The Spirit of Fear

The effects of fear often tell for longer than the span of a man’s life. fear can be infectious, moving from person to person and generation to generation. Fear must be defeated and overcome, but do we understand what fear really is?

The first time we see fear come up in the bible is with Adam and Eve, not long after they have eaten the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eating the fruit sends them into a spiral when man does not receive the knowledge of good and evil, but begins to seemingly, decide for himself what is good and evil and he decides to hide from the God He ought to be seeking. Fear is the result of the awakening of the flesh.

Flesh, is a word that can come across and harmless, merely natural, but flesh in truth is a spiritual operating system that is under the control of the enemy. Where man had relied soley on the governance and wisdom of God, there was now this battle of wisdom that presented the same facts - ‘they were naked’ - but led them to the conclusion of fear.

Fear makes us distance ourselves from the one we ought to be running to and believing we are behaving in our best interest. However the reality of fear is this, it dresses itself up as innocent and unassuming, but fear is leading you to a slow and painful death.

'But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. '

Revelation 21:8

Those whose lives are dictated by fear, the bible says, are committing as grave a sin as faithlessness, murder, witchcraft, idolatry and more. If God weighs fear so costly, it’s effects must be far more damaging than we consider. Fear is not simply an emotion or a feeling, fear is a spirit!

'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. '

2 Timothy 1:7

If fear is a spirit that did not come from God then it must be from the devil and like it’s father the devil, does not present itself honestly, but presents itself as an angel of light whilst seeking to overwhelm your light with darkness. It presents itself as a protector, as caution or wisdom, carefulness or reason, but if your ‘wisdom’ is telling you to do anything contrary to what the Lord has asked of you, it is fear.

Fear seeks to torment you (1 John 4:18) and keep you in bondage (Hebrews 2:15) by neutralizing your power, love and sound mind. Fear highlights all your weaknesses and the strength of what your contending with, anything to distract you from your own might. God tells Gideon to go in his might, but he is so aware of the might of the Amorites that he doesn’t see his own. Everytime, you let the disappointments of your past tell you that people will take advantage of your kindness, fear is tampering with your love and every time your mind is drawn to the impossibilities of what is ahead of you, fear is tampering with your reasoning. Like the ten spies seeing with reason and logic when the lens of faith would have brought them into the promise.

Spiritual things must be spiritualy discerened, if fear is a spirit you will not discern it with your emotions and you will not overcome it sheer force of will. It requires a spirit ‘stronger than he’, God has equipped you with the spirit of power, love and a sound mind, run into HIs presence and vanquish fear with reckless obedience to the Lord, not leaning on your own understanding, but in all your ways relying on His report.

What Does Creation Say About You?

I believe the creation story is one of the clearest introductions to not just who God is but who he has created us to be. Explore your identity in Christ and walk in the confidence that comes from knowing.

My 5 Day Devotional 'What Does Creation Say About You? will draw you closer to your identity in Christ and the responsibility that comes with it.
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Pre Approved

The Bible Is The Lens

Lately I have found myself recognising how often we read the bible from the lens of our culture. One of the biggest issues is that it causes us to misunderstand the word of God and make it fit into our plans as opposed to God’s intent.

The Parable of the Talents

When we read the parable of the talents, it is easy to think the man with the one talent responded negatively because he wasn’t given something that felt sufficient, but if we look at the text it’s not be the case.

'“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. '
Matthew 25:14-15

Let’s try to break down this text.

The Value of a Talent

When you read that the master gave one 5 talents, another 2 and the other 1, it sounds immediately as though he didn’t have much faith in the one he gave the one talent to. That is the face value of the text when you assume the value of a talent can’t be much. When we take the time to study, we would see that 1 Talent, was worth the equivalent of 6000 denarius and the standard wages for a days work to a servant was 1 denarius. So 1 talent was equal to about 20 years wages, assuming a 6 day work week. He wasn’t entrusted with little, but with much!

Comparison kills

With the knowledge of the value of a talent, the only reason for the servant to be discouraged is the spirit of comparison. In his hands were more than he’d ever earned in his life, but because he saw his peers holding a larger sum, he lacked the gratitude to see the value of what was in his hands. How often do we lose sight of all the progress we have made in our lives, because instead of looking at our journey we looked at those around us and let is sow seeds of discouragement?

According To His Ability

When the text says, he gave each according to his ability, it is easy to read that he trusted the servant with one less than the servants with two or five. On the contrary it actually invites us to see how highly the master trusted each servant. The master was going on a long journey and put in the hands of his servants all he had accrued and believed each one had everything he needed to be both reliable and effective with what he was given.

