INVITATION

Follow me. This was the invitation Jesus gave to his disciples, and they left everything to accept this invitation. The Lord calls us daily, to live a life of discipleship. Do we still hold on to our old ways of living? He calls us to let them go.

Follow me. The invitation is given, that we will follow His lead. How many times have we sought to reverse the order? Placing ourselves in the leading position of our lives and relegating the Lord to the background. May we become true followers.

Follow me. A call we just cannot ignore. Yet an invitation to an action which is not as easy as it sounds. The daily struggles within ourselves to go our own way, cannot be overemphasized. We might not get it right all the time, but He encourages us to carry our crosses daily and walk in His ways. The transformation of our lives into more of His, is not a one day affair but a continuous process; He gives us the grace to overcome. May we not relent; let's keep on following to Him.

matter of LIFE and DEATH

Moses, in Deuteronomy 30, showed the reality of two options; the path of life and the path of death. The path of life involves walking in the ways of the Lord and keeping His command, whiles the path of death involves turning the heart away from the Lord, and being drawn to the worship of other gods. Jesus, in Luke 9:25, commented 'what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very soul?'(NIV). He points out the fact that death (loss of the soul) is inevitable when we fail to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Him i.e, walking in the ways of the Lord.

The world presents us with various options such as fame, reputation, self glorification, self-indulgence and the like, which draw our hearts and minds to the path of death, away from the Lord. This brings us to that significant junction, where we need to choose the path to embark on. Like the Israelites, we are entreated to take the path of life. It might seem too difficult a decision, and thus fit to be postponed; However, this is a matter of life and death. The decision has to be today! May we choose life.

The Worship Closet (2)

Today, in the worship closet, I would like to share a song that gripped my senses, the very day I heard it. It's a song of a few lines but with powerful lyrics that bear out the heart of a worshipper to his God. Lets make this our song in this session, as we pour our love on our Lord.

LYRICS: I POUR MY LOVE ON YOU.

LIKE OIL UPON YOUR FEET
LIKE WINE FOR YOU TO DRINK
LIKE WATER FROM MY HEART
I POUR MY LOVE ON YOU
IF PRAISE WAS LIKE PERFUME
I'LL LAVISH MINE ON YOU
TILL EVERY DROP IS GONE
I'LL POUR MY LOVE ON YOU

James 3: 13-18 (NLT)

"13If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

17But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness"

It's not wrong to have ambitions in life. However, self ambition, is meant to glorify oneself but Godly ambition is meant to glorify God. Lets seek to assess ourselves; what drives our ambitions, is it God or self?

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CELEBRATING FRIENDSHIP

Four friends carried a paralytic friend through the roof of a building, to Jesus (c.f. Mark 2). The showcase of this level of faith caught Jesus' attention. I can just imagine how they kept on encouraging themselves en route to the meeting place, how some may have been discouraged when they saw the crowd, how one of them proposed that brilliant idea and even how loved this paralytic man would have felt, seeing his friends toiling to get him healed.

The faith journey is not always smooth. However I believe the Lord fulfills His promise of being with us by manifesting His presence through the friends we have, on this path. Those of us with such friends who share our faith, lets be more open and sincere with one another; lets share our struggles and strengths, victories and defeats, even as we encourage ourselves to trudge along this journey. For those of us who do not have such friendships, may we continue to be open to the gift of friendship and try reaching out to others in our churches, school, work place etc...

The essence of communal living cannot be overemphasized. Indeed we need one another.

REDEDICATION

Hi folks. ( I know you will be saying; that's an unusual way for him to start his post). Well you are right. Today the Lord has added an extra year to my life and I am very excited. In my prayer time He placed this song in my heart and I wanted to share it with you. May it become your prayer as well, as we live to give our all to HIM. Amen.





Verse 1:
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.


Verse 2:
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Swift and beautiful for Thee.


Verse 3:
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Filled with messages from Thee.


Verse 4:
Take my silver and my gold:
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose.
Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose.


Verse 5:
Take my will, and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
It shall be Thy royal throne.


Verse 6:
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Words: Frances R. Havergal 1874.

HOLDING ON.

In the story of the healing of the blind man in Mark 8: 22-26, Jesus led the man out of the city, where He healed him. Its not stated how far this encounter was, from the city outskirts. What was made known is that Jesus "moved" with the blind man. I wonder what was going through the mind of this blind man, as he moved with Jesus in this journey- Is He going to heal me? Where is this man taking me? I want to go back! Why did He not just lay his hand on me?- There could have been a myriad of thoughts racing through his mind. However, this blind man held onto Jesus' hand and eventually, his eyes were opened.

Daily we entrust ourselves to the Lord as our guide for this life's journey. We don't clearly see where He is leading us to. However, He knows the eventual destination and gradually opens our eyes to see this everyday, as we study His word and encounter His presence. Unfortunately, some of us let go of His hand in anxiety and frustration, and lose our way.

He knows the end from the beginning. His revelation and plan for our lives might not be so clear but we can be assured that He will lead us there one day.

