GOD IS BRAGGING ABOUT YOU, DON’T DISAPPOINT HIM!

We parents and grandparents are always showing off and sharing the children’s pictures and achievements. We can’t seem to get enough of them; we’ll share with all who’ll listen, even if they

really don’t care. The most important thing is that we do care.

God is no different; after all, we got our caring nature from Him. If you are a child of God, He knows what you are capable of, because it is His power that is at work in you. He brags about you confidently, because He knows you can do anything through Christ who strengthens you. 

Are you ready? You have to stay ready all the time because you don’t know when God is going to want to prove to someone what you are made of. God is putting you on display, and waiting to rejoice over you with singing! Don’t let Him down.

How is He putting you on display? You know that issue you have going on:  maybe health, finances, relationships, etc.? That’s how! He is telling people you won’t give in or give up; you will trust Him in the midst of the storm, and fight until the end. Now He is waiting to tell them, “I told you so!” Are you going to grant Him the opportunity to prove again that He knows the power that is at work in you? Don’t let Him down!

Job was a good man who feared God and stayed away from evil, and he was also very rich. He understood well the Scripture that says: “If your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life” (Psalm 62:10)., He was living the best way he knew how, when one day, without warning, tragedy struck! He got messages in succession: first, his farm had been raided, the animals had been stolen and the helpers killed; second, out of nowhere, there came a fire that burned the sheep and the shepherds. Third, the camels had been stolen and the servants killed. And as if all that wasn’t bad enough, the final blow came: all his children died when the house where they were partying collapsed (see Job 1:13-19). 

God knew how devastating that kind of loss could be for anybody, but He was also confident Job was going to come through the ordeal with flying colors because He knew Job’s faith was genuine. Sure enough, Job grieved but he also worshiped! He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken away. Praise the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21) God indeed rejoiced over Job and was able to say to Satan, “I told you so!” His exact words to Satan about Job were: “He has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause” (Job 2:3). Job’s strength to endure this ordeal, of course, was not his own; his strength came from the Lord who made heaven and earth. God’s strength was available to him, and he made use of it.

How about you and me? Do we know and accept that whatever we have comes from God, and we are only stewards of those things? Job admitted that right away: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.” So, we cannot hold on too tightly to our life, health, family, job, possession, and whatever else we have. We need to be thankful for them while we have them, and use them wisely to honor God. If we stand firm when God gives and then takes away, He has made His point that we still love Him with or without the stuff. But He is also able to restore what He’s taken, as He did with Job (see Job 42:10-13). But if He doesn’t, He will still provide whatever we need for sustenance while we are in this life.

James admonishes us, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2-3). So, our trials accomplish at least two things, 1) God is putting us on display, and 2) our faith is tested, giving us the opportunity to grow. We need both of these things.

The next time God puts us on display, let’s not be discouraged, fearful, or depressed, but like Job, let’s worship and consider what God might be up to; let’s be a good sport and let Him win while our faith matures. And oh, others might also learn from it and be encouraged. Let’s be like mount Zion, standing firm and tall, come what may because we trust in the Lord (see Psalm 125:1).

GOD CAN DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING BUT ...

When we agree and declare that God can do anything and everything, we are really affirming His power, ability, and authority. And so yes, He can do anything, for, after all, He created the world and everything in it. However, there are things He “cannot do” because of who He is.

So, what are some of the things He cannot do?

1)    He cannot co-exist with sin, because He is holy: “Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It is your sins that have cut you off from God” (Isaiah 59:1-2). His inability to co-exist with sin is the reason He has to judge sinners, destroy the world, and build a whole new one. He is going to send the new, sin-free Jerusalem down from heaven, and nothing sinful will ever enter it. From that time on, The Scriptures declare that “God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. … All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:3-4).

 2)    He cannot lie, because if He did, how would we know when or when not to trust Him? Faithfulness is His nature; He cannot deny who He is. He is trustworthy (see Psalm 111:7). We, humans, lie; God doesn’t: “God is not a man, so he does not lie” (Numbers 23:19), in fact, “It is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18).

