Christian Living

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READY - STEADY – GO: THE TIME HAS COME!!

We must earnestly take heed to the things which we have heard and don’t drift away from the words God has spoken--- because every transaction and disobedience received a just reward---.So how are we going to escape if we neglect so great a salvation spoken by the Lord--- (Hebrews 2:1-3 paraphrased)

I love to contemplate on the Word of God and when I do it sends me through the Bible to research and gain perspective on subject matter; but this article is not about me it’s all about us and where we have arrived at the end of our prayer and fasting I assume; as the month of January is a very popular time for some churches adhere to this discipline, in order to gain perspectives for the year ahead (which my church had completed on the 31st January).

According to the above text God brings His swift judgment on those who constantly live in disobedience because every transaction and disobedience requires a just payment. Yes, we have sowed - fasted and prayed but we must break up our fallow ground and sow righteousness, then we will reap mercy – it is time to incessantly seek the Lord until He reigns down His righteousness on us, this is God’s perspective for every believer (Hosea 10:12). Are we walking in the righteousness of God after every fast, have we been prepared to live as lights to the world and are our consciences heighten? If not see God’s requirement in Isaiah 58: 6-12.

When we search the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation God’s characteristics are unchangeable. He is loving, kind, longsuffering and merciful etc; but He is also holy and just, He hates sin and His Word declares it.

Prior to any sentence God always sends warning and He uses many different forms to communicate His displeasure about His intentions and intended punishment for example, dealing with Israel and Hezekiah’s pride 2 Chronicle 32:25-26 (see Isaiah 28: 21 the story is about God giving David victory over his enemies because he sought His face and listened to His instructions).

Possibly God has spoken to you, or the church you belongs to, and He must have dropped words in you spirit giving you/church directions or instructions during the month of January; of His expectation of you/ church, and what He intended doing through you/church during the solemn assembly. This might not have been a recent word (maybe God has spoken the same word before) about His hand of blessings and also of His disapproval looming over those who do not comply. It is a fact that any Bible teaching Church congregation hears God’s Word regularly, so the message could have been repeated in various formats whenever the church assembles together. Therefore it’s easy to get familiar and brushed it aside or apportioned the word of warning to someone else.

God brings fierce punishment on Israel His precious people whom He loves because they ignored His warning, His standards are the same as in Hosea’ time, He still set landmarks as our guide (Hosea 5:1). Let’s get a little personal here; can you personally remember when this forewarning began and so, what have you done about it?

He gave His Word He sends various prophets, we heard many prophesies (in some churches not all), we heard countless sermons from the pulpits; we are challenge through songs and exaltations, through books and written material, and have received a word here and there from individuals - God has given us ample time to stop and turn I would say. God has continuously warned us don’t you think? We’ve been given more than enough time to respond to Him; this is indeed the year of New Beginning it’s time for change, here is a brief testimony when I had to stop and take stack a few years back.

I have been a Christian since ‘Noah’s Flood’ you know what I mean - it seems that I have been walking with the Lord forever, since the late sixties. I have seen many wonderful things happened because the Word of God had the final authority then; Christians since ‘time began’ had a healthy fear for the Lord, and not denying - there were a few who didn’t fear Him. Without exceptions I had digressed from the simplicity of the gospel down through the years nevertheless, one thing I do know is ‘Jesus is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever’ He and His Word never change (Hebrews 13:3).

Over the years I found myself slide into the same pattern where performance is more important than right relationship with Christ and with each other. I have seen sin and hell lay dormant from the lips of those in some places of authority. This kind of Christianity seemed miles apart from when I was converted, and it was easy to fall in line with the norm, but God convicted me in September 2006 when my Church was called to repentance for four Thursday of the month.

During that session I felt a word from God challenge me that the way forward, is ‘sacrifice and death to self’ the first few days in the month (Psalm 51:17). I have written three articles about God’s dealing with me while spending time in the presence of my Father; my life had to come to a stop then, I had to turn around and start all over again. Repentance means change course, stop and turn. I am slowly but surely taking note of those words that God had spoken to me and used them as yardstick, and I do have a little check now and then to see how dominant the flesh life is. I have also included two paragraphs of extracts below from my personal reflection, relating to the above testimony - where it all started when my Church was called to repentance:
“So here I am again early in the month of September 2006, along with the whole Church in New Life Christian Centre responding to the call of repentance and change. My earnest desire is to fulfil the mandate God gave me. Sacrifice and death was God’s requirement and the only way to live is to die, Scriptures are reminders. Jesus said, Most assuredly, I say unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it produces much grain (John 12: 24). This is the call of my local pastor and to fulfil the call I must die to self, and dying to self will produce fruit for the glory of Christ.
In conclusion my Christian triumph depends on my obedience to Christ. I must die, in order that Christ reigns in me. How do I arrive at that point is there a formula? Well, I could double up my prayer and intercession, repent more thoroughly, and spend hours and hours seeking God. However, if when I finally arrived at the end of this session and my self life is still dominant I have wasted my time. The only one who will be satisfied is my flesh and the devil. I can not afford for this to happen. I must ‘up my love life’ both with God and with people which is the only path that leads to real life.”