"Now we see but a poor reflection as a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully even as I am fully known" - 1Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)

BE ENCOURAGED

Somehow we seem to forget the moments of deliverance we have received from the Lord, when we find ourselves in difficult situations. The anxiety of the moment causes a sudden "amnesia" and we find ourselves wandering if God can. In Mark 8: 19-20, Jesus had to spend time reminding His disciples of the miracles He had just performed, because they had obviously forgotten its occurrence or its relevance.

I strongly believe that the miracles of the Lord in our lives are not relevant for just that moment,but they are meant to point to JESUS. This is to provide us with a continuous encouragement to trust Him because He is the supplier of all we need.

May we take the time today, to reflect on the love the Lord has lavished on us, through the various miracles He has performed in our lives; May our faith be strengthened.

CHANGING SEASONS

In James 1 : 1-11, James writes about trials, and emphasizes on the rich being proud of their lowly state and the poor being proud of their high position. Through these statements, He seeks to communicate the inconsistency of life and how the happenings of life, can change in just a moment. We can bear witness to this fact- when we a down in spirit, some days, and other days we seem to be gliding on cloud nine. The emphasis of James in this verse is that, as maturing Christians, we need to be steadfast in the Lord at all times regardless of the situation, having pure joy in the Lord.

The tides may rise, the ghastly winds may blow, the harvest may be plentiful, the store house may be overflowing; But in all the contrasting scenarios of life, showcasing its inconsistency, we must be consistent in the Lord.

"Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

Refrain

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.

It is safely moored, ’twill the storm withstand,
For ’tis well secured by the Savior’s hand;
And the cables, passed from His heart to mine,
Can defy that blast, thro’ strength divine.

Refrain

It will surely hold in the Straits of Fear—
When the breakers have told that the reef is near;
Though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow,
Not an angry wave shall our bark o’erflow.

Refrain

It will firmly hold in the Floods of Death—-
When the waters cold chill our latest breath,
On the rising tide it can never fail,
While our hopes abide within the Veil.

Refrain

When our eyes behold through the gath’ring night
The city of gold, our harbor bright,
We shall anchor fast by the heav’nly shore,
With the storms all past forevermore.

Refrain" -Priscilla J. Owens (1882)

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The Worship Closet (1)

The Lord calls us to an intimate relationship with Him. May we love to be in His presence even as we retreat from the noise of this world into our worship closets.

Today, Israel and the New Breed will lead us in our worship encounter. Enjoy this video, and may the songs become your songs of worship to our Lord. I entreat you not to just watch this video, but be a partaker in the worship; and may it continue, when this video ends. AMEN.

FOLLOWING THE CODE

With my very basic experience with computer programing, I recall how my crude software followed the code I had written for it, to the letter, even though most of the time my code was flawed.

The Lord, in the Old Testament, gave very detailed instructions about the way of living for the Israelites; from matters of sanitation, to spirituality and the way of worship. Today, He continues to instruct us through His word and through revelation. Unlike my code, His instructions are never flawed.

So far as we follow His instructions, we will make it. In Psalm 32:8, David prophesied "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you"(NIV). The Lord promises us of His instruction and guidance in life. May we trust totally and obey fully His instructions.

Lets follow the code.

FORGET THE GIFT, LOOK AT THE GIVER

In 1 Kings 12, the Lord took a huge chunk of the kingdom of Israel from the house of David and gave it to Jeroboam, a servant of King Solomon. However, later on, Jeroboam decided to rebel against the Lord. He became so engrossed in his new portfolio, that he lost sight of the Lord, his source. The book of Mark, chapter 8, describes how Jesus had compassion on the large crowd of four thousand men and provided food for them , even in excess. He was their providence.

The Lord gives us what we need, for He is our providence. In the Lord's Prayer, we pray that He would " ...give us this day our daily bread..." However, we sometimes become so engrossed in this "bread" that we forget about the giver; our Lord. He gives us a job, and we stop going to church because we are too busy. He gives us a wife/husband and he/she becomes our reason for not continuing with the work of ministry. He gives us intelligence and we make it our god. The list can be endless. How have we in many times behaved like Jeroboam. Today, the Lord is reminding us to forget the gift and look at the giver.

"...all that we have accomplished, you have done for us"(Is 26:12 (NIV))

GUILTY PLEASURES

The consequences of our present actions always seem to be distant and far-fetched. In the interim we seem not to see its effects. But the negative repercussions can sometimes trickle down to generations after us. In 1 Kings 11, we are told about how the anger of the Lord burned against Solomon, whom He had given wisdom, because he (Solomon), had turned his heart away from the Lord, by remaining in the idol worship introduced to him by his wives. He was described as "holding fast to them in love". Due to this, a substantial part of the kingdom was taken away from the house of David, a generation later. This was given to a servant of his. The son of Solomon suffered in a way because of the sins of his father.

What guilty pleasures, sins or actions are we harboring in our lives? Secretly enjoying them in our closets. What is taking our hearts away from the Lord? We serve a merciful God, but He is also the God of judgement.

