THE PONDER SERIES #2 - TRUE RICHES

Every success of the world is attributable to the overwhelming use of the intellect to produce material accomplishments and fame. Good but unfortunately that is not the essence of life yet this is the worldview and the standards by which people are evaluated. No wonder, in seeking to be like the world, many Christians have taken to lifestyles that have mortgaged their souls to man and material possessions in order to be celebrated by peers and society.

But PONDER on what God’s Word says of the TRUE RICHES – the real measure of a person’s worth before God. This is an experience of the Spirit led life and from which come the material fruits. In Mathew 16.26” What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?” The Message. The preservation of the soul is the core of true accomplishments from which other things flow and incorporates the material, physical, intellectual and spiritual (3John2).

This realisation caused Paul to pray for a revelation of the TRUE RICHES for the Colossians and all believers. “...We have kept on praying and asking God to help you understand what he wants you to do; asking him to make you wise about spiritual things; and asking that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor him so that you will always be doing good, kind things for others, while all the time you are learning to know God better” Colossians1.9-10. The living Bible(emphasis mine) This is the real experience of true riches which is lacking in the world. Don’t be led down the wrong path but stay in the place of LIFE IN CHRIST AND LIVE FROM THERE

THE PONDER SERIES#1 - THE SUCCESS MYTH

 The worldview has sold us a very attractive dummy about success. That it is built on intellectual ability and talents and just about everything else except God. They have successfully and aggressively marketed this myth and many Christians have fallen for it. But is this really the TRUTH? Is this model really working in our world?

 

Take a look at world events and even your personal experiences and the verdict is clear that it is a FAILURE. All that this model has done is create many avenues of greed, lust and every manner of deceptive lifestyle with very little good. Now the collapse has set in.

But PONDER on what GOD'S VIEW of SUCCESS IS. In the Book of Proverbs, we are told what real and genuine wisdom for living is "THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE: BUT FOOLS DESPISE WISDOM AND INSTRUCTION" Proverbs.1.7kjv. Who is this WISDOM? Again, the scriptures " But of Him you are in CHRIST JESUS who became for us WISDOM..." 1 Corinthians1.30nkjv.

What are the BENEFITS of having CHRIST as your WISDOM " HAPPY IS THE MAN THAT FINDS WISDOM AND THE MAN WHO GAINS UNDERSTANDING; FOR HER PROCEEDS ARE BETTER THAN THE PROFITS OF SILVER AND HER GAIN MORE THAN FINE GOLD. SHE IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN RUBIES AND ALL THE THINGS YOU MAY DESIRE CANNOT COMPARE WITH HER. LENGTH OF DAYS IS IN HER RIGHT HAND, AND IN HER LEFT HAND IS RICHES AND HONOR. HER WAYS ARE WAYS OF PLEASANTNESS, AND ALL HER PATHS ARE PEACE. SHE IS A TREE OF LIFE TO THOSE WHO TAKE HOLD OF HER, AND HAPPY ARE ALL WHO RETAIN HER" Proverbs 3.13-18nkjv.

 

NOW that is TRUE SUCCESS that is a complete lifestyle experience. Don't be deceived by what is less. Reach  out for the BEST IN CHRIST.

LITTLE THINGS MATTER

"True humility and the fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor and long life" Proverbs 22.4 New Living Translation

 Seyi, my generator technician told me of a an incident that happened at work that illustrated an important spiritual truth. A client called him about a faulty freezer. Upon examination, he found that a cockroach had entered the coil section undetected and died. It's maggots liquified and affected the wiring causing a damage of fifteen thousand naira. Consider the contrast of a small worthless insect( except to those who eat it) to fifteen thousand naira.

That made me think of the word spoken by Jesus of the little foxes that spoil the vines of life. Often we think that it is the only the big issues and decisions that matter because of their consequences. So we focus on them with much diligence while we are seemingly inattentive to the small issues and details. But this is a spiritual error that leads to disastrous consequences as Seyi's client found out.

