multina

A MULTINATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CHURCH

by with No Comment The Shepherd

It does not matter what language is used, God’s desire is for all nations and all people to worship Him in truth and in spirit.  When we remember Pentecost, we find that while God created us in His own image, this image of God is multinational, multiethnic, multicultural, and multilingual.  We read in Acts 2 how the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost in the form a violent blowing wind from heaven.  After what looked like tongues of fire rested on each of the people there, the Holy Spirit filled them up and they started speaking in various recognizable tongues. The folks there were confounded to the point that they asked in Acts 2:12, “What does this mean?”

I have heard it said, and many people believe, that the initial physical evidence of a person being baptized in the Holy Spirit, is when they speak in tongues just as it happened on the day of Pentecost.  However, I see something else here. This may also be evidence that the Church of God is intended to be multilingual and multinational.  They all could have been speaking in one tongue.  The folks gathered there could also have been of the same stock.  However, in God’s infinite wisdom, He assembled people of different ethnic background and the spirit of God descended in such a way that languages were spoken that this different stock of people could understand.

On the day of Pentecost, the Bible tells us that “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enables them.”  The mere idea that different people of God spoke in different tongues alludes to the fact that the Lord Himself enabled the ability to speak these different languages.  He enabled them for His own glory.  He enabled them so we can worship Him in these tongues.  People, being who we are, we always set our own agenda.  There is always that move to worship God in one language all over the world, because we believe that is the easiest way to build God’s Church.  All over Europe, Africa, Asia etc. there is always this move to worship God in one language, English.  We tend to forget that God established His Church to be multilingual, multicultural, and multinational.  The silver lining is that the Church of God is becoming more multilingual even as the Lord Himself intended it.  Now we hear songs of different tongues in Churches where the Service has historically been monolingual.  Personally, my joy knows no bounds when I am in a Service where God is worshipped with songs in different dialects.  Today some of the fastest growing Churches are multicultural Churches.

In a multilingual Church, like Christ International Community Church (CICC), you will find that there may not be anyone who understands everything, but you will find that as different as our backgrounds are, every one of us, at least, understands some parts of our Worship.  The fact that no one person understands everything means that we rely on each other more and there is a better understanding, by everyone, of the different cultural groups present in our Church community.

People of God, let us enjoy our diversity.  This is the plan of God for us.  Let us build a Church where all languages and culture are welcome.  I have heard that if people do not understand what we are saying they will not come back. The other side of that coin is that a monocultural Church will never have the appreciation that the Church of God is much bigger than one culture or one language. God’s plan for His Church is becoming clearer daily.  At the Tower of Babel God confused the languages such that they could not understand each other, and the unity of the people was broken.  However, at Pentecost God reversed the Babel effect, by bringing unity, even in the face of different languages.  This is perfected when Jesus came and reconciled us all to God with salvation promised to both Jews and Gentiles, and the redemption He purchased for us with His blood, was for persons from every tribe, language, people, and nations (Revelations 5:10).  May His name always be praised!

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PRAISE?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PRAISE?

by with No Comment The Shepherd

Google defines the word “praise” as, “to express warm approval or admiration of someone or something”.  It is synonymous with words such as acclaim, applaud, commend, acclamation, magnify, extol, celebrate, glorify, honor, and worship. My personal definition of praise is the joyful thanking and adoring of God, the celebration of His goodness, grace and mercy. Psalm 150: 6 (NLT) says “Let everything that breaths praise the Lord!” This simply implies that the act of praising is rightfully due to God alone. One Hebrew word for “praise” is yadah, meaning “praise, give thanks, or confess.” A second word often translated “praise” in the Old Testament is zamar, “sing praise.” A third word translated “praise” as halal (the root of hallelujah), meaning “to praise, honor, or commend.” All three terms contain the idea of giving thanks and honor to one who is worthy of praise.  Psalm 96:4 says “Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods”. The Lord is to be magnified above anything else. His works is beyond human comprehension, and what He has done to redeem us and reconcile us to himself should cause us to praise him. 

Why is praising God important? Because scripture tells us so; His Word encourages us to praise Him.  He deserves to be praised and He is worthy of our praise. Psalm 145:3, just like 96:4, says “Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!  No one can measure His greatness”.  Another

inspiring scripture is Revelations 4:11 – “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased”. God alone deserves to be praised and worshiped. He is creator, He is sovereign and has a plan and purpose for everything He has made.  Praising God is useful and favorable for the children of God.  By praising God, we are reminded of the greatness of God!  His power and presence in our lives is reinforced in our understanding.  “Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant” (Psalm 135:3).

Also, praise discharges strength in faith, which causes God to move on our behalf. “You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you” (Psalm 8:2).  Praising God also transforms the spiritual environment.  2 Chronicles 5:13-14

illustrates the alteration that happened when the Levites gave praise and thanks to the Lord and the temple was filled with a cloud signifying the glory of God. “The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD…for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God. God inhabits the atmosphere of praise. Psalm 22:3 says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel” (KJV). If we want to see a clear manifestation of God’s blessing and grace, all we need to do is to praise Him with all our heart, our mind, and our soul.

Who is to praise God? “Let everything that breaths sing praises to the LORD (Psalm 150:6) When can we praise God? We can praise Him at all times (Psalm 34:1) and as long as we live (Psalm 63:3-4).  We cannot embark on the true joy and benefits of praising God unless we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. As children of God, He dwells in our bodies through the Holy Spirit.  This means that wherever we go, God is to be praised. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you…. So you must honor God with your body”.

We can praise God by singing songs and hymns, clapping our hands, even jumping for joy; the list goes on. We can give glory and praise to our God with the use of our physical bodies, with our hearts and minds, and with our deeds. By our testimonies God is praised, glorified, exalted and worshipped. No matter how we praise and worship God, it should result in an awe of His power and love. As we continually focus on Him in praise and prayer, He begins to reveal himself to us in new ways. Through those lessons and revelations somehow, our lives are changed and we are transformed to serve.

Award

THE REWARD OF SERVICE

by with No Comment The Shepherd

In Mark 10:45, Jesus said that “He did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. He is our example, so we are called to serve, and not to grab. While service is a self-choice, and a voluntary action, duty or labor is what we are told to do for wages, salaries and other forms of compensations. To serve simply means, to render help to others without an expectation or kickback.

In the worldly system, rewards are either in cash or in kind which is material and temporal. Whereas in Gods’ kingdom, rewards are spiritual, they are permanent, they are heavenly, and they are eternal. Earthly rewards are temporal and perishable, while God’s reward for service are His promises, His blessings, His crowns, and heavenly mansions filled with gold, diamonds, and many precious stones and minerals. Rewards for service are offered to us based on faithful services rendered with humility, and from a pure heart. So, services from a humble and a pure heart, attracts God’s reward. Apostle Paul called himself a servant of God or a bond-slave. That is a sign of humility, and humility brings promotion and honor (Proverbs 15:33).

Here are some reasons to serve –

When we serve, we are saying that God is greater than us. Secondly, when we serve, we are saying that we are part of creation. When we serve, we are sharing our God-given gifts and when we serve, it means we value other people. Our services on earth are towards God and mankind, therefore, we expect reward from both God and mankind. Man can be unappreciative, but God is never ungrateful he never fails (Heb. 6:10). He is our reward, and our rewarder. He is our righteous judge, faithful to His promises, and our exceedingly great reward. His promises are His rewards, and they are up to 8,000 of them in the Bible, including those in Deut. 28:1-13. A particular one of joy is in Rev. 22:5. No more light bills, Jesus will provide for us free light.

Eternal rewards: On top of these promises and temporal benefits are eternal rewards which are the crowns set aside for God’s servants and children. There are five crowns recorded in the New Testament. To be in heaven, to be received by God and to receive that commendation, “well done good and faithful servant” is enough to motivate us to serve. Most of the rewards are to be received in heaven when we appear at the judgment seat of God. Nothing can compare to the glory of heaven. We have an imperishable crown (1 Cor. 9: 24-27) for those who run the race to the end, the crown of exultation for soul winners (1 Thes. 2:19-20), Crown of Righteousness (2 Tim. 4:7-8), Crown of Life (James 1:12), and Crown of glory for pastors (1 Pet. 5:1-4). We shall wear these crowns if we serve well. So, let us serve remembering the fact that Jesus said that “He is coming back again, and his reward is with Him.

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IS YOUR HEART WILLING?

by with No Comment The Shepherd

Many times, we find ourselves in positions where we have to do things that we are not really interested in.  It happens more often amongst the people of God.  The Church needs to set up a committee and a leader is needed, then you find no one wants to be the leader.  Somehow someone reluctantly takes the challenge while deep down inside they are not interested.  Quite often you find that it will take a special grace of God for the task to be accomplished successfully.  Why?  Because there was no willing heart to get the task done.  Our lives are full of many unpleasant responsibilities.  In our call to be of service to God, we find that this call requires that our heart be in the right place.  The call on our lives requires that our hearts be willing to serve the Lord.  Is your heart willing?

God loves a heart that is willing to do His will.  In Exodus 35, Moses relayed God’s commands about the construction of the tabernacle to the people of Israel. In giving the commands, God also gave several details about how the tabernacle should be built.  God directed that the Tabernacle should be built by the people from the beginning to the end.  He even told them when they should work on the Tabernacle and when they cannot.  One very important aspect of the instructions that was given by God to the people of Israel was that the work that will be done on the Tabernacle must be the work of only “willing” people.  “Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it…” – Exodus 35:5a (KJV).  This requirement established for God’s people a basic and fundamental truth. More than anything else, God wants our hearts.  When it comes to the things of God, many of us are on auto.  We just do things devoid of emotion, without our hearts in it.  However, our God Is not satisfied with mechanical actions; all of our actions must be accompanied by our heart.  He wants a relationship first before anything else we might want to do. 

The question is worth asking: Why do we do what we do? Are we doing what God expects of us?  Are we doing what pleases God?  And if we are doing what God expects, are we doing it with a willing heart? Many times, in our lives our base instincts take over and we do not conform with God’s expectations of us. We do not follow God’s will for us, and when we do, it is often with the wrong motive. God loves to use a willing heart to accomplish His purpose.  But God made us and knows our short comings, so many times He is willing to also come to our aid to help put our hearts in the right place.  When hearts are not right, He changes our hearts. I know God can change hearts. So, I look unto Him to help me with my heart and make it more willing to do His will.  We need to always go to God and ask Him to help us with our hearts just like David did in Psalm 51:10 (KJV): “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”. 

God knowing that His wayward people do not have their hearts in the right place and have not the willing heart to do God’s will, reminded them in Ezekiel 36:26 about His desire and ability to do His work: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”  He knows where we are, and He is willing to meet us there.  Even where we do not have the abilities to do what we need to do, when our hearts are willing God will take care of the rest.  He did this for Moses and gave him abilities he never thought he possessed. 

God has blessed us with different abilities and so there may be times when you feel you are not up to the task because the task requires abilities you do not possess.  Because of this we do nothing.  God does not want us to do nothing.  All He needs is for your heart to be willing, He will make a way.  So, I urge you people of God, set your eyes on the Lord.  Make yourself available for His use.  Is your heart willing?  That is all you need. He can take care of the rest, “for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”.

blessed

BLESS THE LORD OH MY SOUL

by with No Comment The Shepherd

One song that keeps recurring in my soul these days is the song that we sing often and that has its root in the songs of David.  “Bless the Lord Oh my Soul” – Psalm 103:1a (KJV).  This song is a song that comes forth from the deepest part of one’s heart.  It is a song that comes forth because of deep reflection.  I am not sure about you, but sometimes I have found myself in a deep reflection such that some high and low points of my life are played in my subconscious like a video reel.  At the end of these reflections, I often find myself just blessing and praising the name of the Lord.  Reading Psalm 103, we discover that this song may have come from such a time of reflection by King David.

King David was thinking deep and having a conversation with himself.  I bet in that most reflective state he was also watching a movie about his life, a movie at which he has a front row seat.  He suddenly remembered all the benefits of God in his life.  He remembered it was God who forgave him, even when what he did amounted to murder, murder for selfish reasons.  He remembered that when he was sick and in the lowest point of his life, it was God who healed him.  He remembered that it was God who redeemed him from a life of destruction.  This same God showed him mercies and satisfied his mouth with good things.  In the stark reality of this moment King David had no control over the gratitude that swelled up in his heart.  The heart of gratitude that came up in a song, “Bless the Lord Oh my Soul”!  Have you found yourself in this situation?  Have you found yourself in this time of deep reflection where you had no choice but to praise the name of the almighty God?  Have you found yourself bursting out in songs of praise and worship when you remember the God who forgave you, healed you, preserves you, satisfies you, and blesses you with good things?

It is good to always have a time like this when we can reflect about God’s grace and mercy in our lives.  It is very easy to always put ourselves in the place of a victim when things that are not very pleasant happen to us.  That is the time we begin to ask, why me?  But our God is full of mercy and grace, and He can help us through our life difficulties. We forget that our struggles are only a very small part of our life in general and that when we put our struggles and our blessings on a scale side by side, our blessings will always outweigh our struggles.  Like the saying goes, many times we do not know what we have got until it is gone.  Even when it is gone, instead of appreciating the moment we had such wonderful blessings, we resort to lamenting about our present predicament. The story was told of a Scottish preacher, Alexander Whyte.  He was known to be thankful no matter the situation.  One Sunday morning the weather was so gloomy that one church member thought to himself, “Certainly the preacher won’t think of anything for which to thank the Lord on a wretched day like this.” Much to his surprise, however, Whyte began by praying, “We thank Thee, O God, that it is not always like this.”  If that parishioner could only be as reflective as Alexander Whyte… 

Brethren, let us always be reflective in our relationship with God.  David was reflective and his gratitude came up in a song that blessed the name of the Lord.  Alexander Whyte was reflective and thanked God for the fact that the weather is not always gloomy.  Let us bless the Lord whatever the situation we may be going through.  The Christian injunction is for us to thank God in all circumstances.  It is difficult to do because we always choose to thank God exclusively for personal benefits to us which the devil can destroy. The Word of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:19-21 says “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If we act like David and choose to thank God for those treasures that are laid up in heaven, even when our earthly treasures are not doing as well as we want, our soul will always bless the Lord even in our most difficult circumstances.

King David’s expression of gratitude came forth in the form of praise and thanksgiving, with the whole of his being, for the name of the Lord, his God, our God, who forgives, who heals, who preserves, who provides and who satisfies. On this day I pray that David’s example of addressing his own soul will be followed by all of us and our souls will also well up in praise and adoration of the one who has redeemed us. “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!”

GUIDED BY THE COUNSEL OF GOD

GUIDED BY THE COUNSEL OF GOD

by The Shepherd's Blog

It is always God’s pleasure to guide His children in the best way that He has cut out for their life’s journey. He leads us step by step, day by day, into His glorious plan for our lives. He has promised to do so, and He is always faithful to His Word. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) (NKJV).  And His words also say, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you” (Psalm 32:8) (NIV).  His words never fail.

The Word of God is indeed the counsel of God so, whenever we ask God for directions, He gives us a Word in the scripture that is relevant to what we are seeking answers for. This is the reason the psalmist said, “your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 -NKJV). When we choose to walk in the Word of God we walk in His light, His counsel, His purpose, His peace, and all His abundant blessings, which means every darkness must disappear around us because we carry His presence.

