Not Business as usual

3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:3-6 (NKJV)

We have hear and read the phrase description of the the day of the Lord. Yes the scripture makes it so clear that the day of the Lord will be like a thief in the night. The thief is not usually expected. The uninsured is overtaken and caught unawares when an accident occurs. For every believer, this must never be the case.

7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:7-10 (NKJV)

We must never sleep like the world, but we must remain vigilant in our daily walk and thoughts lest we get caught unawares like a thief in the night. Our appointment and portion isn't for wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Be Sober and vigilant and ...

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

The source of our name

Friends,

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

Do you see a son of the Living and Almighty God? If He has called you into His family then that is what you are.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named
Ephesians 3:14-15 [NKJV]

Paul sets the example for us. We are to bow in worship and gratitude that the Lord of heaven and earth has seen fit to name us as His children. We are no longer sons of the enemy. Christ has reconciled us to the Father.

Let us, too, bow in worship and sing His praises!

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

Brought near

Friends,

At some point, most people believe that they are good enough for God, just the way they are. They have no comprehension of the vast distance that separates them from a Holy and Perfect God.

At some point, all men must come to the realization that the only reason that we can approach Almighty God is by the blood of Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [NKJV]

Some would say there are many paths to God. But only the blood of Christ can bridge the gap between our lack of perfect holiness and the Lord's perfect and unending holiness.

Be encouraged, Jose

He is Risen Indeed

And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matthew 28:5-6 [KJV]

Last weekend, we celebrated that Christ had risen from the dead and gave us all access to God directly. As we move forward, I want to look back to make sure that we are all seeking a risen saviour and not one still on the cross or in the tomb. The women went to see the body because they forgot or did not realize that Christ would truly rise again. Let us in our daily lives remember that Christ is alive and available for us. He is not still on the cross or in the tomb, but risen from the dead and on the right hand of the Father as our intercessor. Our Saviour is alive and waiting for us to recognize Him and what He is doing for us.

Be Encouraged,

Martin

It depends on who's looking

Friends,

Here in the United States, Christians are increasingly the targets of scorn and ridicule. While we are as yet spared from the suffering and martyrdom that we see occurring in other countries, our beliefs and moral codes are frequently attacked as bigotry. And yet, this is to be expected. Our Lord reminds us of this ...

Psalm 22:6-8 [NKJV]
But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
“He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

When the world looks at you and me, they see Jesus. And when the world sees Jesus in us, they will hate us. Christ told us to expect this. And He gave us His example of how we are to respond:

Psalm 22:9
But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.

Jesus responded by recognizing that, while the world looks at Him as a merely a worm, their point-of-view is irrelevant. The only perspective that matters is the One held by the Father. When He counts us as righteous, then all is good... no matter what happens around us.

Be encouraged, Jose

Be Magnified

Friends,

What is the proper response to the Lord's actions?

In everything He does, His will and His glory is evident. His will is perfect and good. The outcome will bring Him glory. And nothing is better or more important than that!

So again, I ask you ... how should the men and women of God respond to what the Lord does?

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!”
-- Psalm 70:4 [NKJV]

We who seek the LORD are a unique people. We recognize that the sovereignty of God is absolute and complete. His hand touches and directs all things. So we see the events of history unfold and proclaim that the LORD is good and worthy to be praised! Let us magnify His Name!

Be encouraged, Jose

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

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

The great celebration

Friends,

The Lord is gracious and generous, isn't He?

He has no obligation to make things easier in this life. He is under no contract to make us wealthy, or happy, or healthy. His promise is for eternal life in His presence.

And yet, He delights in displaying His generosity and compassion to His people. He celebrates with us when we exercise the power He has granted us. And even in that celebration, He reminds us that this is but a taste of what is to come.

Luke 10:20 [NKJV]
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

We join together in praise for the prayers answered, the sicknesses healed, and the demons cast out. But we reserve our greatest gratitude and celebration for the salvation our Lord has earned for us. Without that, nothing else matters.

Be encouraged, Jose

Stronger than looks

Friends,

There is nothing that the world wants more than for you and I to be silent. An important weapon in their arsenal is intimidation. And, unfortunately, it can be very effective. But it doesn't need to be ...

Ezekiel 2:6
And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. [NKJV]

God has provided the means of salvation for every man, woman and child. He has called you and me to sow those seeds with our words and actions.

Be encouraged, Jose

Don't leave

Friends,

Many of us are familiar with the story of the demon-possessed man who lived among the graves of the Gadarene countryside. Jesus commanded a multitude of demons ... known collectively as Legion ... to enter into a nearby herd of pigs, which then immediately drowned themselves in the sea. The reaction of the people is telling:

Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.
Mark 5:17 [NKJV]

The sight of 2,000 pigs hurtling down a steep hill and into the sea must have been shocking. But here was one of their own, a man who had been tormented for years ... to the point that he tried to tear himself apart ... sitting peacefully and filled with joy. No longer would he terrorize passers-by. No more would scream in agony and rage. No longer would he be forced to live among the dead, far away from his mother, father, wife and children. He was restored to life!

One sees all of this happen and must make a choice:
Rejoice, for the man one who was dead is again alive.
or ...
Worry about what other animals might end up swimming with the fishes.

The Gadarenes decided that their livelihoods were more important than a man's life. And therefore told the Messiah... the One who would be their eternal salvation... to get out.

