Give God Your List!

Hello everyone! I trust you and your loved ones are well and prospering in all your endeavors. I, myself have just moved to Nigeria and I am trying to settle in and keep up with everything, so I deeply apologize for not posting as often. However, I’ve recently stumbled on this great book by Max Lucado titled “He Chose the Nails” and I must say it was a great read. I could not help but share some of it with you. It is such a timely message for the Easter season, and I hope it blesses you like it blessed me.

“God not only wants the mistakes we have made—He wants the ones we are making. Are you drinking too much? Are you cheating at work or cheating at marriage? Mismanaging your life? Don’t pretend nothing’s wrong. The first step after a stumble must be in the direction of the cross.

1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins to God, He can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.”

Start with your bad moments. And while you’re there, give God your “mad” moments. There’s a story about a man bitten by a dog. When he learned the dog had rabies, he began a list. The doctor said, “there’s no need to make a will—you’ll be fine.” “Oh I’m not making a will,” he said, “I’m making a list of all the people I want to bite!” God wants that list!  He wants you to leave it at the cross.”

Place a Price on Access

You are fearfully and wonderfully made by God. Who you give access into your life should be a big deal to you. My mum always says wherever you place yourself, people will place you. Whatever/ whoever you tolerate has every right to be there.

Don’t dance around with your test; whatever does not increase you will definitely decrease you.

Everyone you meet shouldn’t have the same level of access into your life. Access is a gift that must be earned and cherished. (Eg.) Young, beautiful missy, everybody shouldn’t have your number/ call you up at whatever odd hour of the day they feel like.

Given away freely, access becomes open to neglect. There’s no gain in selling yourself short. Mike Murdock writes that it is the responsibility of others to discern your worth. No matter how costly a diamond, a swine will never know its worth.

If you don’t like the way people treat you, just maybe, you should start treating yourself better. You aren’t a number or statistic, you are God’s choicest vine, His most prized possession. Who you are, and what you carry are precious. Identify people who know this and surround yourself with them.

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man shapeneth the countenance of his friend”- Proverbs 27:1

Merciful Judge

Society has so many chief judges who’ve never been to law school or set foot in a court room. “So you’re a Christian right? And you don’t read your Bible every day?”. “You say you love God, what if everyone knew the things you thought about?”. You’re not bold enough”. Many Christians have had their faith shaken by condemnation and accusations from outsiders and within. Your main accuser isn’t really sanctimonious Sally, telling you you’re going to hell for missing Sunday service. The Bible calls Satan the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:7-12). You also find him in the book of Job in the first chapter, and in Zechariah (Zech 3: 1-5).

And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

If man has sinned, we cannot make atonement for ourselves. Which is what we see in the first verse of Zechariah 3. However, we have an advocate with the father, who the devil can not resist. The debt is paid in full and he has no right to accuse us before God because Jesus Christ has settled forever, all that a Holy God could ever have against us. In all of this, we thank God that no matter how great your accusers or how numerous their accusations are, the vindictive blood of Jesus has set us free, and free indeed. In (John 8:1-10), the Pharisees caught a woman right in the act of adultery. She was brought to Jesus by a frenzied mob, ready to stone her for her crime. Scared and trembling, the guilty woman stood before Jesus as her prosecutors made their case and asked Jesus what His judgement would would be. Jesus stooped down and began to write in the sand with his finger, but the crowd carried on asking for His take on the matter. Friends, some people are so interested in seeing you condemned, that they keep reminding you of the time you did, or didn’t do this, or that; till they get their desired outcome.

Jesus stopped writing and straightened up to address the crowd. “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. When they heard it, they began to go out, one by one, from the oldest to the youngest and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the centre of the court”.

Family, the One and Only judge, Whose judgement will stand over your life is Jesus. The Bible says the counsel of the Lord will stand. You must mature enough to crop out popular opinion and focus on Jesus and His Word, as your ultimate Jury.

“Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

Instead of re-emphasizing the adulterous woman’s guilt, and making sure she got what she deserved, Jesus showed her mercy. Isn’t it wonderful to have such a merciful Father? Friends, the accusations will always arise, we’ll hear them with our ears and in our minds. But we remain unshaken by whatever counsel is not of God. When God shuts a door, no man can open it, and when He opens a door, no man can shut it (Revelations 3: 7). The blood of Jesus has made atonement for us and we ought to be fully aware of this, and take full advantage of what He did for us on the cross.

God Will Disrupt Your Plans

The truth is, no matter how big your dream is, God has a bigger dream for you, and a better route for you to realise it.

There’s something amazing about the providential nature of God. So phenomenal, is His ability to turn what begins as a small plan, into a chain of large scale testimonies.