 3)    He cannot change because He is faithful! However, He does change His mind because He is sovereign. For instance, He changes His mind and withholds pending judgment when we repent. The Bible says, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus” (see Romans 3:23). This simply means, unless one repents, one will die, spiritually. This verse is an invitation to repentance. So, if you don’t die, it'll because you repented, and He honored His Word. Also, He extends His favor when we sincerely seek Him. For example, when King Hezekiah heard through Isaiah that he was going to die, he prayed and cried out to the Lord, and the Lord heard him and extended his life by fifteen more years (see Isaiah 38:1-8). God does as He pleases!

 4)    He cannot be tempted by evil, and He does not tempt anyone: “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death” (James 1:14-15). The devil is the culprit; he tempts and lures us to sin. Let’s never say “God tempted me.”

5)    He cannot punish us for our sins if we’ve repented. Because of His faithfulness, He honors His Word to forgive us when we repent: “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9).

 So, as you see, there are things “God cannot do.” But those things only prove who He is-God! Let’s be thankful and praise His name that He is faithful and can be completely trusted. We need not fear or worry when the Almighty God is our Father. Let’s trust and obey Him! As the hymnist says, “There’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!

HAVE YOU WANDERED AWAY FROM HOME?

Have you ever been lost? How did it feel when you found yourself in unfamiliar territory? I’ve been lost on more than one occasion, and I can tell you from experience, it’s frightening! There are at least two reasons for the fear one experiences in an unfamiliar environment: first, it’s difficult to find one’s way back home, and second, there’s always the possibility of lurking danger.

When you wander away from home, it means you walked away from your original location aimlessly and kept going until you were farther away and had no idea how to get back. When lost, you can’t necessarily give someone the address to wherever you are, and for you to get back home, someone would literally have to come and find you. That someone would have to know his way around, and also be concerned about your well-being. What good would it be if the person cared about you but didn’t know how to find you, or knew his way around, but didn’t care what happened to you? Either way, you’d remain lost. Now the psalmist prayed a very strange prayer: “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me” (Psalm 119:176). You see, he admitted he wandered away, which means he knew where he was supposed to be—with the fold-- but wasn’t. He must have followed something that enticed him, and by the time he came to himself, he was away from the fold. How frightening!

Child of God, have you wandered away from God and the Church? What enticed you: what did you follow? Are you so attached to it that you can’t seem to find your way back home? Don’t despair: call on God just like the psalmist did, and He will be more than glad to come after you. He cares about you and knows exactly where you are and what got you there. But you know something? In order for Him to rescue you, you have to want to be rescued. He will gladly leave the rest of the fold and come after you; call on Him now!   

If you continue to wander around, you could become prey for the prowling animal, the devil, who is seeking to devour you. You need to get out of that situation as soon as possible. You need the Shepherd, and you need the fellowship of the fold. They miss you a lot, and are praying for you; call out to the Shepherd, and He will bring you back to the green pastures where you can graze to your heart’s content. He will also take you by the lake where the waters are calm and peaceful.

No matter what led you away, you should have discovered by now that whatever it was, did not exist, or if it does, it is not worth the trouble. You are missing a whole lot more than you could ever find out there. Remember, the Shepherd laid down His life for all of us. With that much sacrifice, He is able and willing to keep you safe. He, however, will not deliver you under duress! You have to want to be rescued, and you have to request it. Don’t wait much longer! 

THE GPS COMES TO THE RESCUE

The other day, I got lost; there’s no other way of saying it. I was on the right road but was going in the wrong direction. Instead of going west, I went east, so I went farther in the opposite direction, which then put me farther away from my intended destination: home. By the time I realized I was going in the wrong direction, it was too late to turn around.

I was on a very long bridge over a body of water, with high volume traffic; I had no idea how to get back, but before I panicked, I remembered I could consult my GPS. So, I did! The GPS (global positioning system) has become nearly every traveler’s assistant. My GPS directed me to the exit I needed to take to get myself headed in the right direction. What a relief that was!