Pre Approved

'“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’'
Matthew 25:24-25

A couple of things that stand out to me in the above verses are, bitterness and self-doubt. While the two other servants have multiplied what they were given, this servant has merely retained his. The reasons he gives are, one, ‘he believes his master reaps where he doesn’t sow’, this points to bitterness and envy. He didn’t want to see his master profit from his hard work, so he preferred to not work at all. The second thing I see is he considered his master a ‘hard man’ and feared what would happen if he lost what he was trusted with. He didn’t have the self belief that he could be a good and faithful steward, so he decided not to take the risk.

The reality of the situation is, what he perceived as a big risk, wasn’t that big a risk. The master only entrust him with it, because he knew what he was capable.

Similar to this master, there is a history of God giving his Pre-Approval to his people, He did so with Jesus after His baptism and with Gideon, calling him a mighty man of valor. God has pre-approved you for that which he’s called you for, you have His stamp of approval, don’t let doubt make you stagnant.

Find Your Lane and Stay In It

One of the harder things to deal with in the world is the pressure to be something different from who you are, to chase things that look aesthetically pleasing but is ultimately pulling you away from who you are.

When the serpent approached Eve, he sought to distract her from who she was and waved what looked appealing to the eyes but distracting from the truth of who she was. In the same way, whether it’s scrolling through social media, or being surrounded by different manifestations of success, there can be an overwhelming feeling of pressure to bend to doing things in the way that seems to have brought others success, which may not bring you the same success.

'And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, '
Ephesians 4:11

We are not all called to the same race, and one of the most important things is learning and identifying what God has called you to, and not only what but, how. Unless you have a boldness and confidence of the spaces the Lord has called you to be of influence, you will be ‘tossed around by every wind of doctrine,’ yielding to what seems to work for others. The grass is truly not always greener on the other side, success, is a long distance race and not a sprint, it comes from knowing your call and sticking patiently to it when it is hard or when it feels as though it isn’t working, but learning to trust in the call on your life.

I can say from personal experience, how hard it is to remain, firm and diligent in the work you do when it feels like the needle isn’t moving, or when you look around and it feels like everyone else is having far more impact, but comparison is the thief of joy and it also breeds stagnancy and not progress.

Crying In The Wilderness

I can only imagine the burden that fell on John the Baptist, when the assignment fell on him from the Lord. How it felt to look at his peers and elders, to look at his leaders, the priests, the high priest, the rabbi’s, the Pharisees and Sadducees and to come to the realisation that they all were more content with religious ceremony than with authentic relationship. How heavy it must have been to be in a city a many men and feel like he stood alone in a wilderness.

The world today feels like a similar place, full of religious sentiment but lacking Kingdom integrity. A place where popularity determines authenticity more that truth does. A world where foolishness speaks more boldly and confidently than wisdom and truth. A place where we couch cowardice and a lack of moral integrity as, acceptance, love and tolerance.

'Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord ,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”'
John 1:22-23

When John said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,” he was clearly not in a literal wilderness, he was surrounded by many people, but where he stood, as one fervently on fire, hungry, ready to sacrifice himself for the truth of God, he was alone. He was crying out to deaf ears, surrounded by men who thought that they were children of Abraham because of their bloodline, when the fatherhood Abraham is celebrated by God for, was the fatherhood of faith, not blood.

Now more than ever, the need for men and women who like John the Baptist, are ready to cry out, yes with their words, but also with their lifestyles, and prepare a way for the Lord. There has to be a cry that this thing we’ve been calling Christianity, is just religion and the standard God has for His sons, is much higher, we can no longer be content with worldly acceptance but be ready to risk it all to please God’s heart, to love people enough to tell the hard truth and usher people into a genuine relationship with God, because anything less is an act of hatred, that is content seeing many die instead of being bold enough to help them see and choose life.

'For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God . “Therefore turn and live!”'
Ezekiel 18:32

In All Your Getting, Get Knowledge

THE CONFIDENCE THAT COMES FROM KNOWING

One of the pitfalls that comes with a lack of knowledge is often the fact you don’t know what you don’t know. Lawyers of scientists will say the absence o fevidence is not the evidence of absence, but unfortunately to the ignorant man it appears that way. This is why many people grapple with the idea of faith, they take the visible lack of evidence and an evidence of absence, so they become led by only what they see.

'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. '
Hebrews 11:1

It is a sad sight ot see people led only by what they see, because it leads to desperation anf short-sightedness. The man who doesn’t know where the money will show up from becomes far more willing to compromise himself and his values when his children’s school fees are due tomorrow and there is no sign of money on the way..

Human knowledge is far too limiting, we are unable to see the way when there seems to be no way. When we let ourselves becomes anxious because of a lack of vision or faith in the invisibile we put all our weight and trust in men and what they can do for us.

When you build you knowledge and understanding of who God is through HIs word and by cultivating a relationship with Him we become less desperate, and reliant on men to solve our problems, we are less rash with our decision making and we leave room for the providence of God to show up in our lives,

'Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: And with all thy getting get understanding. '
Proverbs 4:7

Your life could take a radical turnn for the better when you seek a greater knowledge, wisdom and understanding of the things of God, by getting to know HIm, as you become more led by faith and yield the spaces where you have no control to the one who has all control.

God & Systems

Holy Isn’t Only

“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world”
John 17:16 NKJV

As Christians we have a tendency to overcorrect, so much so that that we tend to cut ourselves off from the people we are called to be in relationship with. We aren’t the first and we won’t be the last. In Jesus’ day, the Pharisee’s and many Jews intentionally separated themselves from people, such as, tax collectors, or even from the sick. In a quest to retain their purity and holiness they ran away from where God sent them. that you are called to be holy doesn’t mean you’re called to be alone or to distance yourself from those who God has called you to impact.

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”
Matthew 10:16 NKJV

In theory we know that we are called to spread the gospel, but often we get lost in our religion and begin to judge and run from the ones we are meant to influence. The idea that we receive grace and then somehow forget that we were saved by grace and not by our doing. Getting lost in that, we become judgemental of those who are still lost in their sin and believe they are not deserving of encountering God, as though we deserved our forgiveness and His grace.

THE PEOPLE AND THE CITY

For this same reason, Jonah ran from God when He directed him to go to Nineveh. Jonah was convinced that the sin and brutality of the Ninevites did not deserve God’s mercy. Jonah knew God enough to know that though He was rebuking the Ninevites, that God was merciful and relent if they repented.

Jonah was more interested in running from the city because he feared the sin in it, but God was sending him to the city. God cares about the people in the city, but not just about the city but about what the city represents, the influence that exists in the city.

'So may I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals?”'
Jonah 4:11

In the final verse in the book of Jonah, God responds to Jonah’s anger, by telling him that He cares about the 120,000 people that live in Nineveh and are ignorant of who He is, but He doesnt stop there, He also says, “as well as many animals”. The animals in Nineveh represented the economy of the city, God cares about the people in the city but about the culture and the influence of the city. By Jonah going and witnessing God in the places of influence, like government, business, education, family, etc he isn’t just part of the culture but He sets the culture, it is a means by which places that have been used as terrors of darkness become weapons of His light.

As Christians we cannot run from the world we have been sent to, we can’t hide in the church and neglect our duty, because God cares about people, but He also cares about the systems.

How To Pray

WHAT ARE YOU PRAYING FOR?

When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray, He goes on to teach them The Lord’s prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is not a literal, word for word on how to pray but, it provides great structural and value teachings on prayer.

' “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
Matthew 6:9-13

If you look closely, not one line of the Lord’s prayer is self focused, nothing is about satisfying worldly passions. Prayer ,calls for us to honour and reverence, to set our focus on His Kingdom and align to His will. Far too often the approach we take to prayer is seeking our own will and not God’s.

Days before Jesus was arrested, He consecrated Himself to pray, full of emotion and hurt He said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Prayer is the place we gain revelation on God’s will and strength to align ourselves, it’s not about you, but all about Him. Our prayer has become a selfish, self centred thing we do out of desperation, as opposed to the avenue to breed intimacy with the Father.

KNOWING GOD THROUGH PRAYER

' “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.'
Matthew 6:5-6

When Jesus says, “and your Father who is IN secret…” it eludes that praying in secret isn’t merely about location but about going to where God is, consecrated, hidden, secret, not praying like those who merely want to be seen to know God, or have wisdom, or to be DEEP Christians.

If God is in secret, then we must enter the secret place to know Him, we cannot know a secret-place God with a public-place heart and mindset. Prayer no matter where it happens, in your closet or in an open arena must be about an Audience of One, it has to be about God and God alone, about hearing Him, knowing Him and being led by Him.

TAKING GOD OUT OF THE CHURCH

GOING BEYOND THE FOUR WALLS

Nothing grows in comfort!

