The Test of Faithfulness

‘For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ’ (Heb 3:14, NLT).

Jim Elliot, the martyred missionary, said, ‘he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’ Let us cast off, give up, lay down and rid ourselves of all that gets in the way of serving Him with no reserves.’ Our faithfulness is tested by what we are prepared to sacrifice or give away for a course or a relationship. Jesus gave up His glory in heaven for you. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego gave up their comfort and favour with the king and were ready to sacrifice their lives in faithfulness to God. One might say ‘that was in the Bible’. There are countless Christians faithfully serving God all over the world today.

This story will inspire you; in 1904 William Borden graduated from a Chicago high school. As heir to the Borden Dairy estate, he was already a millionaire. For his high school graduation present, his parents gave 16-year-old Borden a trip around the world. As the young man travelled through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, he felt a growing burden for the world's hurting people. Finally, Bill Borden wrote home about his "desire to be a missionary." One friend expressed surprise that he was "throwing himself away as a missionary. In response, Bill wrote two words in the back of his Bible: "No reserves." Even though young Borden was wealthy, he arrived on the campus of Yale University in 1905 trying to look like just one more freshman. Very quickly, however, Borden's classmates noticed something unusual about him and it wasn't his money. One of them wrote: "He came to college far ahead, spiritually, of any of us. Bill Borden made one entry in his personal journal that defined what his classmates were seeing in him. That entry said simply: "Say 'no' to self and 'yes' to Jesus every time."During his first semester at Yale, Borden started something that would transform campus life.

Borden's small Morning Prayer group gave birth to a movement that spread across the campus. By the end of his first year, 150 freshmen were meeting for weekly Bible study and prayer. By the time Bill Borden was a senior, one thousand of Yale's 1,300 students were meeting in such groups. Borden made it his habit to seek out the most "incorrigible" students and try to bring them to salvation. Borden's outreach ministry was not confined to the Yale campus. He cared about widows and orphans and cripples. He rescued drunks from the streets of New Haven. To rehabilitate them, he founded the Yale Hope Mission. One of his friends wrote that he "might often be found in the lower parts of the city at night, on the street, in a cheap lodging house or some restaurant to which he had taken a poor hungry fellow to feed him, seeking to lead men to Christ.

Although he was a millionaire, Bill seemed to "realize always that he must be about his Father's business and not wasting time in the pursuit of amusement. Upon graduation from Yale, Borden turned down some high paying job offers. In his Bible, he wrote two more words: "No retreats." William Borden went on to graduate work at Princeton Seminary in New Jersey. When he finished his studies at Princeton, he sailed for China. Because he was hoping to work with Muslims, he stopped first in Egypt to study Arabic. While there, he contracted spinal meningitis. Within a month, 25-year-old William Borden was dead.

When news of William Whiting Borden's death was cabled back to the U.S., the story was carried by nearly every American newspaper. "A wave of sorrow went round the world... Borden not only gave (away) his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it (seemed) a privilege rather than a sacrifice" wrote Mary Taylor in her introduction to his biography. Was Borden's untimely death a waste? Not in God's plan. Prior to his death, Borden had written two more words in his Bible. Underneath the words "No reserves" and "No retreats," he had written: "No regrets." Reflect on your faithfulness today, God is counting on you. Remember you can do all things through Christ (Phil 4:13)

Faithfulness

'…Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life’ (Rev 2:10).

The word “faithfulness” is frequently used in the Old Testament to describe the way God always keeps His promises. It means keeping faith, staying loyal to something, or showing a strong sense of duty. In biblical Hebrew, “faith” and “faithfulness” are grammatically related. God is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations (Deut 7:9). Have you been disappointed by men? God is faithful; He will not leave you at the eleventh hour, nor will He leave you in deep waters. You can be sure of this; He will not leave you when the night is dark. His promise is I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5). Hold unto your faith in Him and His word. He says He is not a man to lie nor the son of man to change his mind. Simply put, you can always rely on God’s faithfulness because He honours his promises.

Christians should be inspired by God’s faithfulness. Faithfulness should be characteristic of God’s people. In the Old and New Testaments, “faith” includes “faithfulness.” That is, faith is more than just a momentary agreement with the truth of God. It is a commitment to that truth, and is shown through obedience. God uses human marriage to illustrate His covenant relationship with His people in the Old Testament and Christ’s love for the church in the New Testament. In marriage two people who have found each other, pledge to each other a lifetime of commitment. They vow to be devoted and loving, and promise never to leave or forsake each other. These vows of faithfulness are the bedrock of marriage. Similarly, every Christian has a covenant relationship with God, which should not be taken for granted. God expects us to be faithful to Him and to our fellow men.