Why did I say all of the above? It is because God has not stopped warning, the example above was of a solemn assembly and another one has just finished and I can safely say (as it is my assumptiom); that this is a practice of most churches therefore,God is waiting for our response to apply what He has spoken. But know this He will not wait forever, if we don’t take action He will do what is necessary to bring about His purpose.

The question is, are we ready to be the vehicle for the fulfilment of the many prophesies spoken by God? We are certainly on the threshold of a mighty move of God that is if we are listening to the rustling in the mulberry trees,’ as David was commanded in (2Samuel 5:24-25) but we must take heed to what we have heard or is hearing. At the end of this month or the period of any solemn assembl; where are we (spiritually speaking) stuck in the mud, going backward or going forward? God must have done something in our individual lives during and after seeking His face, but we must identify what it is God expects of us and move forward, and respond in kind.

God wants to use every individual that is the purpose He made us with many gifts and abilities; He gave us experiences to be used for His glory: our individual mountain tops and valleys befitting us; He made us with our own uniqueness to make us different or else we would be clones. God wants us to respect individual members of His body and sees each individual member’s of His body as He sees them. What He asks us is to first examine ourselves and not each other, to determine whether or not we are walking in line with His Word. Now where are we at the end of our fasting and prayer? We must give an individual answer to a series of questions ask throughout this article.

If we have not move forward with a heart open to God so that He has free range in our lives to say go, and we go, stop and we stop, and our spiritual ears are not opened and our are will bent to please Him in everything we do; so that the love of Christ constrains us (2Corinthians 5:14) that is, in our attitude towards one another, are we less selfish or are we bent on having our own ways?

Then depending on our answers, saying yes to each of the questions that depict our hearts are opened to God, therefore we have stepped forward; but if it is no, we need to take heed and do something about it.

God wants to thrust us forward spiritually and by recognising each other that is the first protocol. He is looking for vessels to ignite the world, by working with God He gives us the power to live holy and effective lives (in our homes, our work places, businesses, neighbourhoods, and in the church among His body). Our characters must become that of Christ’s. We should adopt living exactly the way Jesus lived without asking (What Would Jesus Do, WWJD); because He is living in us, and we in Him having perfect fellowship with Him in the secret place.

We definitely can’t ignite the world unless we first ignite each other and having right relationship with Jesus. God is waiting on us but He is not going to wait forever, if the month of January has ended and we have found ourselves in the same position as we were in December 2007, it is time to take a look at the book of Acts and the possibilities, can you imagine the effect on our world as we believe and live by God’s Word? The call is to advance and take up our position and not just stretch our spiritual muscles until the next time a solemn assembly is called.

I am optimistic! I don’t believe we will remain the same, God has spoken this month and He has moved powerfully on every believer who seeks His face, during this time and the change is already here. God loves us too much to allow us to continue the same way to negatively affect His plans and the new people whose hearts are seeking after Him, and those whom He is going to add to our churches.

But if we don’t work with Him, God is still sovereign, He is God Almighty and He will do His work because the time is short and we can not withstand God forever.

Yes, God can work without us but He choose not to. He wants His family to work with Him and that is beautifully portrayed in the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) working perfectly together as one. David says, God sets the solitary in families (Psalm 68:5-6); and Paul says that His divine power has given us all things to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him and we are partakers of the heavenly calling (2Peter 1:3): and Jesus Christ, Apostle and High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1 paraphrased). So God’s divine arrangement is to have a united family working together fulfilling His plans; Jesus Christ is our confession and He has given us everything we need to carry out these instructions.

Family is important to God the Scriptures give examples on how to respond to husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children and other relations, and also our church families. God chose Israel as His offspring and the church as Christ’s Bride, and the family as a unit working together to reflect His heart.

He has given us the Holy Spirit who is our Helper, Director and ‘Convicter’ to disturb our conscience and as well as Father and Son working within us, to help us take action reinforcing what He has commanded.

God wants to work through us in line within the confines of our potential He has given us, subsequently we must prepare these vessels (our lives) for His honour and His glory and in His name; and we are really the one responsible to carry out these orders to unquestionably take heed, and act.

We are all in it together on the same journey and following our Leader’s direction, that is, to comply with His standard. Some of us have been taking note of what God was saying and we may have allowed Him free range to work with us towards perfecting His will (it is God working in you to will and to do---, Philippians 2:12-13), however some of us might still be left hanging in the valley of decisions after this month, now is the time to get out of these valleys and get going. Like Mary, the mother of Jesus said at the wedding “Whatever He said to you, do it” (John 2:5) exactly, this is it, anything God said to do, we should do it!

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