Sisters and brothers, when Christ moves in your life, there will be times when it seems as though something has been lost. But be assured that what is gained by this move is far, far more valuable. The Lord brings us that which is eternal. Giving up that which will not last is no price to pay for such a possession. When it happens, do not plead with Jesus to leave you alone. Instead, understand what is really happening and rejoice.

Be encouraged, Jose

Effective work

Friends,

In the study of physics, "work" has a very specific definition. And by definition, work can only have occurred if there has been some change in the subject's physical state. So if a man pushes against a brick wall for an hour, but the wall does not move, there has been no work (as related to the wall).

2 Timothy 1:9
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
[NKJV] emphasis added

We can work very hard trying to live a good, moral and upright life. We can give up drinking, swearing and philandering. We will certainly have a better life if we do so. But all of that effort will have changed nothing, as related to our salvation. Nothing eternal is affected by our efforts. No work will have been done.

It is Jesus who has done the work.

The work Christ at Calvary has made a difference. Our state has been changed.

Be encouraged, Jose

A commandment to save

Friends,

Everyone has their own point of view of God's law. While the only one that matters is, of course, God's ... in our frail human imagination, we come up with all kinds of responses to His commandments. Emotional responses. Intellectual responses. Pious responses. Cynical responses. Reverent responses. Angry responses.

But when we see what God says about His commandments, perhaps the response will be one of gratitude ...

Psalm 71:3
Be my strong refuge,
To which I may resort continually;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress. - [NKJV]

The LORD has given "the commandment to save" you and me. Not just any commandment ... but THE commandment. And its purpose is clear and concise: to save.

The Law is not burdensome or troublesome. It is not there to trip us up or to bring on condemnation. It is there to save us.

Study His Law and you will find this to be the truth.

Be encouraged, Jose

Wait on the Lord

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 3:22-24 (NKJV)

The vicissitudes of life can be overwhelming. In a constantly changing and challenging world, believers must contend with realities and legitimate concerns of life yet with the mandate to uphold the presence of Him in us. A hostile world wants a blended world and will throw anything at God's children to make them blend. The unrelenting and uncompromising souls are attacked, frustrated and marked for destruction. In these does God's mercies manifest wholly in us, else we would have been swallowed up by the schemes of the adversary. At work, home, society and just everywhere we confront a relentless foe with a willing ally in our flesh, but we must continually arrest the arrester in our vessels and keep it where it belongs. The idea of free speech and rights of the flesh in the tripartite is invalid. Give the flesh free speech and a right and it will soon consume the entire body. Hence we must learn to contain our flesh while we wait patiently and quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:25-26 (NKJV)

Waiting on the Lord gives us clearer insight, vision, direction and perspective. There are no misses, strays, wastes, or near-misses. With the Lord, you are always on time and on target.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Calling for help

Friends,

Life's daily battles often lead us to look for help, for allies. We determine that these struggles can be overcome with "a little help from our friends." But is that the right path?

Psalm 124:2-3
If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,
When men rose up against us,
Then they would have swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us;

It is critical that, when we seek out allies, that we realize that there is truly only one Ally that can be effective. Worldly friends might make us feel better for a time, but the help that comes from Christ will bring everlasting results.

When you are tempted to cry out to your natural family or to your circle of friends, remember that it is the LORD that we should be calling upon. Get on His side and find safety in His Name.

Be encouraged, Jose

Free from death

Friends,

Christ has defeated death, and we who are in Christ are the beneficiaries of that victory.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Numbers 21:8-9 [NKJV]

Those who have studied scripture will see that the bronze serpent is a representation of Christ enduring the judgment on our behalf. It is lifted high, as Christ was at Calvary, and all who look upon it are protected from death. Notice, however, that they still get bitten.

Sisters and brothers, we live in a fallen world (in case you had forgotten!). The enemy seeks every day to attack the sons of God through any and all means available. At times, we will feel the sting of injury because of our own stumbling. At other times it will be the result of the ever-present spiritual warfare that is raging around us. Either way, it hurts. Either way, it is quite unpleasant.

Either way, we look to Christ for our survival, our revival our confidence and our salvation.

Be encouraged, Jose

Remember what Christ has done

Friends,

Hundreds of years before Christ came to live among men, the history and meaning of His life and death were sung of in the temples of Israel. King David saw that the LORD had promised a Deliverer, and that He would keep that promise. And he saw that the Deliverer, a Messiah, would be be rejected by those whom He came to save.

Psalm 23:16
For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;

Why did Christ Jesus endure such torment at the hands of mere men? Because He saw that the prize, the reward, was worth even the most unfathomable price. Our Savior knew that the price He would pay would bring forth the great miracle of salvation, reconciling man to God ...

Psalm 23:27-28
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.

For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations. [NKJV]

This is what Jesus has won for those that believe on Him, follow Him and obey Him. If there is one thing you should remember today, remember this.

Be encouraged, Jose

Don't die in sin

Friends,

There is no reason for a man to die in his sin. The Lord has declared the Way, and it is in Christ. If there is the one and only way to escape the wrath of God and to enter into His Kingdom, why would anyone refuse to take it?

Ezekiel 18:31: Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed,
and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
For why should you die,
O house of Israel? [NKJV]

Christ, by His work at Calvary, has done the hard work of casting away all of our transgressions. Only a stubborn man would seek to hold onto them! And in that stubbornness, that man refuses to enter into a peace with His Creator. And all who refuse peace remain at war ... a war which they are certain to lose.

But we who have accepted Christ, who have seen our transgressions flung to the farthest edge of the universe, are at peace. We shall not die in our sin. We shall die in the righteousness of Christ.

Be encouraged, Jose