COUNT THE STARS OF LOVE (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-6)

Faith is defined as a human response to a divine promise. Faith is an expectation, a quiet assurance that a person will do exactly as he said he would do. Abraham believed God’s promises. He is the Father of faith of all who believe!

God’s Word to Adam was that he can eat ‘freely’ from every tree in the Garden except one (Gen 2:16,17). The word ‘freely’ means ‘unconditionally’, without limitations or outside control. This reveals the goodness and generosity of God. He wants men to enjoy His blessings. When the devil asked Eve about eating for every tree in the garden, he omitted the word ‘freely’. When Eve answered him, she also omitted the word ‘freely’ (Gen 3:1,2). The devil insinuated that God is stingy with His blessings. He attacked the character of God as Lovingly kind and generous. Since then, the devil has tried to destroy our faith in a Generous God. Men think of God as someone who is always asking us to give to Him. That is a big lie, but many Christians think like that. Listen to the way the servant who received one talent spoke to his master: “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours” (Matt 25:24,25). Once you believe that God is a taker and not a giver, doubt and fear to trust God will enter your heart. This is what happened to Abraham.

God comes and promises Abraham to protect Him, reward Him and give Him many children as the stars in the sky (Gen 15:1-6). Abraham addresses God as “Lord God”. This is a combination of two names of God: Jehovah Adonai. Jehovah is the personal name of God, the covenant keeping God, the One who promises and keeps His Word. The word Adonai means the Master of slaves. He takes complete responsibility over His people. He is the Lord! Jesus found us in the salve market and bought us with His Blood. We are now His bondslaves or servants. Adonai is our Lord! Jesus is Lord! The name Adonai requires our total submission to His will and His ways.

God has already promised Abraham that He will make him a blessing to all the nations on the earth (Gen 12:1-3). But because Abraham is old and has no child, he starts to doubt the promise. This shows how much we desire visible blessings and struggle to simply have faith in God’s Word. Even the elect struggle with doubts and fears. Like Adam, Abraham fell for the lie of the Devil. He asked God: “What will You give me… You have not given me…”. Faith believes in a Giving God! Doubt believes that God is stingy! Selah!

God confronts Abraham’s fear, doubt and self-pity and gives him a fresh Word about an old promise. In the olden days, if a man has no children, he will leave his wealth to a chosen and faithful servant he has adopted in his house. Abraham has found such a servant in Eliezer of Damascus. Abraham is disappointed that God did not give him a son. We know that children are God’s Reward for obedience and service (Psalm 127:3-5). Abraham feels that God has not rewarded him, has not compensated him, has not giving him his salary, according to His Word. But God tells him clearly that he will have his own son who will inherit his name and wealth. Isaac was conceived supernaturally and born to old parents. He is the son of promise. All people who have faith like Abraham are now his descendants. The total population today is about 8 billion. The descendants of Abraham include the Jews, the Muslims and the Christians. The Jews are about 16 million. Muslims are 1,8 Billion. The Christians are 2,3 Billion. We are not even counting all the people who have died. This shows that God’s promise to Abraham that His descendants will be like the stars in the sky, has come to pass. These are the stars of Love. God is faithful! Amen!

LESSONS

*God is a God of personal relationships, of revelation. He guides and teaches His children thru dreams, visions and especially by His Word.

*Reject all fears of the future. Fear is an enemy to faith. God protects His people. In times of fear, remember Jehovah God, your Shield!

*Reject self-pity! Pray that God will confirm the old promise given to you.

*Reject doubt! God will give you signs that He is the God of heaven and earth. Like Abraham, remove your eyes from yourself and your problems, and look up to the stars. Remember how small you are and how big God is! Your faith in God will be strengthen!

*God promises to be the Reward of His children. All blessings, spiritual and material, are found in a Person: the Lord Jesus Christ!

*Abram had God and wealth. But he was fixated on his lack. Be grateful for what you have before you pray for more!

*God’s Presence and Grace is enough for you!

*Come out of your tent of limitations! Look up, on the sky! Count the uncountable stars of Love!

*Abram asked for little! God had so much more to give to him! Stop limiting God!