‘Before David became qualified to rule as king of Zion, he first had to be found faithful in three places. Examine them carefully, for you too must pass these three tests:

First, at home in Bethlehem; that is where David learned to be responsible; to earn a living and support his family, to develop his relationship with God and to overcome the resentment of others because of God’s favour on his life. Charity begins at home. It’s here you become qualified to handle bigger assignments by being faithful in smaller ones. It is here that your character is developed and your dependability proven.

Secondly in the cave of Adullam; by living among the misfits and rejects of society David learned to give of himself to others, without expecting anything in return; to love and serve others even when his own life was under attack. Adullam is where our kingdom dies and God’s kingdom is showcased through us. It is here that God deals with every self seeking, self serving motive in our hearts. Sadly speaking some of us never make it out of this cave (1 Sam 22).

Thirdly on mount Hebron; the word Hebron means ‘covenant’. It was the highest mountain in Israel and there was no easy road to the top. It was uphill all the way. It is that way with covenant relationships; they require loyalty regardless of circumstance, Truthfulness regardless of cost, forgiveness regardless of pain’ (Bob Gass). Remember, God rewards faithfulness. It brings eternal rewards (Heb 3:14), a good reputation and trust from others (prov 3:3,4). God chooses to accomplish great deeds through faithful people (Ruth 4:11)

God always has a remnant of faithful followers. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego found them selves in a foreign land but remained faithful to the point of death (Dan 3).

In your covenant relationship with God are you being faithful to Him? The next lesson is, 'the test of faithfulness'.

Servant Evangelism

 “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor 9:22).

Servant Evangelism is serving that that leads to sharing the Gospel. It is evangelizing with the attitude of a servant; knowing that in God’s kingdom the best servant is the greatest person. Servant evangelism can also be defined as been sensitive to the needs of others, having compassion on them, serving them and sharing the gospel with them. As we sow the seeds of love in the lives of the people around us, we should look for opportunities to share the gospel with them. It is said that, “more people have been brought into the church by the kindness of real Christian love than by all the theological arguments in the world...” The great commission is a command to save lives through servant hood evangelism.  Servant hood Evangelism is more of an attitude in evangelism than a formula for evangelism.

During the earthly ministry of Jesus he balanced the informational gospel with the incarnational gospel; by practically serving people and meeting their needs in addition to preaching the gospel. 

Jesus’ love for men was revealed in his servant hood evangelism, and He taught the disciples to do likewise (Mat 25: 31-46). The message of Jesus cannot be separated from the life that He lived. Both the story of the Good Samaritan and Jesus feeding the five thousand are great examples of servant evangelism. In the two stories, Jesus and the Samaritan were moved with compassion to serve the needy and demonstrate the love of God to them. Remember, ‘religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world’(James 1:26).

“Kindness is a language that the mute can speak and the deaf can understand.” The Salvation of a sinner is accomplished by the Holy Spirit; however, men are indispensable tools in the hands of God when it comes to evangelism. God has given the church the message and ministry of reconciliation and it is important for us to "preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words". To be fruitful in our evangelism efforts, we need to be strategic and see evangelism as a process but not an instant effort. THE COMPONENTS OF SERVANT EVANGELISM MAY INCLUDE SHOWING COMPASSION TO OTHERS, SERVING THEM, PRAYING FOR THEM AND FINALLY SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH THEM. The church is the channel of God’s power and love.  Remember, Jesus did not only preach the Gospel but lived the gospel; he did not only pray for the lost but met their needs as a servant.  

Regardless of the contemporary barriers in evangelism, with the attitude of servant evangelism and prayer, all the barriers will be overcome (Mark 6: 41, 45-46). Remember the benefits of Servant Evangelism are countless (Luke 14:23, John 6:25-35, Dan 12:3). A fruitful church is a church that is relevant in its community.  It is time to reach beyond ourselves and touch others with the love and power of God. As we scatter the seed, water it and wait through prayer, the Lord of the harvest himself shall bring the increase and save souls from ETERNAL DAMNATION. “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17). 

Remember, “David after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay” (Acts 13:36). Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today (the present) is a present from God. Serve your generation now for life is brief.  

Peace in Stormy Times

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:6-7).

Peace is the assurance of spiritual well-being resulting from the consciousness of the right relationship with God. The Peace that the believer enjoys are three kinds; peace with God, being at peace with one’s self - inner peace and being at peace with one’s neighbors.  It is important to note that one can only have inner peace and peace with his neighbors after enjoying peace with God through Christ.

Rom 5:1 teaches that in the package of justification – peace with God through Christ is inclusive. It says, therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. This study focuses on the personal or inner peace that a Christian enjoys as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. A close study of Phil 4:6-7 reveals that one can only enjoy the peace of God when he is anxious for nothing, takes everything to God in prayer and lives a life of faith, trusting in the goodness of God. The last key to enjoying the peace of God is contentment. This requires an enjoyment of your blessings as you live with an attitude of gratitude – living each day with the innumerable blessings of the Lord in full perspective. 