One of the traps we fall into as the church, is hiding within the four walls, preaching to the choir and ‘churching the churched’. There is a need for refuge and comfort, it’s important to encourage, build confidence and renew strength. Comfort zones also help remind you of who you are and centre you, but they aren’t a strategy for growth.

Often when Paul would enter a new city, he would first go to the synagogue and preach, for “iron sharpens iron”, but he wouldn’t stay there, he would then move into the marketplace and extend the gospel to those who hadn’t heard it. It is important not to ignore the body, lest people are plucked away and their faith diminished, but if that’s all you do, it will never grow. For an army to increase in number, we must extend our hand, go out to the unchurched and extend the message of God’s love.

SAVED BY GRACE

One of the worse things about religion is how after some time we can become so divisive, if we look at the Pharisee’s, they lauded certain standards over others and were quick to reject those who had any public stain of sin on them. We become less interested in people reaching the gospel when, one, we become judgmental, thinking of ourselves as better than them. And two, when we forget where we came from, we work so hard to clean up our image we forget we were saved by grace and are no better and no more worthy of the gospel. We should step boldly into who we are in Christ, but never forget how we got here, people don’t need to see the cleaned up, social media image you present, but who you are, who you were and that who they are doesn’t stop them from being who they can be.

FINDING COMMON GROUND

We have a tendency to become too religious, to the point we become completely unaware of the world we have been called to relate with. Yes we are not of the world, but we are in it, so we can’t ignore it and build for ourselves our own utopia that fails to interact with the world and introduce it to our God. The bible says we have been sent as “sheep amongst wolves,” so we aren’t here by accident we are sent. We have to increase our knowledge of the circumstances of the world to be equipped to engage it. It wasn’t all that long ago that we were a part of that world system, we must find common ground, be bold and selfless with God’s love, not looking to prove a point but to share God’s heart and love.

WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES?

'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. '
Proverbs 3:5-6

Our humanity is such a frail form, because of that it is often a weighty expectation for us to hand out our trust. It is hard to trust in people who we can see and touch, how much more in an invisible God? The word translated trust, really means to ‘lie down on’. God isn’t asking us to partially trust Him, but to put the full weight of our lives and hearts on Him. In order to be able to walk with clarity, we must be able to put aside our own reasoning and understanding and bring an intimate relationship with God into everything we do.

If we are to achieve things at the level of our potential, we will have to become so heavily God focused that everything we do is about HIm, that no longer are the things we do done from the place of self. It is essential to learn how to become God focused in our priorities before we move.

WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING

In the book of Haggai, a remnant of the Israelites have been back in Jerusalem for 16 years, and the city is still in ruins. as many returned, the burning thing on their hearts was, ‘How will we rebuild our lives?’ Everyone had been focused on rebuilding their own homes. The word of God comes to the Prophet Haggai saying,, ‘How can My people say its not yet time to rebuild My house yet they are building fine houses for themselves.’ The funny thing is for all the focusing on their own houses and their personal lives the people were still not satisfied, they were like dogs chasing their own tales.

'Now, the Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways: You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to be happy. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it.” '
Haggai 1:5-6

This scripture reminds me of the world today, I can imagine everyone desperately focused on making their lives work and not being satisfied, but they look at others and convince themselves, based on the appearance of things that everyone else is happy and at peace. It’s like social media today, we are desperately chasing self satisfaction based on the illusion everyone else is living the dream life, but as long as everyone was trying to find peace by satisfying their flesh, no one was satisfied. Food wasn’t enough, drink wasn’t enough and money went out as quickly as it came in.

Peace wouldn’t come for the desperate remnant, till they shifted their focus from building their houses to building the House of God. In the act of intentionally, genuinely seeking God’s Kingdom, making Him the priority of our lives, He draws every resource we could ever need far beyond the measure of our desires or our imaginations.

In bother vere 5 and verse 7 of Haggai 1, the word of the Lord warns the Israelites to “Think Carefully about [their] ways”.

Take time this week to truly reflect on your ways, to bring them before God become aware of your motives and in all your ways consider Him.

TRANSFORMED BY THE MIND OF CHRIST

Do not conform

'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.'
Romans 12:2

What does it mean to have a renewed mind? The above scripture points firstly to the truth that the mind of Christ is in total contrast and opposition to the ways of the world. There is no middle ground, if we are to get to the place of the renewed mind the first thing we have to be able to do is set boundaries in our lives against the ways of the world.