*God rewards Faith as Righteousness, with the Presence of God and a fulfilled life! Salvation is by faith alone! Faith is not based on feelings! Many people say: ‘I don’t feel like I have faith…’, they say. But faith has nothing to do with feelings and takes no account of moods or physical conditions. Feelings come and go, rise and fall, but faith endures and perseveres, because it does not look to any human source for help. The object of faith is God alone and His Word. The Christian, who believes that the risen Christ now lives within his heart, confidently expects Christ to work through him. Christ will not necessarily be felt in an emotional way, but He is present. He makes your ordinary actions to produce extraordinary results. He takes common relationships and transforms them into uncommon accomplishments.

*Develop Faith and Patience! We must trust God’s promises and God’s timing to fulfill them. Patience is a virtue that we must learn. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Our faith rests in God’s Word and His faithfulness and not in our own understanding. Practicing faith and patience are both vital in Christian life. “Do not become sluggish but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Heb 6:12).

*God is the God of Promises! Abram was 75 years when God called him and promised him to make him a father of many nations! He was 86 when Ishamel was born and 100 years old (and Sarah was 90) when Isaac was born. Abram waited 25 years for the promise to come to pass!  A promise is a solemn declaration, a pledge, a vow, that a person will do something in the future. A Promise is a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance, to hope for success or improvement in life. There are more than 8000 promises in the Bible. God expects us to trust Him, to believe His, no matter how long it takes before it is fulfilled. “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2Cor 1:20). God has made many promises to Abraham, Moses, David and others. He had promised to send the Messiah. Jesus came to earth as Man. These promises are about spiritual and material blessings, salvation and eternal life. All these promises are found and are fulfilled in Christ alone. We can access these promises only thru faith in Christ. The unbelievers cannot trust God for His promises. Only believers can say ‘Amen’. Believers recognize God’s sovereignty and power, and they praise Him. The fulfilment of His promises is for the good of man and for the glory of God! Our legacy is not just about physical descendants but about spiritual impact. Focus on a life that honors God and influences others for His kingdom. The manifestation of miracles, agape love, and the resurrection power gives glory to The Lord Jesus Christ in the Church! Let the stars of love shine in the darkness! Worship the Lord!

LOVING THE WEAK

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6). God’s Love manifested openly when God the Father sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross to save the sinners. Salvation in Christ was revealed when “we were without strength”. This describes the state of humanity. Sin weakens and kills. God designed the plan of salvation even before He created Adam and Eve. God alone knows the future. God knew that they would fall into sin. The plan of salvation is not an afterthought. It was designed by God even before the devil tempted Adam to disobey God. God the Son, Jesus Christ, has agreed to become Man and to die for sinful men. Jesus is called “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). This plan of salvation is totally the product of Love.

What does it mean that Christ for those “without strength”? For about four thousand years, men lived in sin. God gave His Law thru Moses. The Law revealed what sin is, but the Law could not save men from sin because men were too weak to obey it. Men needed a Savior. God waited so long so that men will have enough time to try saving themselves. All the great philosophers tried their best to explain and defeat sin. The greatest were the Greek Philosophers. They knew that something is wrong with man. They described the sinful tendency of man to destroy himself. But they could find the cure for sin. At last, men declared defeat. They agreed that they could not save themselves. Men “were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1). Men were spiritually dead. Their spirit was dead. Their minds were in darkness. “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Cor 2:14). That is why they were powerless to help themselves.

What does it mean Christ died “in due time”? God the Father sent His Son into the world at a particular time. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). 6 and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:4-9). The coming of Jesus to earth is an act of pure Love, Mercy and Grace. God sent His Son into this world at the right time. “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal 4:4,5). God’s work is still a mystery. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end” (Ecc 3:11). At the time when Jesus was born, the world was in relative peace. The Roman Empire had control over the world at that time. “Pax Romana” was the period of about 200 years (1st and 2nd centuries, AD) when there was minimal military expansion, prosperity and peace. The Romans saw peace not just as absence of war, but as the rare situation when all opponents had been beaten down and lost their ability to resist. Ceasar Augustus persuaded the Romans that the prosperity they could achieve in the absence of war was better for the Empire than the potential wealth and honor acquired when fighting a risky war. Jesus was born during that time. The early church grew, and the Gospel spread faster because of the peace and prosperity in the Roman Empire. Lesson: God never makes mistakes! Trust His plan and the timing of events.

