumstances can put our faith on the spot. The flesh yearns for instant answers or resolutions to what may seem a pending crisis. The spirit of compromise looms in the horizon, the need for instant gratification or an instant fix to the challenges at hand invokes an "anything goes" spirit... a spirit that makes us create gods out of people, toys, and just anything. Yet Jehovah God Almighty speaks clearly in this verse, what shall we liken our Creator to? why should any creature, thing or ... take the place of the Creator?

Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ .
Isaiah 46:9-10 (NKJV)

Yes the seasons of time may shift, but the Lord's faithfulness is from everlasting to everlasting. In this word should our soul and heart rest on and be at peace. The glory of the Creator will not be discounted, shared or ridiculed by our acts of unbelief. He is forever faithful and nothing will ever compare to Him.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Less than we'd imagined

Friends,

I find myself getting distracted by many things these days. Instead of focusing on God's word and His will for me, my mind is drawn to the tasks for the day... work, housework, summertime activities, etc. I cannot explain this weakness, but it's there. And I certainly know better, for the Word is clear on the stark contrast between the things of this world and the things of eternity.

The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Psalm 90:10 [NKJV]

All that this world can give any of us is labor and sorrow, even over the course of decades of living. Real joy comes the Father. And while my brain knows this, and that I have full intellectual agreement with His word, my attention still ends up wandering away.

In this season, I rely on the grace of Jesus to keep me.

This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I hope in Him!"
Lamentations 3:21-24 [NKV]

Be encouraged, Jose

Away from dangerous territory

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
Colossians 3:1-7 (NKJV)

To every pursuit in life, the need for a clear cut and adaptable strategy increases the quotient for success. Resources and energies are efficiently utilized and harnessed for maximum benefits and returns. We have been redeemed by a price and hidden as a precious treasure in Him who redeemed us, hence we must conform to His true nature for us lest we allow our fallen nature to make us candidates for God's wrath, the causes and actions that are plain - fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. The old man must give way to the new man and we must navigate our way with determination, focus, purpose and a renewed mind in a world given to wrath-invoking activities.

The Holy spirit in us is and willing to help steer us away from familiar, dangerous and destructive territories, but we must be willing to follow His lead. It is in our best interest to yield without reservations or conditions.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Keep The Commandments

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 [KJV]

God is looking at us and how we live. He is concerned about how we represent Him. He looks at all our actions and thoughts. Nothing is secret from Him and He knows what our desires are. He will bring all those things into judgment in due time.

We should all know that God is truth and love. He will not tempt us or lead us down a path of destruction. He will guide our lives by His Simple Principles. Love God and love your neighbor. We know that our neighbor is anyone that is in need and we decide to help like the story of the Good Samaritan. We know that we show God's love by keeping the commandments. When we do these things, we know that God will keep the accurate record. We must keep our intentions clear so that we are not caught doing something right for the wrong reasons. Let's vow to work on our heart meaning for keeping the commandments.

Be Encouraged,

Martin

Long for His peace

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Phillipians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

To long for and be anxious over life and its content is vain when there is a better option. The energies expended on anxiety and worry can and ought to be channeled to the Giver of all good things through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving. You can only give thanks for something that has been received. Received? Yes, received either in the spirit or in person. The believer receives in the spirit before the physical manifestation. That explains the role of our faith in the waiting season that always precede our receiving. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrew 11:1 NKJV). It is this faith that propels us to the place of peace and keeps us there, the peace that is beyond human reasoning and understanding. It is the place to be at all times.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi