The Accused

I am sure you must have heard or read about the two accused criminals that were crucified with Jesus Christ. If you have not, I encourage you to do so by reading the accounts of Luke 23:32-43. Let us consider these two criminals. They had been rightly judged by the law of that day and sentenced to death. Right in the middle of these accused was the only WAY out of their condemnation. One of the two recognized it and the other was blinded to it. Why?

We can see that both have the same information they needed to know about this WAY: He (Christ) had done nothing wrong but yet was given the same condemnation as they.

On the top of His cross was a sign written 'THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS'. They both heard the mockery of the Jews of Him saving others from their problems but cannot help himself. What advantage had one for him to be able to recognize this WAY?

A REPENTANT HEART: A heart that acknowledges its wrong deeds and forsakes them (Luke 23:41). He repented of his evil ways and was favoured, being assured of a life in paradise. Little wonder God sent John the Baptist preaching repentance in order to prepare the Way for Christ so that the people will be able to recognized Him. You will not recognize JESUS until you have repented of your old ways and forsake all. Do not be like the foolish accused.

REPENT now for the kingdom of heaven is already here.

Be part of it!

Seeking The Lord in Due Order -Part 2 (1Chron.15:14)

The Psalmist once asked a question which I pose to you all right now for a diligent consideration for appropriate answers: “If the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:3. A dictionary definition of what foundation means says- it is the strong stable base on which a building is built. As we embark on the journey of following Jesus, our foundation is very important. What are the things that form our foundation? Our understanding of who God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is, our beliefs and doctrines forms the foundations. As Christians or believer, our understanding of what salvation is forms a critical aspect of our foundation. The book of Colossians 2:6 says ‘As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. How did you receive Christ Jesus? If the way you received him is faulty then your walk in him will be faulty. You cannot then be properly rooted and built in him and established in the faith (Col 2:7). Such believer that have faulty beginning in receiving Christ fall victim of the philosophies, vain deceit, tradition of men (Col 2:8) and every wave of false doctrines. Some have received Christ as a miracle worker, a healer, need supplier etc. These are faulty ways in which some believers have received Christ hence they have faulty walk in him.

Let us quickly consider the scriptural steps or orders to follow in receiving Christ. Isaiah 40:3 says ‘The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God…’ This was a prophecy concerning the ministry of John the Baptist (Matt 2:3). Christ can only be received through the ministry of John – repentance. Jesus Christ stresses this point at the beginning of his own ministry (Matt 4:11, Mark 1:15). What then does this ministry of repentance entail? Let us look at Isaiah’s prophecy about John to have an insight of what the ministry entails.

Firstly, ‘prepare the way of the Lord.’ How do we prepare this way of the Lord? We prepare this way by being true to ourselves. Hebrew 10:22 says ‘Let us draw near with a true heart…’ This simply means that we acknowledge our true nature before God. We ought to acknowledge the declaration of God about our Adamic nature who is not just one who commits sins but a sinner. Consider these confessions and note the difference – ‘Lord forgive my sins of stealing, lying and fornicating’ and ‘Lord forgive me a thief, liar and fornicator for I have stolen, lied and fornicated.’ While the former separates himself from his sins, the latter acknowledges these characters as being his true nature. There is power in acknowledgement. It prepares the way for the Lord to help us.

Secondly, ‘make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’ How do we make a highway for God? We will find the answer in Proverb 16:17a which says ‘the highway of the upright is to depart from evil.’ After our acknowledgement of who we are before God, we are then to depart from the former ways. By this we make a highway for God.

Could you now say that you have received Christ or that you followed this order to you receiving Christ? Did you truly acknowledge who you are before God or were you separating your sins from yourself? Asking this question is not meant to disprove the fact that you are a believer or Christian but with the aim of trying to find long lasting solution to the problem which you now face in your walk as a born-again. As important as your receiving is, much more important will be your walk.

Consider Uzza, Nadab and Abihu who suffered death consequences from seeking the Lord wrongly. There is that urgent need by God for his children to make sure that they are building their faith on the Rock whom he had laid as the foundation of our beliefs.

How then do we receive Christ? We receive Christ as the Son of the living God (Matt16:16) who came in the human flesh (1John 4:3) to save us from our sins (Matt 1:21) through the shedding of his blood and by his death, delivered us from our sinful nature and from the kingdom of darkness and by his resurrection brings us the hope of eternal life in his everlasting kingdom.

Seeking The Lord in Due Order -Part 1 (1Chron.15:14)

We serve an excellent God whose works are excellent. Excellent has been defined as something so good that it cannot be improved on or made better; in other words – PERFECT. I believe perfection is the high calling of God to his children in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14-15). Our Lord Jesus and Master is perfect and this is the desire of God for us: that we be like the First Begotten. If we desire to obey his command - “Be ye therefore perfect”… – which I do not think a believer should do otherwise, there will be that need to examine carefully our start-up or foundational belief in our coming unto the Lord (receiving Christ). When we have an imperfect or improper start up, we are bound to have an imperfect finish no matter how good the finish might look unless something is done.

Let us look at an illustration: In production, to obtain a specified quality of a product we need to ensure at first the quality of and specification of the materials and process used in producing that product. If peradventure one of the materials used did not meet the specification, it makes the final product substandard even though the final product could still be used for what it was produced. The substandardness might not be readily noticed but inherent. The tell-tale sign will definitely show in any of the characteristics of the product. For instance, if the standard product has a life span of five years, the substandard product might only last for four years.

Similarly if our approach to God or the quality of the steps in receiving Christ is in doubt, the outcome will be a “substandard” Christian. There is an order in which we can seek God. A good look at the religious rituals given by God in the manner of approached unto the holy of holies makes it categorically clear that there is a due order which must be adhered to less one suffer like the two sons of Aaron who made a strange fire. This is the dispensation of grace; we might not suffer as Uzza or the sons of Aaron did in their time, but I tell you, for every wrong process or quality of approach we make unto God, there is an inherent mark of imperfection. I pray that God will open your heart to receive his work of perfecting your life.

Make That Decision

You wake up in the morning, get dressed and get into your car or to the bus stop to take a bus, and you are headed somewhere - a definite destination.

What does it really take to get to a destination? I am sure of at least your decision to get somewhere. Secondly, prepare yourself by taking action. Thirdly, finding a means (a car or bus in this case) to take you there.

As simple and unconscious as these steps might be, you need to go through these processes to get to your destination. Only a madman might not follow these (usually missing out the first step).

So is your life; you need to make a decision concerning where you are taking it. A lot of people are like the madman. They prepare and take every necessary action to live life following a means of getting to their unknown destination. They have never made a decision to get to and know their destination.

I have good news for you. As for your life, you have just two destinations to decide on - Heaven or Hell.

Death or the grave is not a destination but a door or gateway to the actual place you have decided to get to. Funny enough, this gate (death) can lead you to either of the two destinations. The difference is in your decision -Wait and think. Have you made that decision yet, or are you like the madman?

Pause and make that decision now - "I am going to Heaven.”

Yet I have another piece of good news for you, there is just one WAY to get there. Jesus Christ is the WAY (John 14:6).

The preparation you make in following your decision is living in Christ. Your means of getting there is on the TRUTH (Word of God). As getting to your destination could be that simple, so is your getting to heaven. Just make the right decision, make the necessary preparation and use the only vehicle available.

See you in heaven.