Do you allow God into your every decision  and issues? How often do you run your thoughts by Him on any matter to get His counsel? Or do you believe that educational, social and any other structures of your decision making have given you all the intelligence you require. You are so wrong!!

King David took a peek at a naked woman taking her bath( 2Samuel 11. These middle eastern cultures are beyond me)  and that small act led him to becoming a murderer. A peek started him on the dangerous path of temptation, lust and MURDER!!!! Perhaps a more thoughtful consideration of your challenges will shockingly reveal that you do not have God's backing as you presume. Why? Because Heaven has no record of your request for guidance.

Remember, good intentions, ideas and decisions without God will come to a halt at sometime sooner or later because when the opposition comes, your man made weapons will fail as the Israelites found out when they were rebuilding the temple. Read Ezra 4. The difference will be in the gravity of the consequences.

" In everything you do, put God first and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success. Don't be conceited, sure of your own wisdom" Proverbs 3.6-7. Living Bible

JESUS CHRIST : OUR FOCAL POINT

 

Oh! The glories of a life that is lived in the experiences of Jesus, the Word made flesh. We need to have a deeper appreciation of what the Blood of Jesus has accomplished for us in real time and not the peripheral encounters that we may have. This is important today when there is so much misunderstanding of biblical truths and there is an unhealthy attention being given to the schemes of satan rather than the works of Christ.

Let me restate a truth that will be with us until such a time that God ordained for devil to be destroyed: That as long as the earth remains in existence, the influences of the devil will be with us in direct and subtle forms. Get used to it and don’t be distracted. But God has not left us without comfort and that is who Jesus Christ is. He is the spiritual antidote to the schemes and devices of the wicked spirits and principalities.

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have (perfect) peace and confidence. In this world, you have tribulations and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted)! For I have overcome the world.( I have deprived it of the power to harm you and have conquered it for you) John 16.33. Amplified Bible

Regardless of the nature of the crisis and issues you may be facing right now or will yet confront, The Blood of Jesus has surmounted and put us over in them. But you must step up in faith to the Throne of His Grace and receive the experience of this. You must do this with a humble heart as a child has confidence in the fact the mom and dad know what is best.

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children...” 1 Peter 1.13-14KJV

Unfortunately, this is not usually the case for a lot of Christians for while we must be vigilant about the devil, we do not need to give undue notice to his doings for that is exactly his plans. For if your mind is on him, you are agitated, open to fear and of course farther away from the grace of Christ. The result is your going down the wrong path that leads to error and destructive choices for now and tomorrow.

What is the remedy? Put ALL your cares on Christ. Place yourself in His custody with an undivided FOCUS. For in doing that, you will realise by experience that those seemingly challenging issues have had the ‘rug pulled of them’ to harm you. In that moment, you will have a clarity of sight regarding what the issues are and how best to go about them because your eyes are on your SAVIOUR AND FRIEND and not your foe. You will hear the quiet yet all powerful VOICE of the Holy Spirit not the discordant sounds of the world.

Do you want the experience of triumph that begins on the inside and builds up to the outward all the while keeping you strengthen for the journey? Then look to Jesus Christ the author and finisher of your faith. 

The answer for those voices of fear and despair?  “Get thee behind me satan. I have overcome you by the Blood of Jesus Christ my Saviour”

“And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and the utterance of their testimony...” Revelation 12.11. Amplified Bible

STRENGTH IN WEARINESS

The Christian life is a spiritual experience that triumphs over natural circumstances. There will be times of weariness as we press on in this good fight of faith in daily life but we must not allow such times to become a weakness. Jesus taught by His life that we may be weary spiritually and physical but we must receive strength from God to accomplish the task at hand.

Our lives does not have to lived in a yo-yo type, vacillating between ups and down spiritually. This is what He exemplified by His actions at the well in the city of Sychar where He had an encounter with a Samaritan woman and led her to salvation as well as impacting a city.