Right there on the road, I got to thinking how people get on the road of life but go in the wrong direction, farther and farther away from the destination they had in mind, or the destination where they’d be safe. I know the destination many people have in mind, but I also know a lot of them will never get there. They are going in the opposite direction, and if they never turn around, they’ll end up at the wrong place.

There are some people who have no idea where they are going; they think life starts and ends, and that’s it. Such people have no destination in mind; they are not striving to get to any place in particular. Eventually, they will end up in a place they will regret with no opportunity to turn around; it will be too late to go back.

The day I got lost, I had a destination in mind, so I sensed right away when I missed my exit. When people have no destination in mind, they’ll have no idea they’re lost. I pulled out my GPS because I knew I was lost. Those who don’t know they are lost will not look for direction; other people will have to tell them they’re lost, and then show them how to turn around and go in the right direction. After they turn around, they can use their GPS to direct them the rest of the way to their new destination. 

Just as I depended on the GPS to find my way, I also depend on the Bible for direction in this life. How about you? The Bible is the Word of God, and can be trusted; it has been proven true, over and over again. If you’ve never trusted it, I invite you to read it and prove it for yourself.

First and foremost, accept the fact that you are a sinner and separated from God. Understand that you enjoy good things in this life because He allows it to rain on both the just and the unjust. In other words, something good happening to you is not an indication that all is well between you and God. Second, understand that if you remain separated from God for the rest of this life, you will be eternally separated from Him after this life as well.

Many people assume they’ll go to heaven when they die; they don’t know one does not just go to heaven. There are requirements to be met, but many, know nothing about that. Many think if they’re good enough, they’ll go to heaven, but how do they measure enough? The Bible says, “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:9).

Did you know there are requirements to get into heaven? What are they? Have you fulfilled them? Jesus told Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader: “Unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). In other words, you have to be born again in order to go to heaven. And if you are like Nicodemus, you’re probably wondering, “What does that mean?” Here’s the answer: “Anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment” (John 3:36).

Jesus, the Son of God, died in our place to pay for our sins; if you put your faith in Him, He will forgive you and make you a new person. That’s what it means to be born again: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Just as the GPS directed me, the Bible will direct all those who come to faith in Jesus. The Word of God renews our mind, enabling us to live godly lives. God’s plan is for us to be as holy as He is; living according to the Bible gradually transforms us into His image.

Dear Christian, if you ever help someone to get on the right path, please make sure you emphasize the use of the Bible, our spiritual GPS, to navigate the remainder of their journey. Without the direction of the Bible, we will miss our way and have difficulty getting back on the path. 

The GPS is your guide, Use it confidently!

JESUS' HEART DESIRE

 I wonder if there’s anybody who doesn’t have some kind of hope or desire. I dare to say all humans have them, including children. Desire is the conscious impulse towards something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment; it is the longing and craving for something.

But does Jesus have a desire? Why? After all, He’s God and can make anything happen, so why should He desire anything? Yet, surprisingly, Jesus does have a desire, and for a very good reason. That desire is so important to Him that He prayed about it. He prayed to the Father, “Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!” (John 17:24). Jesus’ desire is to have others be a part of His celebration in heaven someday! 

Jesus’ desire is not so far-fetched. We do that all the time ourselves. Don’t we send out invitation cards to graduation celebrations, weddings, and retirement celebrations, etc.? Sure we do! But why? Because we want loved ones and friends to share our joy. Victories and successes aren’t that enjoyable when you are by yourself.