In a world where everyone appears to be striving to make their mark, to stand out and evidence their unique giftings or capacities, it is intriguing how much of that is marked through conformity. Paul’s cry to the believer is, we must learn to identify the way of the world and choose to boldly refuse to conform. We must be ready to be different and to be steadfast in our non conformity.

The responsibility we have is to stand up against worldly measures, to distance ourselves from the things that are outside of God, to flee temptation, to not accept everything the world says simply because it seems logical. The Kingdom of God is an upside down Kingdom that doesn’t follow logic.

Transformed by a renewed mind

Paul goes on to say that your life comes into true transformation when your mind is renewed. 1 Corinthians 2 teaches us that this new mind comes as part of the package of receiving the Spirit of God. The bible says, “who knows the mind of a thing, except the spirit of the thing,”  receiving the Spirit of God gives access to the mind of God, but accessing its fruit requires rejecting what you know, and searching for what you don’t know.

'Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. '
Philippians 2:5-8

When the bible talks about the mind that was in Christ it expresses it through the humility He had, that being equal to God, He humbled Himself and made Himself of no reputation. The is exemplified so powerfully in the story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10,

'Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. '
Mark 10:17-18

Here, the rich young ruler calls Jesus good, but Jesus, who is equal with God and has humbled Himself, looks at God and says “if God is good, I 'can’t be good”. You cannot seek the perspective of the mind of Christ if you value your mind above Him.

We have to learn to defer everything to the mind of God and leave nothing to our own wisdom, we cannot afford to be wise in our own eyes. but to trust in the Lord with all our hearts.

WHAT IS MY PURPOSE

WHAT IS PURPOSE

Purpose is one of the most heavily focused on topics in life, the dictionary defines it as the reason something (or someone) exists. The problem I have with that definition is it often limits us to believe we exist to do a specific thing, it’s why so often we define ourselves by our line of work and when that line of work fails to satisfy it feels as if we have lost who we are.

Purpose and identity are so closely linked to one other, that we often mistaken one for the other.

Identity, is the defining characteristics of who you are, and it remains the same even in changing climates and circumstances, your identity is a constant or it ought to be.

Your purpose is the influence you have in the earth, how that is expressed might change but the intention remains the same. For example, if you were to start a company, the responsibilities in your first year as a founder will change significantly by the 5th or 10th year. While your goal, or purpose remains the same how it is carried out differs based on the season you’re in and the many factors around you.

If you mistaken your purpose for the work you do, you take the risk of becoming stagnant when your role or function ought to change to better and more effectively fulfil the larger task at hand.

WHOSE PURPOSE IS IT?

One of the the problems we have as Christians is everyone is so concerned by their individual purpose, and I get it. Everyone is the main character in their story, but when you give your life to Christ, you become part of a bigger story and your role is simply, to serve the plot.

'And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. '
Romans 8:28

It’s not about your purpose, you are called to His purpose, and that is to…

'Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.'
Matthew 5:16

What influence are you having in the earth? Who is your life pointing people to, yourself or God?

By popular demand I’ll be starting a series on Understanding Purpose on my Instagram, make sure you check it out ad leave a comment below with your thoughts.

This Thing Called Salvation

ARE YOU SAVED?

The reality of our salvation is so layered, what does it mean to be saved and how do we possess and live out that salvation? When Paul guides the church in Ephesus to put on the full Armour of God, part of that ensemble includes the Helmet of Salvation. If your salvation is part of the protective armour needed to engage in spiritual warfare then we must understand our salvation.

'For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. '
Ephesians 2:8-9

When Paul points out in the above scripture that we are saved by grace through faith, what are we saved from? In the preceding verses he speaks of how we all were dead in sin, living according the standards of the world and satisfying the desires of our flesh. That a life lived by the standards of the world and satisfying the flesh is a life of disobedience, which is fostered by the ‘spirit of the air’ aka the devil. However, God’s love, evident through Christ made us alive, obtaining that life comes freely as a gift of grace when we move to belief through faith.

We are saved from a life lived according to the standard of the world, that seeks to satisfy the flesh. We are saved from the death we deserve for our sins.

In Hebrews 3 the bible says that God would not permit to enter His rest those who disobeyed, ‘therefore they did not enter His rest because of their unbelief’ (Hebrews 3:17,18). If unbelief - the sin that keeps us from salvation - is equated with disobedience, then belief - the door by which we access grace’s salvation - is equated to obedience. When the bible says you have been saved, your salvation must find expression in your life.

'Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. '
Philippians 2:12

While you have been saved, there is still a work that must done to evidence your salvation. The walk of obedience. Obedience is not only seen in your actions, in the thing you do. If that was the case it will bring in to question Ephesians 2:9 which says our salvation is not by works. It is also alluded to in the armour of God, that salvation is represented by the helmet, the covering of the mind. Obedience comes by living no longer by the standards of the world but when you have a biblical mindset no longer operating from human wisdom.

THE ROLE OF ENDURANCE

'But the one who endures to the end will be saved. '
Matthew 24:13

Jesus Himself said, it is he who endures to the end that will be saved. Salvation is not a feeling or an emotion, it is not temporary or fleeting. Salvation isn’t that warm feeling you get when someone talks to you about God, or during a heated session of praise and worship. You don’t walk out of a church service saved and permitted to live life as usual and bank on that feeling to keep you. Salvation endures. Salvation is saved for those who remain unflinching in their faith, through all forms of trials, circumstances and extended periods of uncertainty. 

If I were to move from Lagos, Nigeria to London England I would become subject to a new set of rules, cultures, mindsets and environmental laws that will change how I live. Salvation does the same for us, your mind is under a new rulership, the cultures that guide you are different. You cannot move to and fro between these two states of being, but take permanent residence in the culture and domain of salvation.

We must learn to wear the hope of our salvation and live from the lens of that salvation.

A Passion For Christ

THE LITTLE SHIFT

'that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. '
Colossians 2:2-3

Somewhere along the way in this walk with God, a slight, often unnoticeable shift happens. We move from seeking God, because we are blown away by His person, by His love and just how great He is. Instead we are looking for all the things we think we can get out of a relationship with HIm. For some, thats good health, for others its popularity or fame and for others it’s success or riches.

Whatever that shift is for you, it may seem like nothing all to dramatic and like no big deal, but that little shift for you is an earth shaking, paradigm shift for the devil. He lives for those little shifts that take you completely off course, while feeling like all is well.

Even Jesus’ original followers came to the table with their own motives, “I mean, we’re rolling with the King.” It is understandable right, what are the perks that come with the job. Judas thought they’d be moving a lot more lucrative, “there must be some financial incentives”, some of the disciples thought He will squash the roman rulers of the day, they wanted some authoritative authority.

Often we too come to Christ more for what He can do for us than for who He is.

SEEKING HIM ABOVE ALL ELSE

'But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. '
Matthew 6:33

We have lost sight of the responsibility to seek God first, above all else. The entire focus of Christianity is the pursuit of God. Paul on numerous occasions mentions the importance of knowing the Mystery of the Kingdom and in Colossians, it is made clear that that mystery is actually Christ.

The centrepiece of our faith is Christ, it is all about know Him and so while the shift seems minimal, because you’re still obeying His commands and attending church, when you have moved from prioritising God to searching merely for the perks that come with Christ then you have left the essence of the faith.

The key ‘benefit’ of this walk with God is the salvation that comes by faith, by pursuing the things above God, you are essentially forfeiting the main benefit for the side attraction.

The focus of our life has to become the pursuit of Christ, loving HIm and knowing Him. If your heart has shifted from Him, return to your first love.

SEARCH YOUR HEART

'The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable — who can understand it? I, the Lord , examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve.
Jeremiah 17:9-10

We have to learn a special kind of humility to walk with Christ. When the bible says the heart is the most deceitful thing, it isn’t because it deceives others but because it deceives you. Right now you may be serving faithfully and consistently in church and in your mind it if because you just want to please the Lord, but somewhere in your heart you believe if you serve God it will entitle you to a blessing or healing.

Only the Lord sees the true nature of your heart and so you have to be humble enough to accept it when a test comes and He reveals to you your true motives. If we can’t accept the truth of where we are and our motives, we can’t repent and turn back.

Have you been seeking God or seeking the perks? Is your heart still aligned?

I pray for you that your passion for Christ will be reignited and He will be your priority,

We Built A Religion Full Of Narcissists

The Narcissistic christian

The world we live in today, full of technological advancement and great achievers, obsessed with personal wealth, comes from a place full of great potential but flawed motives. Men sailed the seven seas and discovered nations, dug the earth and found gold, silver, diamonds, drilled the depths of the sea and found oil. We love the search.

I always wondered how I could go into an art gallery and see a toilet, or a blank wall and it’lll be called art, but the value of a thing has always been determined by the maker. So, men discovered things with great potential to help others, but decided to stock it up for themselves, more concerned with self.

The same way men were relentless in their search for gold and other “worldly treasures”, the bible tells us to be relentless in our pursuit of God.