In illustrating true peace, let’s consider two cats. One is sleeping under the shade of a tree after a good meal; the second is sleeping on a stick that is standing in a river which is being tossed to and fro by the river’s turbulent currents. Which of these two scenes illustrate the peace of God? Definitely it is the latter. Peace is not the absence of adversity but calmness or the condition of freedom from disturbance in periods of great adversity. It is the mental triumph over adversity that comes as a result of one’s total dependence on God. This can only be possible when one trust’s in God’s goodness and takes all things to Him in prayer with an attitude of gratitude or contentment. 

Mat 8:23-27 paints a dramatic picture about the peace of God. Jesus was travelling on a boat with His disciples when the storm began to swell up, sweeping over the boat. Naturally, the disciples begun to panic and there was a great commotion in the boat. However, the intriguing part of this story is that, Jesus was fast asleep in the midst of this boisterous storm.  A Christian can be in the same stormy boat of life’s challenges with many others, but still enjoy the peace of God. We may all live in the heat of the same economy and the storms of the time but the difference will be the peace of God and the rest that he offers to those who love Him and enjoy His presence.

If you are leaving in anxiety, it may be because you may have lost peace with God. Real peace is tested in the midst of a storm. Regardless of the personal challenges you are going through, today may you enjoy the peace of God through total dependence on Him, gratitude and faith.  May ‘the God of peace be with you… Amen’ (Rom 15:33).

Strength Beyond the Physical

^‘In the day when I cried out, you answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.’ (Psalm 138:3). 

On Psalm 138:3 James Nalton comments, ‘it is one gracious way of answering our prayers when God doth bestow upon us spiritual strength in our souls; if He does not give the things we desire, yet if He gives us strength in our souls, He graciously answers our prayers. What is this spiritual strength? I answer, it is a work of the Spirit of God, enabling a man to do and suffer what God would have him without fainting or backsliding’.

The soul of a man is made up of the mind, will and emotions. After God created man from the dust of the earth, all man’s organs were in place but it was not until, God breathed into man, that he became a living soul (Gen 2:7). When God breathed into man it was His spirit that man received (Job 32:8). This clearly reveals that, the empowerment of the spirit of God gives strength to the soul of man. Without God’s empowerment Adam could have never functioned. It takes strength beyond the physical for one to be delivered from sin and live a fulfilled life. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us the strength He brings goes into the core of our being and fully empowers us from within. The power we receive makes us do that which is far beyond our wildest imagination.

DL Moody’s story will bring you much encouragement. ‘He became a spokesman for God and a changer of nations. But if you'd met him early in life you wouldn't have thought it was possible. Although he was raised in church, he was spiritually ignorant. When he moved to Boston he began attending a Bible-preaching church. In April of 1855, a Sunday school teacher came to the shoe shop where he worked and led him to Christ. A month later, when he applied to become a member of that church, it was clear that he knew nothing about the Bible. One of his Sunday school teachers later wrote, 'I've never met anyone who seemed less likely to become a Christian of clear and decided views, much less fill any place of public usefulness.' So they asked him to take a year of Bible study. During his interview with the membership committee a year later, his answers were only slightly improved. He was barely literate and used atrocious grammar. Nobody on that church committee thought God would ever use him. But they were wrong.

The people who say you will never amount to anything for God, are wrong too! Every oak tree starts as an acorn. Jesus began in a stable but He didn't stay there. David was a shepherd boy with a slingshot but he became Israel's greatest king. Joseph was a prisoner but he became prime minister. Understand this: you are a seed capable of producing a harvest for God. So take all that you have and all that you are, place it into God's hands and be willing to start small’ (UCB - Word for today).

What are the struggles you are going through in life today? Do you feel like you are at your wits’ end? Stop depending on your own strength and ask God for strength for your soul. By strength shall no man prevail (1 Sam 2:9). If you are not a devoted Christian, surrender you life to Christ today. You can accept Christ by repenting of your sins and believing in Him as the Son of God who came to die for your sins (John 3:16, Mark 1:15). If you are already a born again Christian, ask God to give you the grace to totally depend on Him, and seek more of His empowerment through the overflow of His Holy Spirit in you. Remember, with God all things are possible to those that believe (Mark 9:23).

The Blessings of Abraham

‘I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’ (Gen 12:2, 3).

The blessing of the Lord is the master key to living a life of fruitfulness, multiplication and total dominion. Anything else can only yield to fruitless labour. It will interest you to know that after God created man in the beginning, the next statement that is recorded is ‘then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply...’ (Gen 1:28). Also the last thing Jesus did before His ascension is that He blessed the disciples (Luke 24:51). This clearly reveals that the epitome of Christ’s mission on earth was the restoration of the blessings Adam and Eve lost when they sinned. In essence, Abraham’s blessing was only a prelude of God’s restoration of His blessings for mankind and all His creation.