As a loving father, His eyes are in all of our affairs. Sometimes we make plans that seem perfect and error-proof, and we leave no room for God’s Hand. In doing so, we forget that God knows our expectations, and He also knows the best way to achieve and exceed our desires.

Naaman was willing to be healed but would have missed his opportunity, if he hadn’t been persuaded by good friends to allow The Lord put His twist on the plan. (Somebody say a soft hallelujah for comrades, who are sincere enough to stop you from walking away from a blessing).

Naaman’s idea of his healing involved some major theatrics (as was befitting for a man of his social status). A few invocations here and there, a sound from beyond the clouds and, perhaps, some streaks of dazzling light to finish it off. However, Elisha didn’t as much as come out to meet him. He sent his servant to tell him to go wash himself in dirty old river Jordan, seven times (2 Kings 5).

Oh hey… there’s Mary and Joseph too…

Sometimes I wonder how Joseph must have felt, after the angel of the Lord confirmed the immaculate conception to Him. Suddenly, his wife was carrying a pregnancy that wasn’t even his. Thereafter, on another command from God, he had to flee with his family after the Child was born (Luke 1: 28). That’s seems like a lot for anyone to come to terms with, doesn’t it?

Family, in both instances, to say the least, they received glorious testimonies which are still being referenced thousands of centuries after, strengthening believers everywhere. Lets not forget about Moses, who was content with his job as a shepherd to sheep, even though God destined him to be a  great shepherd to people (Exodus 4:11). Or Abraham, who had to leave his home, change his name, and almost sacrifice his son, on account that God had commanded him to do so (Gen 12:1; 17:5; 22). Then, there is Esther, who was asked to put her life on the line for the sake of her people (Esther 4:13).

I can go on, giving you biblical examples of men and women who let God interfere in their plans and did might works in His name, that have stood the test of time. The Bible tells us that the wisdom of men is foolishness to The Lord. God isn’t looking for a way to help your situation, He is the very Way itself. There are no dead ends with Jesus; but an eternity filled with endless blessings. If God is changing your plans, it is because He has something better for you.

God is trying to save homes, communities, and nations, and He will do it through willing believers, with yielding hearts for Him to intervene in their affairs.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall make your path straight path. (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV).

J

God’s Seal of Approval

The authority a seal carries is so powerful that it represents the monarch himself. The matrix, so unique, that it is impossible to forge or tamper with it.

Knowing God intimately is the most powerful seal of approval you will ever require. Without it, you can do nothing. Irrespective of who stands with you, or against you, when God places his seal of approval on you, you’ll have all you need. His decrees are irrefutable and just like a seal, they are recognised by all powers in Heaven, on earth and beneath.

We can look away and choose to count how much we have stashed away in our accounts, how many cars and houses we’ve purchased, how many highly placed officials we have on speed dial. When we are done, we are reassured, and begin to feel like nothing can possibly go wrong…  we’ve got it all under control.

The Bible calls that sort of living ‘building on sand’. Nothing built on sand stands a chance when the rain, flood or the wind come. Oh yes, no matter how long it takes, the rain will one day, come. It will astonish you that the man with the multi-million mansion built on sand, will have nothing next to the man with a bungalow which is built on the rock.

“So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great and complete was the fall of it.”- Matt 7:24-27 (AMP)

Look closely, the bible said both men would build, but one man’s building would outlast the other’s. This is one reason why we should run our individual races and not compare wealth or riches with anyone.

David confessed in Psalm 124 : 2  “If it had not been the Lord Who was on our side when men rose up against us, then they would have quickly swallowed us up alive when their wrath was kindled against us”.

King David had money and power. He commanded a powerful, victorious army and conquered many territories. But King David knew even the mightiest king could perish like an ordinary peasant. His battalion of horse-riding men weren’t the reason behind his conquests.

In this journey called life, you do need God on your side. Don’t gather everything else and leave out the one most pertinent thing. Learn to trust the Lord enough to involve Him in your projects. Get His seal of approval, then He’ll direct your path. Then He’ll teach your hands to war, and plant your feet firmly on the ground. You will stand before mountains and they will crumble because you come bearing the seal of the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

They that trust in the Lord shall be like Mount Zion,which cannot be removed but abideth forever- Psalm 125:139 (AMP)

The Candle That Leads

The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the parts of the inward belly- (Proverbs 20:27 KJV)

A candle gives illumination and leads the wielder through dark, clandestine areas. It makes it easy to see ahead and avoid things which may cause one to stumble.

Okay. Pause.

If a candle is used to lead, why would God refer to our spirits as His candle? If He wanted to lead us, He’d do it through our minds/emotions, wouldn’t He? I mean, that is where we make decisions that later become actions. But thank God for being so merciful, and not leading us through our easily corruptible flesh, but through our incorruptible spirits. Our Father says our spirit is the candle which He’ll use to enlighten and guide us. He does not say our feelings/emotions, He says our spirits.

