In the company of Christ

Friends,

Things go wrong in every man's life. But where do you turn? Do you retreat to the comfortable confines of the natural man? Or do you have the courage to go the family of Christ?

Proverbs 27:10 [NKJV]
Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,
Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;
Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

The family of Christ, in its current form, is yet being perfected. But it is headed by the Perfect Man.

The Lord Jesus has never erred in judgment, has only loved completely, and has never failed to comfort, strengthen and encourage. And if we place ourselves in the company of believers, then the love that Christ delivers is never far away.

Be encouraged, Jose

How to be a target

Friends,

The strategies of the enemy are fairly predictable. He attacks when we are tired and weak. He distracts with busy-ness. He whispers (and shouts) lie after lie. But most insidiously, he separates believers from one another.

Proverbs 18:1
A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages against all wise judgment. [NKJV]

It is the same tactic used by predators on the hunt for their meal. Separate one from the herd and it cannot defend itself.

The enemy separates us from our fellowship, so that we are less accountable.
The enemy separates us from the Word, so that we struggle to know our Master's voice.

It is why we are commanded not forsake the fellowship of believers. It is not a suggestion. It is not a helpful hint. It is declared forcefully in God's word.

If you are under attack by the world, the flesh or the devil ... then examine your life. Are you in fellowship? Are you in corporate prayer? Are you seeking out the company of believers?

Be encouraged, Jose

Unholy mockery

Friends,

The hypocrisy in events leading up to the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus never ceases to amaze me. This short passage is but one example, but it captures the moment.

Mark 14:1 [NKJV]
After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.

This was among the most important feasts of the Jewish religion. And these men represented the religious elite, the pillars of good and civilized society, if you will.

And here they are plotting to kill a man.
They are not deep in prayer, giving thanks for their deliverance from Egyptian slavery.
They are not coming together to worship God in fellowship.
They are not even gathering to celebrate this feast as a community of faith.

They are gathering in secret to orchestrate an ambush, a mock trail and a murder.

Of course, none of this happens outside of God's perfect will and orchestration... not even the most minute detail escapes the Father's attention. And their plans for murder are destroyed by Jesus' triumphant act of giving up His life.

Even so, how often do we fall into this same trap? How many times do we turn our back on time to pray, or ignore the Sabbath rest ... in order to plan things that are clearly contrary to His will and commands? There is time yet to repent of this. And the time is now.

Be encouraged, Jose

From the heart to the hands

Friends,

1 Corinthians 5:8 [NKJV]
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

For many reasons, the modern church continues with a wide variety of old rituals and habits. The Lord understands the comfort that men find in old rites and ceremonies.

The biggest danger, though, is that we persist in these habits without any change in the heart. If our hearts are still full of resentment, unforgiveness, and bitterness, then the rituals are simply an acted out lie.

But if there has been a change, then we will be keeping the feast simply by the course of our words and deeds. There will be no real need for the rituals (though they may be useful for remembrance). For our every breath will be a proclamation of the amazing work that our Lord has done.

Be encouraged, Jose

Once far off

Friends,

It may be difficult for us, with our limited imaginations and comprehension, to understand. But it is nonetheless true. The most devastating consequence of our fall from grace is the insurmountable distance it put between us and our Creator. The Great and Awesome God of all things once communed with man, just as easily as a husband and wife might sit down for a chat after supper. He strolled through the garden in the cool of the day, seeking out the ones made in His own likeness. But they could not be found. And, having failed the one test they were given, could no longer be in His presence... and neither could their descendants.

But Christ changed all of that.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 3:13 [NKJV]

It cost our Lord dearly. He paid the price with His own shed blood. But the privilege He bought for His people is to eliminate the distance that our sin created. We now have the great gift of intimacy with the Almighty. We can once again walk with Him, talk with Him and take great joy in the knowledge that we are His own.

Be encouraged, Jose

Misplaced focus

Friends,

Over the years, my wife and I have watched the news on television with decreasing regularity. She is down to maybe once per week, and I watch sometimes once per month. Negativity, violence and controversy dominate their words, their headlines and their imagery. We simply don't need that.

But at a deeper level, none of us needs to be reminded of what the world is going through. Economic times are tough, and will likely get tougher. Wars are raging, and our leaders attempt to appease those who wage them, which only incites and encourages greater bloodshed. Politicians exploit the jealousy and covetousness of man to stoke envy and strife among our citizens.

All this happens in the midst of our Lord's amazing provision ...

Isaiah 5:2
He dug it up and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also made a winepress in it;
So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,
But it brought forth wild grapes.
NKJV

Let's face it. The LORD has shown Himself to be phenomenally generous and patient. He has given ... and He persists in giving. Not only has He given us all we truly need for physical life on this planet, He has provided us with eternal abundance! And yet, His people choose to focus on what the world has. And His people then begin to look like the world, instead of the Father. Pastors with fancy cars and reserved parking spaces. Evangelists traveling the globe like celebrities with private jets and entourages. Ministers selling books and trinkets.