Therefore, as children of light I pray that you continue to cultivate a lifestyle of seeking God through His Word, through meditations, prayers, singing edifying songs of praise, and worship on a daily basis. Asking Him to speak to you expressly on a daily basis and to give you wisdom and direction on what to do in every given situation, being confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6).

Whenever we allow the counsel of God to guide our lives, we find ourselves doing His will because the Word of God is the will of God. And God’s will, leads to destiny fulfilment following His Word in Psalm 73:24 (NKJV), “you will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”  This shows that God is never tired of receiving me to glory. This shows that God is never tired of leading us, provided we are not tired of asking for His leading and walking in obedience.

Our prayer should always be, “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You” (Psalm 143:8N KJV).  May the voice of the Lord continue to come clearly to us day by day. I pray that the Lord sends His Word of guidance to us on a daily basis that we may fulfill our glorious destiny in Jesus’ name. 

Like in Christ

LIFE IN CHRIST

by The Shepherd's Blog

John 14:19b says, “Because I live, you also will live.”  As Christians, our entire life is predicated on living in Christ.  This life in Christ is also entirely based on how we see Christ.  In fact, the whole of John 14:19 reads “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” Because we are people of faith, we look unto Him and we see Him. He is already sitting next to the Father, so the world does not see Him anymore, but we still see Him by faith, and we still see Him by the Spirit.  Because we see Him, we know Him, and because we know Him, we know that our life depends on Him.

Our life in Christ is guided by our faith.  The Word of God says the “just shall live by faith” – Romans 1:17. Sometimes we do not understand the effect of faith in our lives, but the truth is that our daily life is lived in faith.  We go to bed at the night, and we believe we shall wake up in the morning; it is by faith.  We travel by air to distant places trusting that we shall return all in one piece; it is by faith.  We send our little children to school daily and expect that no harm shall befall them; it is by faith.  We so much trust in the Lord that this faith that we express almost becomes a matter of course for us.  So folks fear because they are people of little faith, but as we live our life in Christ we must continue to understand that the object of our faith is more important than the size of our faith.  He has always proved Himself faithful.  Even when we break faith with Him, He remains faithful. 

Often it is our sin that stands in the way of our relationship with God.  Our sins keep us from our lives in Christ.  We however serve a merciful God.  He is always kind and gracious to us.  Colossians 2:13 says, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins”.  Yes, God forgave all our sins.  He however does not expect that we will continue to live life in sins because the Word of God says we cannot continue in sin and expect grace to abound (Romans 6:2).  Our life of dependence on Christ can only continue when we continue to see Him by faith and be saved by the same.  The moment we take our eyes off Christ we begin to lose our spiritual life and we become dead in the spirit.  Those who are still waiting for the breath of life to be breathed into them are looking at those of us who are alive.  If we continue to live as the dead live, then what is the incentive for the dead to come alive? In fact, only the living can breathe life into the dead for the dead to come alive.  In any case, why would one who is alive in Christ want to live a life of death without Christ?  Apostle Paul says it is foolish.  “Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” –  Galatians 3:3. May that not be our portion in Jesus’ name! 

So, what must we learn about living the Christian life? We must know that while our faith guides us and helps us to see where the world does not see, our Christian life is not simply living out a creed, but the creed must live in our person. We are united with Christ by faith, and we receive the strength to live the Christian life every day through your relationship with Him. Our Christian life began when we found Christ, and it must continue with Christ.  He came so that we may have life to the full (John 10:10) but our life can only be full when it is lived in Him.  Therefore, my brothers and sisters, let us hearken to the admonition of Apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him” – Colossians 2:6.  Our Christian life began with Christ, it can only continue also in Christ.  The moment we deviate, we begin to live a life that is as good as dead, because life without Christ is a dead life.

HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY

HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY

by The Shepherd's Blog

Happy Mothers’ Day to all mothers, expectant mothers, future mothers, and the nurturing mothers out there.