What does it mean that “Christ died for the ungodly”? This is the heart of the Gospel. If Jesus died for some good, religious people, that is easier to understand. But Jesus came to earth and died on the Cross to save the ungodly, the sinners, those who are wicked, who hate God, and are morally corrupt. This is the demonstration of Love at its best. No other religion or philosophy preaches Love as the source of salvation like the Bible. Just to compare: The word ‘love’ in the Quaran appears 93x. The word ‘love’ appears 759X in the Bible (NLT). The Gospel is the only hope for sinners, for the wicked and the lost. That is why it is the greatest good news to man.

Who are these ungodly people that Christ died for? The whole world was in sin. There was no one good, no one righteous, none seeking God. To be ungodly means to be the opposite of God. In the beginning God has made man after His image and likeness (Gen 1:26). Man is spirit, because God is Spirit. God honored man in a special way by creating him to resemble Him. Man was made the lord of creation. The glory of God was upon man. But when he sinned, that image was not lost, but it was badly damaged. Man lost the authority and dominion given to him by God. God’s glory on man faded away. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Here we see that sin is universal. No matter the status in life, all men are born sinners, and all need a Savior. Sin is disobedience to God’s Law. All men ‘fall short’ of God’s standard of holiness. In Greek, ‘to fall short’ means ‘missing the mark’. Like an archer who shuts an arrow but misses the target. Sin reveals a weakness, a lack. Because he is a sinner, man cannot please God by his works. Man needs a Savior. Man cannot bring back the glory on himself. Christ came with the glory of the Father. He alone is full of God’s glory. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). It is only in Christ that man can find his lost glory. Man must repent from sin and totally surrender to Christ. There is no other way to be saved and go to heaven. Sin has damaged not only the image of God on man, but sin has destroyed his capacity to love. No sinner can love God with agape Love!

When the Bible says that Christ died for the ungodly, it does not mean that automatically all ungodly will go to heaven. All sinners must repent of sin and surrender their lives to Christ before they can benefit from the power of the Cross. Repentance means to humbly acknowledge your sin against God and man. It means to turn away from sin and turn towards God. It is a total change of mind, heart and will. It involves painful regret of offending God and breaking His Law and a commitment to change, with fruits to prove repentance. Practically, how does godly repentance manifest? First, you must take responsibility for your sins. You must confess your sins as the Prodigal son did, saying: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Lk15:21).

For as long as you say: “God, I committed sin, but…” it means that you have not repented. Justifying or excusing your sin is not godly repentance. Secondly, you must accept the consequences of your actions and do what it takes to repair the damage done. Ask God and men to forgive you. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Repentance is necessary to heal hearts and relationships. Selah!

“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Ac 2:38,39). True repentance brings forgiveness of sins and peace with God. Then the forgiven sinner can receive the Holy Spirit. God’s Love will be poured in his heart by the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist said: “Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matt 3:8). Repentance must produce fruits. Repentance is not just a verbal declaration but must be accompanied by a change in behavior and actions that reflect a transformed heart. Repentance is not just a onetime event, but a lifestyle for all the children of God! Selah!

BLESSED IS HE WHO CARES FOR THE HELPLESS (PSALM 41)

“A Psalm of David. Blessed [by God’s grace and compassion] is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will save him in the day of trouble. The LORD will protect him and keep him alive; And he will be called blessed in the land; You do not hand him over to the desire of his enemies. The LORD will sustain and strengthen him on his sickbed; In his illness, You will restore him to health” (Ps 41:1-3; AMP).

Psalms were not written for times of peace, but for times of war, for times of troubles. This psalm is written by King David. It shows his deep relationship with God. David faces two formidable enemies: sickness and enemy attacks. From both revelation and experience, he knew not only God’s works, but God’s ways. To be blessed means to be happy and have God’s favor. God promises to protect, deliver and heal those who are compassionate towards the weak, helpless and needy. Sickness is evil. God’s presence is with us during sickness and all trials of life. The spiritual healing is first, before physical healing. Jesus forgave the paralyzed man before He healed his body (Mk 2:1-12). Sickness is an opportunity for seeking God, repentance, humility, and going back to Jesus, our first Love! It always ends in praise!

We must care for the needy, the poor, vulnerable, weak and helpless. This is God’s Law. Mercy and Love is expected from us. It is our responsibility to be kind and generous. Caring for the weak is not just a duty but a source of blessings. God will save those who care for the needy. This protection is both spiritual and physical, temporal and eternal. These blessings manifest ‘in the land’. This reveals God’s desire to settle His children in the Promised Land and in the spiritual land of the Kingdom of God. God is sovereign. He will not allow us to be put to shame. The enemies may fashion weapons against us, but they can never succeed. God always leads us to victory in Christ! This is a reminder that God sees our hearts and our actions. Compassion reflects God’s character to people. God blesses those who are generous, compassionate, kind, and loving. God promises rewards on earth and in heaven. Amen!

BABY MOSES SAVED BY LOVE AND FAITH

“By faith Moses, after his birth, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful and divinely favored child; and they were not afraid of the king’s (Pharaoh’s) decree” (Heb 11:23; AMP). “Now Amram took for himself Jochebed, his father’s sister, as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses” (Exo 6:20).

This story happened when God’s people were suffering terribly. After Joseph died, they became slaves in Egypt. Their masters forced them to work ruthlessly. The word means ‘without pity’. This oppression was designed to reduce their numbers and to kill their spirit, their hope. Many died. But God was still with them. The presence of God manifested as great fruitfulness. Their hope did not die. More children were born to them during that difficult time. “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel” (Exo 1:12). Because of their great numbers, the Egyptians became afraid of their slaves. Pharaoh decided to reduce their number. He ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill every baby boy at birth but allow the girls to live. But the midwives disobeyed the king’s command. They feared God more than they feared man. God bless them for that. Disappointed with the midwives, Pharoah commanded that all the baby boys should be thrown into River Nile, to die. This law was an added sorrow for God’s people.

SLAVERY

Just imagine the life of a slave at that time. A slave is a human being who is owned by another human being. A slave lacks the most basic human rights. For example, a slave has no relatives. He belongs only to his master. If he is in trouble, no one can stand for him, to defend him. A slave is called ‘a socially dead person’. His owner takes all the fruit of his labor and controls his reproductive rights. A slave has no freedom of movement. Slaves were multiplied in different ways: they could be prisoners of war or kidnapped people. Poor people who owned money were sold as slaves. Some very poor parents sold their children as slaves. The number of slaves increased mostly by them having children. For slavery to exist, laws must be in place to protect it. Slavery exists when there is a shortage of labor, especially in the field of agriculture. Domestic slaves were also common. Most of the slaves were of a different race, religion or nationality than the owners. A slave was enslaved against his will. Slavery was practiced all over the world. Slaves were despised and regarded at the bottom of the social ladder. Throughout history slaves have been thought of as stupid, unteachable, lazy, liars, untrustworthy, prone to drunkenness, idle, licentious, and cowardly. Race was an important factor. For example, in Rome, where almost all the slaves and their owners were white, slaves were given freedom easier. In Africa, where both owners and slaves were black, freedom was also common. But in America, where the owners were white and the salves were black, the slaves suffered more. They were isolated and truly discriminated against. Slaves developed their own culture and religion as different from their masters. This culture helped the slaves to feel ‘free’ even during slavery.

Sin is a slave master. Sin is an addiction, a lifetime bondage. None can deliver from it except faith in Jesus! “Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (Jn 8:34-36).

Moses’ parents, Amram and Jochebed, were from the house of Levi. Both were slaves in Egypt. It must have been hard to work as slaves. They already had a daughter called Mariam and a son called Aaron. They now had a baby boy. They took a great risk to hide the baby for three months. This action proved great courage, faith and love. The parents refused to be intimidated by Pharoah. We see the hopelessness and oppression of slavery. But hope of freedom never died in the hearts of God’s people. For 400 years they dreamed that one day, a Savior would come to free them. He will take them away from Egypt and bring them into the Promised Land. When Moses was born, God answered their prayers. Everything was against Moses. The law was in force to kill every baby boy. All the Israelites were slaves. Moses was supposed to die. But he lived 120 years, becoming the Savior for God’s people. Jochebed prayed for a way out. We see here the natural love a mother has for her child. But in this case, it was more than a natural love. Jochebed saw that her baby boy was ‘beautiful’. This was not just a physical beauty. She saw the grace of God upon her child. She saw her baby as a destiny child. This sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is a manifestation of God’s Love in action. She became creative. She nursed her baby in hiding for 3 months. She then built a little basket from reeds found by the river. She covered the basked with pitch, just the way God told Noah to build the ark that saved his family. Jochebed surely explained everything to her little daughter, Mariam, how she wants to save her baby brother. Then Jochebed kissed her baby one last time, placed him in the ark, and laid it on the river. Miriam followed the basket to see what would happen. The basket was found by Pharoah’s daughter who heard the baby crying. When she saw the baby, his beautiful face touched her heart. She decided to adopt him. She called him Moses (from an Egyptian word meaning ‘drawn from the water’). Her compassion for this baby overcame the pride of her status or the fear of what her father would say. Miriam then asks the Egyptian princess if she can bring a Jewish mother to nurse the baby. She agreed. Moses’ mother comes to the palace and takes her baby back. This time, with the blessings of the royal family. She nursed Moses for about 3 years and brought him back to the palace. Moses grew in the palace as a prince of Egypt. The story just begins… At the right time, Moses becomes the Savior of Isreal. God’s plans can never fail! Praise the Lord!

