REMEMBER

‘…Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee’ (Luke 24:5, 6).

Life is a school and our daily encounters are our lessons in this school. Our success in this school of life is dependent on what we do with our daily encounters or lessons.

It’s normal to forget things every now and then. We’ve all misplaced our keys, blanked on an acquaintance’s name, or forgotten a phone number we’ve dialed a hundred times before. God created the human brain with the nature of forgetfulness for a good reason. For example, there is sometimes the need to forget the pain of the past to be able to fully enjoy the blessings of the present. Thus, we are supposed to be students of the past but not prisoners of the past.

In our relationship with God, there are times when it is very needful to remember God’s promises to us and our unique encounters of deliverance and blessings with Him. Three days after Jesus died, some of the disciples took spices to the tomb, they were ‘looking for the living among the dead’ all because they had forgotten of the Words of Jesus that, on ‘the third day he shall rise again’ (Luke 18:33). Many people are in the wrong places in life today, because they have forgotten some past events and the vital lessons they were supposed to take from them.

The patriarchs of faith, like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob built God memorials any time they had a divine encounter with Him (Gen 35:1), in difficult times these memorials became a remembrance of the power and faithfulness of God. Your encounters with God and in the life of other people you know are meant to be foundations that you build on, that your faith will be built up.

‘For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope’. (Romans 15:4). Today, remember and reflect on your past encounters with God and you will receive grace and confidence to continue life’s journey, winning all the way.

The next lesson is ‘The seven things to remember.’

Persistent Labor

‘My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you’ (Gal 4:19)

‘The victory of His cross is extended only as faithful intercessors wrestle against dark powers and win through the power of Jesus name and the blood’ (Dick Eastman). Through the cross Jesus delivered all God’s creation from the power of sin and death, but the realization of that victory depends on a Christian’s labor or ministry to others. The little decisions we make whether to pray or not, whether to preach to that stranger or not, whether to have a little more patience for that new convert or not, is that which determines the final outcome. So Jesus prayed that the lord of the harvest will bring in more laborers. God is looking for Christians who will labor for souls in His kingdom.

The Apostle Paul’s words in Gal 4:19 paints a brilliant picture about what every Christian’s attitude should be when it comes to ministering to others. To begin with, Paul saw himself as a father; God has ordained you as a father, a caretaker to some people. Their future depends on the decisions you make. He has ordained that rivers of living waters will flow from your life to others, that the knowledge of God that flows through your life will bring life, hope and restoration to multitudes.

Secondly Paul reveals how much he labors for the people God has placed in his care, to be saved and transformed through God’s word. He compares ‘his pains and labors in the ministry of the word to the sorrows of a woman during the time of childbearing’ (Barnes). Clearly his love and tender compassion for the souls God has placed in His care is evident. As a Christian you should equally labor and go the extra mile to see others saved and transformed. This might mean sacrificing your time, money, prestige, etc.

A laborer works hard, and making disciples really demands hard work. Parents’ work does not end at the birth of their offspring but really begins there. Similarly the work that needs to be done for a born again Christian to grow is as equally challenging as the work of evangelism. Follow up and discipleship are the two main areas that a lot of churches are struggling to make an impact.

The harvest is indeed plenty, let us put aside all excuses and ‘deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, 'surely we did not know this, 'does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?’ (Proverbs 24:11-12)

A House Prayer

‘Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves’ (Mat 21:12, 13).

  

Whenever the church gets to a stage where its focus turns from a hungry and a desperate pursuit of God, to a gratification of self and pursuit of personal material needs, the church is in serious need of revival. The focus of the church should be on God and pleasing Him, but not on the sinful nature of self and pleasing it. ‘Christ found some of the courts of the temple turned into a market for cattle and things used in the sacrifices, and partly occupied by the money-changers. Our Lord drove them from the place, as he had done at his entering upon his ministry, John 2:13-17. If Christ came now into many parts of his visible church, how many secret evils He would discover and cleanse! And how many things daily practiced under the cloak of religion, would He show to be more suitable to a den of thieves than to a house of prayer’ (Matthew Henry).

Going through Church history; (from the first century revivals to the Welsh and Azusa street revivals until now), every revival was preceded by a praying church, one that was hungry for more of God. The same principle applies to the church today. If the church can make an impact and prepare the world for Christ’s second coming, we cannot afford to replace prayer with anything else. If Jesus could not make an impact without prayer and is believed to have prayed for about twelve hours in Mat 14:13-25, then the church needs not try achieving anything without a devotion to prayer. Jesus quoted Isaiah 56:7 ‘my house shall be called a house of prayer’ and a portion of Jeremiah 7:11, ‘but you have made it a ‘den of thieves’ when He saw what was happening in the temple. When the church gathers in a place of worship as it were in the early church, it is meant to be a time of spiritual fellowship and communion with God, through the sharing of His word and prayer. It is supposed to be a time of spiritual renewal (Acts 6:4).

Whenever a church gives heaven its attention, that church also gets the attention of heaven. Many local churches begin with a strong emphasis on prayer and hearing from God but sometimes the unfortunate happens and the focus gradually shifts to materialism and application of formulas. Their mentality moves from, ‘thus saith the Lord’ to ‘this is what will bring in money and more people’. ‘It doesn’t matter the activity you are involved in, if you are not in touch with the Word and prayer, you soon lose your color (value)’ - D. Oyedepo. The importance of prayer in the church cannot be overemphasized. Our ability to commune with God and hear His directions for the church, is that which makes a church. As the church prays we become sensitive to God’s guidance and the will of God is realized and done on earth as it is in heaven (Mat 6:9-13). The early Church valued prayer and as a result they were empowered and literally guided by God in their day to day endeavors (Acts 2:1-4, Acts 13:1-3).

God is looking for people who will restore the place of prayer in their local churches and bring revivals across the globe; you can be one of those. Thus saith the Lord, ‘And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication…’ (Zech 12:10). Arise and receive the grace for prayer today. The next lesson will be entitled, ‘The Power of a Praying Minister’.

Is your Dream a Vision or a Selfish Ambition

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions… envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God...’ (Gal 5:19-21).

The average person has a dream in life regardless of their age. These dreams are either visions or selfish ambitions. A vision is a God given purpose. The Almighty God, who is a God of purpose, creates every man for a purpose. He gives this purpose to individuals as a vision, a dream or a long term goal in life. One’s vision becomes his purpose and driving force in life. This God given vision does not have anything to do with self. On the contrary, a selfish ambition is a self given purpose that is rooted in pleasing one’s self and fulfilling the desires of the flesh, which are the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Paul the Apostle classifies selfish ambition under the works of the flesh and groups it together with sins like fornication, idolatry, drunkenness and murders. In the next verse he declares that, ‘those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.’ (Galatians 5:19-21).

Considering the origin of sin, one will realize that God created Lucifer with a purpose; he was an anointed cherub, an archangel in charge of music.  Instead of playing that role, Lucifer developed a selfish ambition to be like God, and rebelled against God and His purpose for him. It is important to note that, right before the fall of Lucifer, the statement that he made in his heart was, ‘I WILL ascend into heaven,  I WILL exalt my throne above the stars of God;  I WILL also sit on the mount of the congregation  On the farthest sides of the north;  I WILL ascend above the heights of the clouds,  I WILL be like the Most High’ (Isaiah 14:12-14). In his heart Lucifer said ‘I will’ for five consecutive times in the statement that lead to his fall. Clearly, self-centeredness (which leads to selfish ambition) was the origin of sin.  

Again in the Garden of Eden, it was the same spirit of self-centeredness and selfish ambition that lead to the fall of man.  God gave man dominion to rule over all His creation except that, he was not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:15,16). However, the devil was able to deceive man that when they eat of that tree they will ‘be like God, knowing good and evil’ (Gen 3:5). Even though God made man in His image and likeness, He clearly commanded man not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Man’s God given purpose was to have dominion; be fruitful, multiply, subdue the earth and replenish it (Gen 1:28). However, Satan gave man a selfish ambition outside the plan and timing of God. His words to Eve were, ‘you will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’ (Gen 3:4-5). The sad reality is that Adam and Eve had already been made in the image and likeness of God before they obeyed the devil (Gen 1:26-28).

Today many have good dreams for their future but the truth is, a good dream may not necessarily be a God given dream. One of the best enticements of the devil is, giving the people of God a counterfeit dream or vision. These selfish ambitions that the devil gives to men are rooted in the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

The food for thought today is, what is your motive for that dream you are pursuing in life? Do you desire to be a blessing or you are in it only to satisfy yourself and nobody else. It’s all about motives; Paul taught that ‘Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife…’ (Phil 1:15). As a follow up to this lesson, the next lesson is The Power of Love’.

Know when to Withdraw

“Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.” (John 11:54)

In John 11 we find that after Jesus had risen Lazarus from the dead, the Pharisees called a meeting of the council (the Sanhedrin) to talk about how Jesus' miracles are making more people follow Him. Caiaphas the high priest for that year prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation in order to unite the children of God into one body (vrs 49-52). From that day on, they sought and plotted to kill Him. For that reason Jesus did not appear publicly among the Jews, He went to Ephraim and stayed there with His disciples (vrs 54).

It is important to follow Jesus' example and know when to retrieve. Many anointed men die before their time due to wrong decisions. Remember; anointing, knowledge/education, status etc does not make up for wisdom or wrong decisions. Simply put, principles work. A person who puts their hand in a fire will get burnt, not because of their level of education or anointing but because they made a wrong decision by denying the principle of heat. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time can cost you your life regardless of who you are.  It is my prayer that we know when to stay quiet when opposition arises in order for our ministry to be prolonged than to be vocal at all times and shorten our purposes in life and ministry. Decisions determine destinies.  (Message by Grace Collingwoode Williams)

The Pressure of the People

‘When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” (Exodus 32:1-2)

Aaron is quickly associated with a number of historical events in Israeli history. What are some of the events that you think of when Aaron’s name is mentioned? It could be his going to Pharaoh with Moses to demand the release of Israeli slaves; being the founder of the Priesthood; he and Hur holding up Moses arms in battle; the gold calf incident; etc. What is the one incident with which Aaron is typically identified? It will be the gold calf worship at Sinai (Ex 32) - John L. Kachelman, Jr.

A contemplative analysis of Exodus 32 will reveal that Aaron acted under pressure. Like Aaron, many of us fail God and make the wrong choices when we are under pressure from the Church, family, friends, school mates or work associates. However, the real test of a person’s character comes when the person is in an environment that is very supportive of wrong choices. Many people have behaved in ways that destroyed their future, because of Mob psychology or Herd mentality - where people do things because of the influence of their peers, adopting certain behaviors and following trends that they wouldn’t, if it were left to them alone.

Seneca, the Roman philosopher once said, ‘it is dangerous to attach one's self to the crowd in front, and so long as each one of us is more willing to trust another than to judge for himself, we never show any judgment in the matter of living, but always a blind trust, and a mistake that has been passed on from hand to hand finally involves us and works our destruction. It is the example of other people that is our undoing; let us merely separate ourselves from the crowd…’

Unlike Aaron, Moses’ reaction to this particular situation is an example to every believer. Instead of pleasing the crowd he pleased God and showed spiritual leadership. ‘Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him (Exodus 32:25-26). Moses was able to hold unto his convictions and faith in God when the whole of the nation of Israel was moving in a totally opposite direction. Christians don’t live their lives based upon the feelings of the moment or popular opinion, but by the instruction and guidance of God’s word.

Are you under pressure to make some wrong choices or disobey God? Remember the words of Apostle Paul, "don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you" (Rom 12:2- MSG). Remember, "each of us will give a personal account to God" (Romans 14:12- NLT).

The Power of Love

‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others’ (Phil 2:3, 4).

What our world lacks is neither natural nor human resources but love. God has provided humanity with all that we need, to have peaceful lives without abject poverty. However in these days of great technological developments, massive capital flow and information overload, millions of children still die from curable diseases and poor nutrition, those that even survive are permanently affected by malnutrition. ‘In the United States at the end of 2001, 10% of the population owned 71% of the wealth and the top 1% owned 38%. On the other hand, the bottom 40% owned less than 1% of the nation's wealth’(Wikipedia). ‘It is indisputably believed that the greatest moral challenge this generation faces is that, one in four of the people we share this small and beautiful planet with, live in abject poverty. 2.8 billion People live on less than $2 a day and 1.2 billion live on less than $ 1 a day’ (Rt. Hon. Clare Short, Secretary of state for International development). Clearly, love and selflessness is the solution to a lot of the problems we have in the world today.

God is love and He created man in His image and likeness. Before the fall of man, love was man’s nature. The Spirit of God that He breathed into man was a spirit of love, but after the fall of man the nature of love was replaced by a nature of self-centeredness. As established in the previous lesson (Is Your Dream a Vision or a Selfish Ambition), self-centeredness was the origin of sin (Isaiah 14:12-14). So Christianity is a call to love, and its journey is a transformation from self-centeredness to love. No wonder Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with your all and love your neighbor as yourself. The greatest mark of Christian maturity is selflessness that is born out of love. Paul confirmed that when he said, ‘If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing’ (1 Cor 13:1-3).