May we return our full devotion to the Lord. May we spare generations unborn, the wrath of the Lord but instead, may they receive His blessing.

is your temple good enough?

Is your temple good enough? That was the question ringing in my mind when I read the account of the dedication of the Lord's temple by Solomon in 1Kings 8. The Lord came to dwell in the temple as a cloud and the priests were not able to continue with their service. Solomon was elated that indeed he had built a magnificent edifice for the Lord to dwell in.

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT) stated : "Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You don't belong to yourself." Our bodies are temples for God to dwell in.

How do we prepare this place? Can we, like Solomon say that we have a magnificent temple? Today, may we be more careful of what we think, say or do. May we desire to keep this temple fit for the indwelling of the Lord. May our temples be good enough.

PROPELLANT

The desire to preach the gospel was a propellant in all Jesus did. This desire can also be seen in the life of Paul, exclaiming; "woe to me if I don't preach the gospel..." - 1 Corinthians 9:16. Their love for the salvation of men, drove them to do this. In 1 Corinthians 9:19, Paul again said " I make myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible"

Even as we serve the Lord in one way or anther, what is our driving force. What moves us to work for the Lord? What is the motive for you wearying yourself for the Lord? Today, may we look deeper into our lives and judge for ourselves, whether our motives have been right. Today may our service to the Lord be from a sincere heart driven by the desire for the salvation of others.

May the love for His work and the love for lost souls be our propellant. AMEN.

PRIORITY

At the beginning of the reign of King Solomon, in 1Kings 3, he went up to the most important high place and made a thousand burnt offerings. This sacrifice was said to have gone on continuously for days! This was just before the Lord appeared to him, granting him his request for wisdom.

Who/What takes the priority in your life? Is it your job,relationship, academics, career, reputation, etc...? All these things can crumble in a short time. But the Lord is steadfast, from generation to generation. It is indeed tough placing God on top of our list, especially when the world is making so many demands on us. However, we must do this, if we desire to be closer to Him.

May the Lord be our priority. May the thirst for more of Him in our lives, never be quenched. May we continue to apprehend, till we are consumed by what we are after; JESUS.

"come near to God and he will come near to you..." - James 4:8

WHAT ARE U NURSING?

Why will anyone reject the offer of owning half of a kingdom and rather request for the head of a man?! In Mark 6, Herodias advised her daughter to do such. This intense anger all stems from the fact that she "nursed a grudge against John"(Mark 6:19)(emphasis mine).

We associate with other people everyday, with both new and old contacts. The likelihood of being offended in one way or the other is always high. But then, what do we do with that feeling of hurt? Do we keep it in our hearts, watering it with negative thoughts day by day? or do we prune it out of our lives. Herodias was able to demand for the head of a man because her nursed grudge was now fully developed.

What are you nursing?

LION AND LAMB

Refiners fire (malachi 3), piercing sword, falling and rising of Israel, a sign spoken against (Luke 2). These are some of the phrases used in reference to our Lord! Why should our all loving, kind Jesus,be called such names? Doubts about our Lord's nature arise when stories from the old testament about God's punishments to Israel and other nations; Isn't this the God of love?

Certainly He is!! However, He is also the God of judgement. Jesus is referred to as the LION of the tribe of Judah and at the same time, the LAMB of God. As Christians we must come to terms with this fact. We must not be biased towards one side (usually the "lamb" perspective). Our Lord is also a judge, exacting His justice.

BE DIFFERENT

In Mark 6, Jesus went back to His hometown. As usual He taught in the synagogue, but He was not accepted because they knew His roots. The Bible even stressed that the "people took offense at Him"(NIV). Consequently, He was not able to perform any miracles there, and was amazed at their lack of faith. However, He laid hands on some few sick people. Why were they the exception? What made them stand out to be seen by Jesus and acknowledged in the Bible?; their faith and trust.

In our world today, we are constantly being bombarded with statistics about the difficulties of our societies economy, how grim situations will be, how difficult your supervisor is etc. There is always a constant stream of negativity into our lives. But like these sick people, in Mark 6, let us be different. Let us continue to keep faith in the Lord who provides. Let us continue to hold unto Him, assured that regardless of the issues of life, we have in Jesus, a steadfast and sure anchor.

CHAIN REACTION

A chain reaction occurs, when a reactive product or by-product causes sequential and additional reactions (hope the chemistry is not too much for you). But this was what came to mind when I was studying about the lady with the issue of blood in Mark. This lady thought that if she just touched Jesus' clothes, she will be healed. What made her think in such a manner? Why did not think that her case was hopeless for she had tried many doctors and spent all she had. Why did she not isolate herself due to her condition? She rather found courage to join the crowd. The only reason possible; faith in Jesus. This faith, nested in her heart and sparked a chain reaction; her faith caused a thought and the thought provoked an action (touching Jesus' clothes).

Many of us profess our faith in Jesus and speak of our trust in His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence. However does our faith spark a chain reaction? Does our faith lead us to act?
Don't just keep the faith, act on it, for faith without works is dead.

If you believe, then proceed.