LESSONS:

*God is the true hero of this story! All people in Genesis 2 are nameless. They each do God’s will. These wonderful people are anonymous. God’s Love shines like light in the darkness. He protects baby Moses until He is ready to use him. God is behind all actions. God never fails.

*God hears the prayers of the oppressed. In His time, he will deliver them!

*In case of conflict of interests, better obey God than man! Fear God! Do not fear man!

*True faith is bold, and love was creative. Jochebed made an ark like Noah’s ark to save her baby. She was not afraid of the king’s law. She loved the baby so much that she was willing to lay down her life to save her son. That is true Love!

*Faith surrenders to God. Once Jochebed fasted, and prayed for a miracle, she laid her baby in the ark and then let go of it. She trusted that God would take control. Her faith and hope were in God alone. She was not disappointed. God saved her baby and used him as a mighty man of God. Jochebed is like Hannah who gave Samuel to God. Lesson: There is a time to pray, a time to work, and there is a time to wait for God. This holy chain of pain-prayer-work-wait always ends in praise!

*Pray and prophesy over your children. Jochebed nursed her baby until he was about 3 years old. Moses grew knowing the love of his Jewish mother and the love of Jehovah God. This was the foundation for his success later in life. Teaching your child about God is the greatest gift you can give to him. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (PV22:6).

*Egypt is a type of the world. Pharoah is a type of the devil. Moses is a type of Jesus, the Savior. The exodus is a type of deliverance from the world when a sinner becomes saved. God alone knows the end from the beginning. He is sovereign overall. He revealed to Abraham that His people will be slaves and later landlords. “Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” (Gen 15:12-16). Selah!

Why did God send His people to Egypt, to save them thru Joseph and later to allow them to become slaves?

First, God disciplined them for their sin. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal6:7).

Their fathers sold Joseph as a slave. God is a God of justice. He promised to punish the children for the sins of their fathers, up to the fourth generation. This is God’s Law: “You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Deut 5:9,10). The way God visits the sins of the fathers upon the children is by allowing the sinful patterns of the parents to manifest in their children. For example, if parents are liars, the children imitate them and lie too.

Secondly, becoming slaves in Egypt humbled God’s people. God’s grace was now given to them. “But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble” (Jam 4:6). God was preparing them to bless them, to become landlords in the Promised Land. Lesson: during hardships we discover our identity, responsibility and destiny in life. You must learn to pray and rejoice during times of trial and hardship. Do not seek the easy life. Seek God and the life He gives. Then other blessings shall be added to you!

The third reason why God’s people stayed in Egypt for 400 years was because the sin of the Amorites was not yet complete. Lesson: God observes our enemies too. Their sin must come to a maximum before God will intervene to save us and destroy them. God’s time is best!

*The Book of Exodus offers wonderful Hope to all generations. Every act of Love, faith and courage is important. Sacrifices made for love are rewarded by God! God shows His love thru others, even thru our enemies. God can use broken and weak people. God is faithful to all His promises. All people, even the slaves, have worth in God’s sight. In Exodus, we hear the sound of worship nobody can silence: Let My people go! In Christ alone there is hope, peace, joy, healing and deliverance from sin! Let your faith rise! The God that saved baby Moses is our God too! Nothing is impossible for our God! Have faith in God! Your pain is not forever! May your pain become prayer and praise! To the glory of God! Worship the Lord!