“Jesus was tired from the long walk in the hot sun and sat wearily besides the well” John 4.6. Living Bible

This story is an education on handling those times when life’s hassles may just be weighing us down so that we learn what we can do to rise above such times because they will come. It may be in the course of your work, relationships, school activities or just trying to figure out the step in any issue.

Jesus was tired and hungry and his disciples had gone into town to find some food for him. Now don’t be distracted by the fact that His condition was of a natural form for yours can be that or of a spiritual nature. It really doesn’t matter. Even when we are physically tired and hungry, conversation is not the first thing on your mind. There are also many issues that are exacting on us physically such as the financial, work, marital and relational.

By the time His disciples came back with the food, they were surprised to see that He that was hungry was no longer so. They said:

“Rabbi, eat”. But He said to them I have food to eat of which you do not know. Therefore the disciples said to one another “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat” John 4.31-33. NKJV(emphasis mine)

Jesus gave a very insightful answer to their question:

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work” John 4.34.NKJV(emphasis mine)

Take time to deeply reflect on what Jesus was saying. The disciples were focused on the natural while Jesus was looking to the spiritual to feed every hunger or weakness. Yes, we will feed our bodies yet Jesus was declaring to them that the spiritual sustains the body first before the natural in anything even when it is a physical need.

Let me illustrate this. If you can’t control your natural desires, it will soon lead you astray. Many Christians cannot have a proper fast because their bodily desires control them. Esau lost out on his birthright for a lack of control over such desires. For this same thing, many Christians are in relationships from work, friendships, financial to marital that are of an oppressive nature.

Thus such a person will find it difficult to do the task that God will give because of always wanting to feed personal desires. If the Holy Spirit says “Let go of this person or thing”, the next thought is to consider “what people will say or how can I do without this or that” Then analysis that is paralysing to their faith sets in and in the end it turns to disobedience.

In effect, what Jesus showed His disciples is that though one can be physically challenged in every way yet if we look to Our Father, we will be fed for the journey? Spiritual food sustains where the natural will run out. The woman at the well and a city needed help, if Jesus had waited for physical nourishment, the opportunity that presented itself would have passed. In recognising what was needful, Jesus received the strength in His weariness to do the work before Him.

The result was amazing.

“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified “He told me all that I ever did. So when the Samaritans of that city had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word” John 4.39-41NKJV

These accomplishments came because Jesus sought refuge in His Father to live and went forth in that strength. Have we stopped to consider the multitude of opportunities in answers to prayers that we have passed up because we considered our natural desires? As I consider what I am doing today, I realise I lost an opportunity to begin earlier because I was set on achieving a personal goal that was not the purpose of God for my life.

When next, you are tempted to let go of that important assignment or just need to have certain burdens lifted off your shoulders, heed these words of scripture

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” Galatians 6.9NKJV

When we think of God first regardless of what the issues are, we will be strong to deal with the matter. This strength will come into our lives whether in spiritual and physical forms. Oftentimes what we need is a revelation of what to do at that moment before taking the next step. If we focus on Christ then we give Him an opportunity to pour His grace into our lives and you know His grace is more than enough and all encompassing.

There is also another word of comfort in those times.

“He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might, He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and the young men shall utterly fail. But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles.” Isaiah 40. 29-31NKJV

( emphasis mine)

Just like Jesus, when your life is manifesting the inner work of the spirit and you are asked the secrets of your success. Your answer as well will be with all confidence

“My food (nourishment) is to do the will (pleasure) of Him Who sent me and to accomplish and completely finish His work”

For indeed in all that is of Christ, we are sent to be a witness of HIS LIGHT in our lives to first our brethren and a world the desperately needs such LIGHT. We can’t afford to be weak in anything when much grace has been provided. Rise up today and begin a new or renewed experience in CHRIST