Sisters and brothers, these are not good grapes. They are not evidence of bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God. They are wild grapes, which He would be fully justified in vomiting out of His mouth.

It is time ... now ... to shake off the covetousness and jealousy that the world is propagating. Turn away from envy and the strife it begets. We have everything we need to live lives of obedience, compassion and courage. Let us not wait another moment to do so.

Be encouraged, Jose

The gathering reason

Friends,

What is your purpose for joining together in fellowship? Is it because you can't wait to tell your friends of the latest events in your life? Is it because you are excited to give some gift ... and receive the praise and approval from your friends?

Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.
Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 [NKJV]

The house of God is where the LORD makes His dwelling place. It is not a physical building, but it is in the hearts and praise of His people. And so, when you gather with His people, the LORD admonishes you and me to be sober-minded and ready to hear from God ... to be prepared to be still and quiet before Him.

To listen rather than to speak. This is the way of the wise, and the true reason to come before God.

Be encouraged, Jose

Never go it alone

Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;
Jeremiah 51:20 (KJV)

Jeremiah found strength in the God of his salvation. The words he spoke kept him going, he never slacked nor wavered. He simply operated with the Lord in the forefront of his strategies and plans. When God takes center stage in our lives, nations become vulnerable and kingdoms are reduced to objects that can be broken into pieces and destroyed. To achieve this, we must operate with the right tool, plan and strategy.

What's your plan? Who's in your strategy? How do you hold up to the kingdoms that surround and try to drown you out daily? Return to the Lord of your salvation, get strength from fellowship, relationship and connection with Him on a daily basis. Without these no one that ever went it alone came back in one piece save those with the special grace of God.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

The void we carry

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Genesis 2:8-10 (NKJV)

When the Chief Architect and Designer completed the blueprint of man, He had embedded voids, places set aside specially for a specific purpose and occupation. Just as He created the Heavens and Earth and declared how beautiful it was, so He marveled at the beauty and creation of man until man and woman altered the plan of God for man at creation.

God created a void in us for Him to fill and the other for fellowship with our fellow brothers and sisters. Life quickly becomes an endless chasing of bubbles and air when we fill these voids with the wrong things. No amount of laid up cash, material toys and wealth, societal status, accomplishments, connections, and all of whatever we can amass can fill these void. No matter how smart, hard we try as individuals, people or a nation, the void for God and fellowship must be filled with God and fellowship with God's creation, acting as a channel for the reaching of lost souls for God again. To do otherwise is to live a life of frustration, near-misses, lack of fulfillment and recycling of misery experiences.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

No Hiding

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
Genesis 1:8-9 (NKJV)

When we derail and become mis-aligned with our Maker, we naturally become hiding creatures. We suddenly yoke up tightly with secrecy and detest the light for fear of being exposed. Because its our natural instinct to just cover-up our spills, shortcomings and disobedience, we even try to cover-up before the omniscient and all-seeing God. What a dumb and wrong move for man to embark on! Adam and Eve displayed this instinct before a loving God that offered continuous fellowship to them.

What can turn us into hiding before the Lord our Maker? Rebellion, Disobedience, Sin, etc? Bring it all to Him, lay it out before Him and receive His grace and gift of forgiveness so that His fellowship may be restored to you. To be out of His fellowship is to live like a fugitive and vagabond. Let's give up hiding and walk back into His peace and fellowship.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

To those who follow

Friends,

As born-again Christians, we have a remarkable story to tell. We should consider what our Lord has done. We are commanded to do so by God's word. He exhorts you and me to truly understand His provision and protection so that we can teach those who come after us that He is the One who can be trusted:

Psalm 48:12-14 [NKJV]

Walk about Zion,
   And go all around her.
   Count her towers;
Mark well her bulwarks;
    Consider her palaces;
    That you may tell it to the generation following.
For this is God,
    Our God forever and ever;
    He will be our guide
    Even to death.

These verses require us to live in the city; which is to say... among His people. And as we live out our lives in fellowship with true believers, we will clearly see that we are in a refuge, a place of peace and safety. Our brothers and sisters are our towers, our bulwarks, our walls and our watchmen.

Be encouraged, Jose

Seek fellowship

Friends,

Proverbs 18:1
A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages against all wise judgment. -- [NKJV]

Too many of us have fallen prey to the lure of living life in isolation. We seek it out because, when we're alone, there's no one to examine our actions, question our motives, or to offer correction. Beyond a weekly service and -- maybe -- a weekly "small group", we go about our business; answering to no one but our own selves.

Judges 21:25
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. [NKJV]

You see, this is not a new habit. And so the consequences should not be a surprise ...

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death. [NKJV]

Sisters and brothers, when we isolate ourselves from daily fellowship & intimacy with the Body of Christ, we are following a path that leads away from God. Even if we have the best of intentions, we have no shot at living a life that is worthy of our calling.

The answer is to be in the Body every day ... to have as our most important relationships the ones that are bound by the Name and the Word of God. It will not be easy on our flesh. But we will expereicne a strengthening of the Spirit within us that will shine for all to see.

Be encouraged, Jose