'God conceals the revelation of his word in the hiding place of his glory. But the honor of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says.'
Proverbs 25:2

The pursuit of God is one thing, but what leads you into that pursuit reveals more about you than any knowledge or understanding you are able to unfold. When Simon The Sorcerer saw the works the apostles were able to do by the Hand of the Holy Spirit, he sought to buy it. His motive, damaged his pursuit. In the same way the bible says, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33). We can engage in the search and even come about, wisdom, knowledge and understanding but the value is lost, if the pursuit is solely for the things added.

The motive is him not you

The pursuit, is a pursuit of God, but mostly we are pursuing self and turning God into a means by which we find ourselves, or success, fame and riches.

While God has a track record of making men famous, rich and endowing them with great wisdom, it is always for a greater cause. When God made Abraham famous, it wasn’t because Abraham desired fame, but because Abrahams focus was always on God and was an example of living by faith.

the search is for him, not you

We need to learn to build a lifestyle of searching for God, “blessed is he, who hungers and thirsts after righteousness, for he shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Far too often, we pick up our bibles and read them because we need to know what to do next, whether to trust someone, what our purpose is. God has answers, but the search must be for Him, not for you. You find yourself in Him. God isn’t a strategy, and you aren’t the goal.

What are you looking for when you read the bible?

The God of Your Convenience

Imagine for a moment, you’re living your life, doing good works, being a ‘good’ person, that no one has a bad word to say about you, you’re going to church every Sunday, loving worship music, paying tithe, giving to charity, when you have trouble you pray and ask God to help you. You don’t do the whole star sign thing, to your knowledge you never worshiped any other God, you live to the ripe old age of 99, you get to the good old pearly gates, cry out “Lord, Lord” and are met with a loud and resounding, NO ACCESS!

This is a huge fear, I believe for 90% of ‘Christiandom’, that for all the clapping of hands, singing, shouting and praying in tongues, you may be met with a “I never knew you!”

'“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

Matthew 7:21

This scripture has been sending shivers down my spine recently, as a pastor, the weight of responsibility is heavy. We spend so much time thinking about churching the unchurched, or reaching the lost, what about churching the churched. Because there are many who do all that seems right in the eyes of religion, but have no knowledge of God for themselves, and sadly ignorance will be no excuse when the time comes.

When the Israelites, waited on the bottom of Mount Sinai for Moses to come down, they got impatient and turned to Aaron, to give them an avenue by which to worship God and so in the end they build a golden calf, out of all their gold. They even, when they worship it, call it by the name of the Lord. The intentions of the Israelites was to worship the true God, but their, ignorance, impatience and prioritising convenience caused them to worship a false God. (Exodus 32)

The god of your convenience is not the true God!

We have painted the standards of God as unsustainable in the world we’re living in, as though God is not the same today as He was then. So we pick and choose where we can and can’t conform to God, and negotiate how God will accept us in the areas we’re unwilling to change.

We are looking for expressions of God that will permit us to continue to live in our sin and be okay with it. False prophets, come about because they are feeding what people want to hear.

'For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. '

II Timothy 4:3-4

The harsh reality is there is no compromise in Christ. While God gives us all free will, once we choose Him the only option is His way. We call the standard of God radical, and say Christians who hold themselves to that stardad are ‘doing the most’, but it is the only way.

If we choose to follow God, we must follow the true God and not the god of our convenience. Every act of rebellion, disobedience and compromise is as witchcraft in the eyes of the Lord. It may feel minor or inconsequential to you, but whose standard are you living by. God cares about your language, your lifestyle, your fashion, your friends, your hobbies and your work, He cares about it all. Anything that doesn’t glorify, offends!

Which God are you following?

The Weapons Fashioned

I was listening to someone preach over the weekend, they talked about “The weapons fashioned against you.” How intentional satan is about the attacks he brings against you, his weapons aren’t general, they are specifically fashioned, custom made weapons.

Most of the time these weapons are words, with Eve it was, "“Did God really say?…He know if you eat it, you’ll be like God.”

If satan can have you believe a small lie it can have hugely damaging effects on your life, usually because you believe it so deeply, to you that’s just the way it is.

I was having a conversation with my wife recently. I said something I’ve never said before, but have clearly always believed. Talking about school, I said, “I was in the dumb class.” It seems little, but I can, to this day, draw lines where that mindset has probably caused me to be silent in rooms I should be speaking up in.

It is essential, we learn to Identify and reject the lies we have believed, that have served as crooked foundations that have drawn us away from who we are meant to be.