Paul also taught that we should, ‘do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves’ (Phil 2:3). Christ was a revelation and an embodiment of the love of God. Our daily attitude is supposed to be like Christ, who gave up His divine privileges as God and took the humble position of a slave, was born as a human being and selflessly died as a criminal on a cross for our salvation (Phil 2:5-8).

The good news is that after Jesus died for all men as a result of His love and selflessness, ‘God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names’ (Phil 2:9). God blesses us, so that we may be a blessing (Gen 12:1-3). Those who pursue love and selflessness are blessed beyond measure, and they make an impact that transcends generations. Today, seek God with all your heart, draw closer to Him and let His nature of love been seen through you. By loving Him you will know Him more and be able to love your neighbors as yourself. There cannot be love without giving, love is revealed through our giving that meet the needs of others (John 3:16).

Examine your priorities, motivation and focus in life today and let this be your song, ‘Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, All His wondrous compassion and purity, Oh thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine. Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me’.

Uncovering the Clay Roof

‘And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying, and when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “son your sins are forgiven” ’ (Mark 2:4-5).

When you answer the universal call to salvation, you answer a call to duty and ministry. This ministry involves ‘carrying others and their burdens to Christ’. The good news is, when you carry others you definitely meet Christ. Mark 2:1-12 gives a very intriguing account of four men who carried a paralytic to Christ. This study focuses on some important lessons that can be drawn from that story. Principally, the story reveals some of the challenges in bringing others to Christ and the rewards of enduring that labor.

As it were, Jesus’ presence in Capernaum resulted in multitudes trooping there. The house in which He was, got so parked that there was no room for an extra person, not even outside the house. Four men arrived at the house carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher. The first lesson here is that, when one finds Christ and the total redemption that He provides, it is his responsibility to carry or compel others to Christ. In Christ, you are in a position to pick up others and carry them to Him through prayer, the preaching of the gospel and your acts of kindness. Don’t just look at the spiritually and physically needy with pithy but rather compassion. Compassion goes beyond pithy; it reaches out to offer a helping or ministering hand. It doesn’t say ‘some one else will help’.

The fact that four men carried the paralytic, also offers a valuable lesson. One person could not have succeeded in getting him to Jesus. Even if one person tried it would have been tiresome and he could have been worn out before getting him to Jesus timely. In the work of ministry, it is always important to envision yourself as being part of a team. Individuals that aren’t able to work with others get worn out before their time. Jesus sent the seventy in pairs and Paul the great Apostle also sent for John mark, the disciple he couldn’t work with previously and his words were, ‘get Mark and bring him with you for he is useful to me for ministry (2 Tim 4:11). Enduring ministry can never be done in isolation, every joint supply.

The idea to take the sick to Jesus may have been initiated by one person, but that person was able to impart the vision to three more people. The visionary did not allow the desire to take the glory after the work is done, to stop him; he was more passionate about getting the sick man delivered. Been able to impart a God given vision to others is one mark of a mature Christian worker. Been able to share a vision with others, to a point where those individuals will personalize it and ran with it makes one a great leader. Great leaders don’t accomplish great feats alone. As an individual, there are some capabilities you don’t have and will never have. During the building of the tabernacle, God gave the vision and measurements to Moses, but He gave the skills required for the work to others.

The men carrying the paralytic couldn’t get to Jesus through the crowd, so they dug through the clay roof above His head and lowered the sick man on his stretcher, right down in front of Jesus. The four men may have put themselves at risk digging through the clay roof and lowering the sick. Ministering to others demands selflessness and a lot of Sacrifices; it can be very challenging spiritually, physically and emotionally. Regardless, with God all things are possible and where there is a will there is a way. Paul said I become all things to all men so that by all means I will win some for Christ (1 Cor 9:22). Getting others to Christ is a spiritual battle that needs to be won on the knees through travailing prayer and in the mind through wise planning, not forgetting the physical work involved. Don’t easily give up on people during evangelism, follow up and other Christian ministries. The Holy Spirit’s guidance always brings victory.

‘When Jesus saw their faith He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiveness”. Isn’t it amazing that others can be delivered from sicknesses, death, poverty, sin and all kinds of bondages through your acts of faith? Today, have compassion, be persistent in hard work and release your faith in ministering to others. Many in your own family and all around you are still in spiritual slavery because you have not risen up. Rise up child of God, all creation is waiting for your manifestation