WE REJOICE IN HARDSHIPS, PERSEVERE, BUILD CHARACTER AND HOPE! (Rom 5:1-5; AMP)

The need to mature as Christians thru trials in life is the greatest practical theme in the Bible. Apostle Paul shows us how to apply the doctrine in daily living. He has told us that we are justified by faith, that we have peace, access to stand, and we should rejoice in the hope ahead. In other words, the true believer is sure of his place in heaven. He rejoices in his hope. Knowing and believing these doctrines produces joy. These are facts of the Christian foundation. This maturity comes thru this ‘knowing…’, which is the work of the Holy Spirit. Practically, the following are the effects of justification by grace and thru faith in the Lord Jesus Christ:

1-The first thing we see is that a Christian ‘rejoices in his hardships’. In Greek, the word rejoice means ‘to glory, to make noise, to joyfully boast about something’. This is not a quiet joy. It is vocal. This is a reminder that the Christian life is not easy. There are trials, sufferings, attacks, hardships, and tribulations. The world gets happy only when things go well. Unbelievers hate troubles. They see nothing good in them. But the believer rejoices in them. Why? Because he finds God even in times of troubles! The Christian does not pray for problems to come, but when they do come, he finds God’s purpose in them, and he rejoices. The word ‘hardships’ means ‘pressures’ of life. These are divided into two: The pressures of society and self-imposed pressures. In the first group, for example, teenagers, under peer pressure, want to go to university abroad; young women want to marry before they are thirty; the graduate wants a good job immediately; the married couple wants children immediately after the wedding. Self-imposed pressure is from within. None gives you stress. You give it yourself. You envy others and you want to be rich, famous and successful like them. You want the latest car like the rich… You want to be slim… But you are not realistic. You want things that may not be good for you. That pressure leads to frustration and depression. You need to humble yourself, pray to know God’s will for your life and stop comparing yourself with others. You are created unique by God. Forget others! Fulfill your own destiny. Do not add more stress to your life! Be free! Be yourself! Our Lord addressed this. He said: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). In Jesus’ name, rejoice and overcome your own world! Amen!

In His sermon on the mount, our Lord said that trials will come just because we belong to Him. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:11,12). We see that the Chistian will be criticized, persecuted and insulted just because he belongs to Christ. This persecution coming from the secular and the religious world is to be expected. It is ‘normal’. Why is the Christian persecuted? First, it is because He has the Spirit of Christ in Him. As men hated Jesus, they will hate the Christian. The believer is unique. The world hates anyone who is different, who is special. Men cannot control the Christian. Therefore, they will insult him. The Christian believes in the God of heaven. He knows that one day he will go there. His faith in God and heaven keeps him strong through all situations. Worldly men hate heaven because they hate death. That is why they buy expensive clothes, cars and live like there is no tomorrow. The unbeliever does everything so that he forgets about death. But the Christian is different. He has a hope of glory which is stronger than his fear of death. The world finds that thinking strange and abuses him. Selah!

The false prophets and the cult leaders promise a life free from all problems. They say something like this: “Accept Jesus and you will never have any problems in life!” They give false hopes to people. This promise is not Biblical. Problems do indeed come. Life is not easy. In fact, because they experience persecutions, the Christians have more problems than the unbelievers. But the interesting thing is that believers make progress by faith even through hardship. By experience, they learn that all trials and temptations cannot quench their hope of glory. They discover that God remains the same before, during and after the storm. God’s Love never changes! Trials only confirm that Love!

We are told that believers are ‘persecuted for Jesus’ sake’. What does that mean? Persecution means to oppress, harass or insult someone because of his race, or religion. This is a fact: all true believers are persecuted. Apostle Paul said: “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2Tim 3:10-12). This persecution happens not because believers are troublemakers, difficult, or overzealous. They are not persecuted because they are kind or do noble deeds. Every religious unbeliever wants to do good deeds and to be praised by men. The Christians are persecuted just because they are different. They are holy like Jesus. By their words and deeds, believers remind people of Jesus. Their Love convict unbelievers. That is why they react. Who are the persecutors? The world is the main oppressor. Secondly, the religious unbelievers in the church also persecute the true believers. Selah!