Jesus came to earth to fulfill the Father’s will (see John 17:4, 18). As we read from the Scriptures, it wasn’t an easy assignment, but He did it! He has since gone back to heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, surrounded by all this beauty and glory! It’s just right that Jesus should want His friends to celebrate with Him. His prayer was not only about the disciples He had then, but for all disciples since then, and that includes you and me. Jesus defines friends as the ones who obey Him: “You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:14). What an amazing thought that Jesus is waiting for us, His friends, so He can show us around, to give us a grand tour of the heavenly city. It is made of pure gold, with walls of jasper, streets of gold, gates of pearls, and the clear as crystal River of Life, and all those mansions He promised to prepare for us! (See Revelation 21; 22 & John 14:2-3)

Let’s remember that Jesus is still praying for us; He is our advocate before the Father, and any time the devil accuses us of anything, He steps in to defend and declare us forgiven, based on his suffering. “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins-and not only our sins but the sins of all the world” (1 John 2:1-2). I believe He’ll continue to pray until we see Him face to face and cast our crowns at His feet!

If this is unclear, I’ll explain. God loves you very much and desires to have a personal relationship with you, but your sin is in the way. He is a holy God, and unless your sin is out of the way, it will be impossible to establish that relationship with you. God, therefore, sent His Son, Jesus, to pay for your sins and mine as well. Anyone who repents and puts their trust in Jesus is forgiven and made a child of God. Would you like to be a child of God? I encourage you to pray and ask God to forgive you in Jesus’ name. Once you do, what you read earlier in this article will make more sense to you.

Jesus is in heaven, desiring for you to have faith in Him now, in this life, so someday when this life is over, He’ll have the opportunity to give you a tour of heaven, where all His children will live with Him forever. Please don’t let this opportunity pass you by because if you miss it, you have by default chosen to spend eternity in hell. (See Revelation 20:15)

Brothers and sisters, let’s share Jesus’ heart desire with all who will listen. It is important, and it is urgent. Jesus is coming soon!    

THE GREAT EXCHANGE!

 

Do you remember your elementary school days, when you exchanged lunch with other kids? You ate their lunch and they ate yours, and you were both full and happy.  During an exchange, each party ends up with something that wasn’t originally theirs. And what they get back is often more satisfying!

 In the GREAT EXCHANGE, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is trading His place with mankind; He is taking on the sin of man, and man is taking on His righteousness.  You might be wondering, “What kind of satisfaction or benefit can Jesus really get from taking on the sin of man?” That’s a good question. God chose Jesus to be our sin-bearer out of love for us, and bearing our sins restores our relationship with God (see John 3:16). Jesus is satisfied with this exchange for at least two reasons: one, He gets to show love, respect, and obedience to the Father, and two, He gets to be part of our redemption, thus becoming our older brother!

 What Jesus gave in exchange for our sins was His very life, kingship, authority, power, and beauty. That was a lot to give up to rescue wretched sinners like us. Think about it: how many kings who have the power to command angels (servants) would allow themselves to go through the kind of ordeal Jesus went through? For instance, when Jesus was arrested in the garden, one of His disciples pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave, in an attempt to defend Jesus. You’d think Jesus would be grateful and happy that His friends were loyally defending Him. But no! Instead, He rebuked that disciple, “Put away your sword, … Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” (Matthew 26:52-54) What an expensive exchange! Jesus was determined to please the Father and redeem us through this exchange, no matter the cost.

What do we wretched sinners get from the exchange? Jesus took on the punishment for our sins, and we took on His righteousness! But what does that mean? In order for God’s justice to be satisfied, the sinner has to be punished. Jesus took on that punishment so that anyone who believes and accepts Him is forgiven and is clothed with Jesus’ righteousness. And for that, the Scriptures say: “To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:12-13). To confirm this exchange, God sent the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts: “Because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father. Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir’” (Galatians 4:6-7). Oh, what an exchange! Our sins are gone, and now God sees only the righteousness of His Son. Oh, what joy!

With our sonship comes inheritance, because after all, inheritance is one of the benefits of sonship. So, what’s our inheritance? Firstly, the Holy Spirit is the guarantee for our future. In other words, if you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, you are a child of God and your inheritance is sealed. Secondly, our inheritance is waiting for us in heaven as Peter tells us: “We live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance-an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay” (1 Peter 1:4).   