As a mother, the song that comes to my mind today is “When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done for me, my very soul shall shout hallelujah, praise God for saving me”. A mother might sing this song coming out of a trial, witnessing what the Lord had done for her through the years; seeing how their children were birthed, taking baby steps, going through the primitive years, graduating from grade school to high school, and moving on to college and beyond. It could also be from the excitement and fear of watching them as they drive, get a job and be independent, the joy of seeing your child or children getting married and starting their own family or the anxiety of empty-nest syndrome. The satisfaction that comes with knowing that one had contributed to the sustainment of the society can also well up “unspeakable” joy in our hearts that manifests in a song. It is a testimony to the faithfulness of God and the strength He has given us in our efforts to be the mother that the Lord has called us to be.

A mother wears so many hats. She is a chef making sure food is prepared and sumptuous for everyone; then the medical personnel caring for the sick in the family and prescribing those ancient concoctions and remedies that heal; other times a prayer warrior who intercedes for the family through fasting and prayer; and when the occasion calls for it, a seamstress, always fixing and mending those “holly” shirts, buttons, pants, and the list goes on. What can we say about mothers? They are outstanding tutors and counselors, who are vast in all topics and can communicate in all conversations presented to them especially in different languages: eye roll, open mouth, body gesture etc., when it is time to discipline their children.

Mothers are God-sent, they are virtuous women, women of integrity and full of love. Thank you, for all you do and continue to do. May the faith and spirit of Eunice and Lois in 2 Timothy:1-5 be upon us. The scriptures referred to these two godly women in the Bible who helped groom Timothy.  It is a lesson in how influential we are, as mothers, and our influence matters not only to our children but also to every child that comes our way.  As we continue to play our God-given role, let us also remember to show respect to one another; even a small child deserves to be respected; that is how we change the child’s view of the world. The same way Eunice and Lois were influential in shaping Timothy, and he became a mouthpiece for the Lord, let us also help shape our generations and the generation to come to be outstanding and be able to stand blameless before the Father. Whatever you do, do in love. Be it praying, comforting, giving a helping hand, or simply smiling. We are communicating something.

I thank the good Lord for all mothers and pray that God’s love will continue to wax strong among us. On this blessed day set apart for us mothers, I pray that the good Lord will continue to bless us all and strengthen us. May He make His face to shine upon us and lift up His countenance upon us and give us His everlasting peace. May our prayers according to the will of the Lord on our families be answered speedily, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen. Again, I wish each and every one of us a Happy Mothers’ Day. Enjoy your day.

TIME WITH CHRIST

TIME WITH CHRIST

by The Shepherd's Blog

One thing the disciples of Jesus Christ did that made them the disciples we talk about today is that they spent time with their master.  They spent time with the one they followed.  Do we spend time with Christ?  How do we spend time with Christ? To become Christ’s disciples, we must spend time with Him.  Coming from Africa, I have always heard the saying that when a leaf stays long connected to soap then it also becomes soap.  Essentially it means we become like who we hang out with.  When we spend enough time with Jesus, our attitude, our outlook, our heart also begins to look like that of Jesus.  The Bible says, “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did” – 1 John 2:6.  Whatever life we lived before must change and our new life must be lived as Jesus lived.  The only way we know how Jesus lived is to have intimacy with Him.  The idea of spending time with Jesus Christ is about intimacy, because the more time we spend with Him the more we know Him and the more we can emulate Him.

It has been said that even our good works can become evil, when we do not have intimacy with Jesus. Naturally when we have a heart like that of Jesus, it motivates us to do good works.  However, there are other motives for good works that are not good.  Therefore, all our good works must be predicated on the knowledge and love of Jesus.  The Bible teaches that there are true disciples and there are false disciples. The first indicator of a true disciple is their knowledge of the Lord and how much time they spend with Him.  The Word of God says, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” – Matthew 7:22-23. As we continue our strive towards becoming a true disciple, let us make it a point of priority to spend more time with Christ so we can know Him more.  The essence of having that time with Jesus is to put our action where our heart is.