The blessings of Abraham were fulfilled in Christ, He was Abraham’s descendant who brought blessing to all mankind. After man sinned and fell short of God’s glory, a curse took the place of our initial blessing. This was a curse that affected not only men but all of creation (Rom 8:19). But, glory to God that in His mercies and divine providence, He had already made a provision and a plan for our deliverance from that curse before the foundation of the world. What manner of Love is this? ‘All who dwell on the earth will worship him... the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world’ (Rev 13:8).

‘Abraham was a tenth generation descendant from Noah’s son Shem. He was born, raised, and lived the first 75 years of his life in Ur of the Chaldeans. Ur was the capital of Chaldea and the largest city in the world in Abraham’s day. It had a population of 65,000 people and was strategically located along the Euphrates River as an important trade city. It was a cosmopolitan city that boasted one of the strongest economies and some of the greatest technological advances in the ancient world. Most of the houses in Ur were two story villas with 13 or 14 rooms and plastered interior walls. Some of the homes even had in-door plumbing. It had all the comfort and security you could ever want’ (Jason R. McConnell). Regardless of all their civilization, Abraham together with all of the people of Ur was living under the original curse that was upon all mankind. Abraham had to leave Ur to possess the blessings of God.

Like Ur, the 21st century is seeing developments in all fields of study, which are intended for the betterment of man’s life. However, those that are not in Christ are still living in bondage in various aspects of their life. Without the blessing of God there is nothing like fulfillment. Adam and Eve were physically the same people after they sinned, but because the blessing of God had been replaced by a curse, there was no way they could be fruitful, multiply and subdue the earth. They totally lost their dominion or authority to rule the earth as God intended (Gen 1:26).

‘God counted Abraham righteous because of his faith, not because of his actions. Abraham failed many times. He sinned against God in many ways, but through his faith, God counted him righteous. The salvation of our souls today goes back to these words. Nobody enters God’s ultimate Promised Land only because they are good people or because they have done good deeds. We are just like Abraham. We are all sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory. We have disobeyed God and we deserve to be punished for our sins. But God is rich in mercy; he counts our souls righteous in His sight through our faith in His son Jesus Christ’ (Jason R. McConnell).

Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior? There are many who acknowledge Him as the savior of the world, but have not accepted Him as their Lord or master. Today make Him your savior and master and you will forever be blessed. The blessings of Abraham are yours.

The Lost Glory

‘And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind’ (Ecclesiastes 4:4).

“I don’t know who I am,” he told the newspaper. “That might sound stupid. I really have no idea. All my life I’ve been drinking and drugging and partying, and all of a sudden this comes to a stop.” (Mike Tyson).These words of Mike Tyson, the former Multi-million Dollar Heavy weight Champion, brings to light man’s insatiable quest for fulfillment in life. Human beings all over the world are searching for fulfillment and their sense of purpose in different places, most of which are the wrong places. 

 The Drama in the Garden of Eden after man sinned, paints a crystal clear picture about the state of the fallen man. After man lost the Glory of God; in an attempt to cover himself or restore what was lost, the most valuable replacement he found were some fig leaves (Gen 3:7). Since then, we have been in constant search of restoration of that lost Glory. There is a vacuum in every man, a chasing after some kind of joy, peace and fulfillment. The truth is that; the answers we seek and the strength we need, can be found only by feeding on God's Word and fellowshipping with Jesus in prayer. Simply stated, nothing else works.

 The sad reality is that many in this age measure their Self-worth by their Net-worth, and many Christians have fallen as prey to the worship of this ‘god of materialism’. They determine the value of their fellow men by the kind of clothing they wear and the toys or cars they drive, but not the Glory of God upon their lives. Thank God the Bible does not say that driving in a Jaguar the hope of Glory but rather ‘Christ in you the hope of Glory’ (Colossians 1:27).

Many are being enslaved by the insatiable desire for more and more at the expense of family and the most important things in life. Their lives confirm the words of Solomon ‘And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind’ (Ecclesiastes 4:4). God’s message for you today is, re-prioritize your life. A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."(Luke 12:15).

After being the wisest and one of the richest men in his time; Solomon, the man with seven hundred wives and three hundred girlfriends said at the end that ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!…, Everything is meaningless!...here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind’ (Eccl 12 :8, 13)

What controls your life and has the final authority in your life, Is it God or material things? The one that controls your life is your god. ‘You cannot serve both God and money’ (Mat 6:24). Choose Jesus, and you will have fulfillment in this life and the life after.