This is exciting: the best exchange ever! Our sins are gone, and we look forward to the joys of heaven. The best part will be seeing Jesus face-to-face, and bowing at His knee in worship! This will be amazing. And then we’ll get to participate in all the activities of heaven. First and foremost, there’ll be no tears, pain, misery, mourning, or anything negative. Our inheritance is safe and secure; nobody will ever take it away from us. It will be so safe, there’ll be no need to close doors or gates. We’ll be with each other as we worship the Father and Son.

What will heaven itself look like? It won’t be like anything we’ve seen before. The gates are made of pearls, the streets are of gold, and there’ll be no need for the sun or moon to shine because our heavenly Father lights up the place.. Then there’ll be that amazing throne with God on it and Jesus sitting beside Him. Can you imagine? What an exchange, what an exchange! We are on the winning side! This indeed is a great exchange!

Dear reader, do you have this hope that I’m sharing? Please don’t choose anything else over this. Nothing in this world or in hell in the future could be better. Imagine yourself in misery in hell, and then imagine yourself in heaven with God. Which existence would you prefer? I encourage you to choose wisely; your eternal future depends on the choice you make today. If you prefer to be in heaven, repent of your sins, ask God for forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. The Holy Spirit in your heart will teach you how to live by obeying the Word of God.

Participate in the great exchange, and you will be set for life and beyond!      

DON’T MISS THE WEDDING SUPPER!

 

Have you ever missed a family or friend’s wedding reception, either because you were not invited or you were unavailable to attend? If so, how did you feel after you saw the pictures and heard the details of the celebration? The details probably included food that was out of this world, beautiful music, dancing, and the presence of attendees you’d have loved to see. You probably regretted not being there. 

When you miss a friend or family member’s celebration, you can send presents and good wishes later. As disappointing as not attending could be, it won’t be the end of the world, but missing the wedding feast I’m talking about will definitely be your worst loss, because you lose a whole lot more than just food, drink, and dancing! You lose being in the presence of God in heaven. As if that won’t be a loss enough, you’ll be spending time with the devil. So, you can see this will be one wedding feast you cannot afford to miss!

I’m sure you’re thinking, “This doesn’t sound like an ordinary celebration. Who is the couple?” Yes, you are right, it is not an ordinary celebration; Jesus is the Groom, and the bride is His Church! The Church is not a building; it is the collection of believers (see Ephesians 1:23). Are you a believer in Jesus Christ? If you’re not part of the Church, you are not included in the body of Christ, His bride. Had the feast happened yesterday, you would not have been a part of it. 

Thank God, He is waiting for you to come to be part of His church; He does not want anyone, including you, to perish: “He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9). Be aware, however, that He can only wait for so long. You need to decide today; tomorrow might be too late! The Scripture says, “But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief” (2 Peter 3:10).  Also, no one knows when their life will end.  

I hope by now you’re asking, “How do I become part of the Church?” Let’s start from the beginning. The Bible says we are all sinners, deserving of God’s judgment. This is what the Scriptures say to the Christians in Ephesus, “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God” (Ephesians 2:1-2). So, you see, you are a sinner, but Jesus, in love and obedience to the Father, took our place and endured God’s judgment for our sin by dying on the cross. If we confess our sins to Him and ask for forgiveness, He forgives and indwells us through the Holy Spirit. This makes us His Children individually, and collectively His Body, His Church, and someday in heaven, His Bride. Amen!

If you miss the opportunity to be His child, and are therefore outside His Body, you will never be in heaven, and therefore won’t be at the wedding. Do you know where you’d be instead? I hate to think about that, and I don’t say it lightly, but the truth is you’ll be in hell, with the devil and his demons (see Matthew 25:41).

There’s no reason why you should go there if you don’t want to. You have a choice to make between God and the devil. I’ve shown you what to do; do it and allow the Holy Spirit to transform you through the Scriptures, prayers, and fellowship with other believers. This is how you are going to grow in your relationship with God, and someday, with all other believers, be the bride of Christ. We will not miss the feast because we, the bride, will have to be there. It will be our day! Hallelujah!      

 

All quotes are from the New Living Translation (NLT).