How do we spend time with Jesus?  Different people do it different ways.  Some spend time reading the Word of God, some set aside time to pray, others spend some time daily to just commune with Christ by sitting quietly with Him, and some may find it easier to just join a Bible Study group.  The important thing is to give ourselves the opportunity to hear from Him and these methods and many others not mentioned can put us in good stead to hear from the Lord.  There is no perfect way to do it, and in any case, the essence of spending time with Christ is about pursuit and not perfection.  Each must do it in the way they know how.  We do not need to do it the way someone else does it. The story of Mary and Martha in the Bible is a great example of two sisters who know Jesus very well but who have chosen different methods to get to know Him and hear from Him.  In rebuking Martha when she complained that her sister was not helping her, the Lord told Martha that what Mary has chosen will not be taken away from her (Luke 10:42). Spend time with Jesus and whatever method you choose to do this will be counted for you.

If we want to be disciples who make disciples who love God, and love our neighbors, then we need to spend time with Jesus.  We must do it consistently and it must be a priority in our lives. The time we do it is irrelevant. It could be in the morning, afternoon, or nighttime, as long as it accomplishes its main purpose, which is to change us completely from the inside out.  Spending time with Jesus is transformational.  When we spend time with Christ we end up with a spiritual heart transplant.  Jeremiah 24:7 says, “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”  When we spend time with Christ our heart becomes the heart of a disciple.

RESURRECTION

RESURRECTION: A CENTERPIECE OF OUR FAITH

by The Shepherd

Today we celebrate Christ’s resurrection, the day that our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead.  The importance of resurrection for Christians cannot be underestimated.  The Word of God made us understand in 1 Corinthians 15:14 that “if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.”  In addition to this, as Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:18-19 “those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”  So, without resurrection the whole basis of our faith falls like a pack of cards.  We however give all glory to God, who raised His Son Christ Jesus from the dead.  He is the firstborn of the dead and is vindicated by God in His glorious resurrection. Christ rose and we have hope that we shall also rise with Him. We look forward to the coming of the Lord when all who died in Christ will rise to live when they hear His voice. 

Practical Christian faith growth and maturity has been well articulated in the book of James.  However, without the resurrection of Christ, where will our faith be?  The Resurrection of Christ is a huge cornerstone for our faith.  The idea of the resurrection is so important that we who are Christians depend on it for everything we are and believe.  Colossians 2:13 tells us God has made us alive in Christ.  We cannot be made alive if Christ Himself is not alive. Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  If He has not been raised, then what is our saving grace?  The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ also comes with great power. In our efforts to grow our faith to maturity, we must continue to rely on that power.  The power of the resurrection can mold us in a Christ-like fashion.  It is not a day’s job, but God will continue and will carry it to completion. The power of resurrection is able to convict us, confront us, and ultimately conform us.  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” – 1 Peter 1:3-4. 

Christ’s resurrection is an event that happened about two thousand years ago but is not over yet. In other words, it is not just another history lesson. The power of that event is still working today.  Aside from the centrality of our faith in the resurrection, it continues to impact our life today because of the power that is inherent in it.  For this reason, Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:10-11 said, he wanted to know Christ and also “to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” In Ephesians 1:18-20, Paul also prayed that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which He has called us and also know the incomparably great power He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms.  Our whole faith and Christian journey sits firmly on the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Christ is risen and this is the centerpiece of our faith. There is power in His resurrection, and that power is so very relevant today in in our lives.  Today, we all need the resurrection power to experience healing, deliverance, to overcome family problems, to overcome financial problems and so many other trials of life that we face daily.  So, as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection today, I want you to remember the importance of this event to our faith and like Paul, let us pray that we begin to experience the resurrection power in our lives and that this power will help us persevere as we go through all of life’s travails, so that in the end our perseverance will finish its work and we will become mature and complete (James 1:4).