Not long after that conversation with my wife, I was in a group conversation and heard how, a friend, had subconsciously, latched on to a statement said in passing when they were young and from that always believed they weren’t wanted.

I don’t know what lies you have believed, what weapons were intentionally formed against you, to cripple your walk and cause you to live as a shadow of who you really are. Though the weapons have been formed the will not prosper. Christ is the Truth that sets you free, but part of that truth is who you are in Him. Dare to believe you are more.

Time And Chance

'I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.'

Ecclesiastes 9:11

TIme and chance happen to us all - what does that even mean?

As Christians we talk A LOT about the two words that are translated as time chronos and kairos, for the purpose of this, let’s say, time = chronos and chance = kairos.

Chronos is the normal passing of time, the fact that no matter who you are, rich or poor, old or young, believer or unbeliever we all have twenty-four hours in our day, time happens to us all!

Chance are the moments of time that carry divine opportunities if they are used wisely, that is kairos, critical moments, and believe it or not chance happens to us all! The only problem is we haven’t all learned how to see the difference between chronos and kairos moments. What Ecclesiastes 9:11 is saying isn’t that it doesn’t matter if your fast, strong, wise, understanding or skillful, but that if you are and you can’t spot the chance moments in your life you’ll lose out to the slow, weak, foolish and ‘dumb’ person who can.

My real question here is, if time and chance happen to us all, how do I become a consistent beneficiary of chance?

The word translated chance is actually the Hebrew word pega, which comes from the root word paga.

Paga means to strike (as in war) and is often translated as ‘to make intercession’. Prayer attracts opportunities that men will call chance, but was cultivated through intentionality. When someone has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, it moves from being chance to favour.

In Genesis 12 & 13, Abram, having left his father and his mother’s home, builds an altar in a place called Luz. On different occasions, the bible recalls Abram “calling on the name of the Lord” in this place. He has established a culture of making intercession.

Decades later, in Genesis 28, his grandson, Jacob, tired and weary in the middle of his journey takes a stone to use as a pillow, goes to sleep and has a dream, he sees angels ascending and descending. When Jacob wakes up he says “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it. ” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”' (Genesis 28:16-17) The bible says he named the place Bethel, it was formely called Luz.

Abraham had through a culture of making intercession built a portal or a gate to heaven, that generations later his grandson will be a beneficiary of his life of prayer.

If you want to be a beneficiary of time and hance, build a portal in the place of prayer. We no longer live in the days where God can be confined to a location, where the portal was built in Bethel, or for Moses in Hebron “The Mountain of God”, you can be the portal and the gateway for divine opportunities if you would make your life a living sacrifice unto the Lord through a lifestyle of prayer.

The Path of The Righteous

' But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared]. '

Proverbs 4:18

I love how emphatic and clear the amplified version of Proverbs 4:18 is, UNCOMPROMISINGLY!

This phrase has been ringing in my head for the last few weeks, “Justice and Righteousness shall be the mark of this generation”

As a people we are swimming in the filthy waters of corruption, depravity and compromise, it sometimes feels we are so far gone from justice and righteousness. I believe, what the earth is waiting for, ‘the earnest manifestation of the sons of God’ is when we walk the path of the righteous.

The bible says it is ‘He who practises righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.’ (1 Jouhn 3:7)

The proof of a righteous man is not is in his words but in his lifestyle, it is the fruit of righteousness that will show if you are who you say you are. It is a point of distinction that the earth needs to see, now more than ever.

Righteousness can be defined at different levels and in different ways, one of the first things that usually comes to mind with righteousness and justice, is governance.

The church, is the government of God in the earth, and we are a public servant for His Kingdom, therefore we are responsible for upholding righteous living in the earth, for seeing that the weak are defending, that those who can’t speak are given a voice and the poor are given sustenance.

Righteousness is also defined by moral living, it goes beyond the mindset but to the ways you live. it is not simply believing in kindness but being kind, not believing in selflessness, but being selfless.

the greatest responsibility of righteous living, is righteousness at the standard of God. Doing what is right even when it inconveniences you. Righteousness in the realm of the Kingdom of God is obedience at all costs, it is as the amplified classic defines it, uncompromising. Righteousness is steadfast, and thinks of the Kingdom before itself, God is righteous becomes He upholds His word even above His name.

In a world filled with darkness, focused on self gain, the path of the righteous is the dawning of light. It is steadfast and unwavering, it does what is right over what is comfortable, easy or leaat costly.

God is crying out for us to practice righteous living, even if it will cost you, money, time or comfort.