Very importantly, to grasp the nature of God’s guidance, we should know that we are spirits. Though we live in fleshly bodies and have souls; we are spirits. We know this because God made us all in His image, and God is a spirit (John 4 : 24). It is not in our physical bodies that we are like God, because the Bible says God is not a man. Jesus also told the woman at the well in Samaria “God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4 : 24 KJV).

But man’s spirit is not self-sustaining. Just as the physical man needs food to nourish and sustain him, so does the spirit man. Not with food this time, but by communing with God through prayer and the Word. A healthy prayer life is great and so is knowing the Word of God. But combined, they will create a boisterous, spirit-filled man.

When the candle of your spirit is lit, God speaks with you daily. Yep, I said daily- and even more often. You can hear Him guide you concerning big issues and small details alike. But you must spend time with Him to acquaint yourself with His nature. It is like a relationship between yourself and a friend you speak to very often. Even in a crowded place, you can hear their voice and recognise it because you’ve grown to know them well.

“The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord” . The assurance in this scripture is clear and sweet- ‘Build up your spirit, and I will guide you through the hazy paths of life’. I don’t think we need to think too far to find areas in our lives which are unforeseeable. For me, it can vary from “what route do I take to avoid the traffic today?” to “what career path do I pursue in life?”.

The unilluminated areas in life abound in their sizes and extremities. But the uncertainties of life become non-existent when you connect with the Maker of Heaven and earth. Once more, listen carefully to what God is saying in Proverbs 20:27- “My precious daughter, strengthen your spirit and I will show you the right way to go”. “My beloved son, get close to me and I will lead you aright”. “My beloved child, get to know me intimately, I’ll make it smooth sailing!”.

The Supreme Checkmate

In the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, I would imagine she had set the perfect scene to carry out evil. Nobody was home, the doors were shut, and no one would ever know. She tried to persuade the lad, but it was clear from Joseph’s response that he wasn’t bothered by  the people who wouldn’t know, but by the One who would.

The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping His eye on both evil and good– (Proverbs 15:3 NIV)

Integrity is a virtue many people struggle with. Majorly because of its intimate dimensions, and its sometimes-extended gratification period. Being faithful isn’t a very popular resolve, especially where the only people who are ever really aware, are the individual and God. As we do, we’ve managed to narrow being dishonest down to bigger things like lying or swindling others, but that is not all. What about parking in the spot meant for disabled people? Or not waiting your turn and jumping queues? Let’s not forget giving and receiving bribes. Having integrity may have lost its value to the world, but in the Kingdom of God it still has wide currency.

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways- Proverbs (28:6 ESV)

The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him! – Proverbs (20:7 ESV)

Back in secondary school, it was popular for us to jokingly tell someone to ‘fear God’ whenever they did something outrageous like tell a ridiculous lie, or commit a huge offense. Years later, I would find that a lot of God’s blessings have a common prerequisite; that we fear Him. Fear when translated, means to respect and highly revere. Sometimes, the only reason you will have to do the right thing, is because God says so. But you know what? It is reason enough…

 

Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses,  and their righteousness endures forever.- (Psalm 112:1-3 ESV)

In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.- (Proverbs 14:26 ESV)

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death- (Provers 14:27 ESV)

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant- (Psalm 25:14 ESV)

And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.- (Luke 1:50 ESV)

Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!- (Psalm 34:9 ESV)

If a robber gives 10% of his gains, will he receive the blessing promised in Malachi 3:10? If one is occupying/ vying for church office with alterior motives, is God committed to honouring their labour? Of course Jesus is interested in our works, but He’s more interested in the motives in our hearts.

Truly following Christ has very little to do with busyness/activity, and more to do with a continuous transformation and renewing of one’s mind. As Christians, people shouldn’t ask to find out who we are. They should see us from afar and notice a difference in our conduct, in our mannerisms, in the way we do business!
                                                                                

 

 

I always say a true believer repents daily. Repentance here does not mean to feel guilty and sorry, but a more accurate meaning says  “to change your mind, your thinking, your thought process”. You approach a period in your Christian walk where you need to abandon the milk and begin feed on meat. I always say that one only seeks change, when they have grown discontent with ‘business as usual’. Until you are fed up with mediocre results, you won’t desire a change. Dabbling in short term debauchery with the hope of eternal blessings is not wise. Can a branch be grafted into two trees at once?

God’s power is still available to us. The unrefined power of God to decree a thing and see it come to pass. To lay hands on a limp body and watch it jerk back to life. To do greater things than Jesus did while on earth!- (John, 14:12). We all must rise from eating the crumbs that fall from the table, and take our rightful seats at the great feast!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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