How does a Christian react to provocation and persecution? First, he must always obey God’s Word! He must not pay back evil for evil. He must not retaliate. He must not seek vengeance. He must remain calm, loving, and ‘turn the other cheek’ (Matt 5:39). “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21). He must pray for the strength to endure the attack, pray for divine wisdom on what to say. He must not react in anger. He must not become bitter or depressed because of the attacks. He must keep his peace. Amen!

The believer is able to rejoice that he is persecuted for Christ’s sake, being in the same category with the prophets of old. The apostles were imprisoned and beaten by the religious leaders because they preached in Jesus’ name. Yet, they rejoiced! “So, they left the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy [dignified by indignity] to suffer shame for [the sake of] His name” (Acts 5:41; AMP).

What does the Christian do when problems come? The first thing is to pray for more grace, strength, and divine wisdom. He knows that God is there for him always. This ‘knowing’ is deep and extremely strong. Faith in God is the power behind the Christian rejoicing and boasting of Jesus during the storm. The believer sees God in the center of all things, including the painful things. He sees trials as discipline coming from God the Father (Heb 12:5-11). He knows that God does not send trials to the unbelievers in the same way. God trains him as a son who must represent his Father. Trials are a training school for the Christian as an ambassador of Christ. The pain gives the Christian joy and adds proof that he is not an illegitimate son. The pain draws him closer to God and God reminds him how much He loves him. As he runs the Christian race, in the pain, he finds his gain. This positive effect of pain is to change the character. The believer discovers how deep God’s love is for him, especially during trials. The unbelievers behave differently. They do not draw closer to God. They become angry and bitter, blaming God during their pains. The trials expose them, by washing away their pretense of faith and peace. Lesson: this is a good test to know if you are a true believer or not. What is your reaction during the trials of life? When things are easy, anyone can claim to be a Christian going to heaven. But what do you do, or think, or say, during difficult times? Examine yourself! Selah!

Tribulations are many and different. These can be persecution, insults, attacks of sickness, poverty, or loneliness. It does not mean that the Christian is happy when troubles come to him. He is sad like any other human being. But he does not stay sad!!! He prays and asks God for strength, guidance and wisdom. Please observe that ‘we rejoice IN our hardships.’ We do not just wait for the pain to go. In the midst of it all, during the hardships of life, we can truly thank God! We feel God’s presence. We know that we are not alone! We rejoice because God has a purpose for everything. We rejoice in the pain because the pain has come to push us closer to God. The believer knows that nothing happens to him is by accident. He knows that God is sovereign over all. “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” (Rom 8:28). God’s promise never fails! Even now, give thanks to God!

Dear Christian, how can you rejoice during suffering? This is the answer: It is because you know your identity and purpose in Christ. You know who you are, to whom you belong. You know that Jesus died to save your soul, and He has promised to never leave you alone! This assurance of salvation and of heaven gives you courage to face any opposition. During attacks, you feel the presence of God with you. God’s Love covers you. You do not fear men or their wicked words. In life or death, you know that thru Christ you are always a winner.

Finally, what is the promised reward? The Bible does not describe it. But we know that in heaven we shall see Jesus, face to face. We shall have spiritual bodies like Jesus. We shall worship forever the Lamb upon the throne. We shall live in mansions in glory. Therefore, God’s presence is the greatest reward. That hope makes us exceedingly glad even when we suffer for the sake of Jesus! Hallelujah!

2-Secondly, we are told that “hardship produces patient endurance (perseverance)”. The word ‘produce’ means to manufacture. This is the spiritual production line of the Holy Spirit. The raw material becomes the expected product. The Christian rejoices in hardships because he has discovered the good effect pain has on him. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is Patience. In Greek, ‘Patience’ means to persevere during hardship, with cheerful endurance as you wait for God to help you. It means to be steadfast (fixed in one direction, firm in purpose, not shaking from faith, being faithful, and loyal). It means not giving up, standing and trusting God. The opposite of steadfast means to shake and abandon your position, to bend, or to betray your friend. During trials, the Holy Spirit tests, purifies and strengthens your faith. Every believer testifies that hardship made him stronger in faith. This strength manifests only in the true believers. This is the testimony of all believers: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep and honor Your word [with loving obedience]” (Ps 119:67; AMP).

3-Thirdly, we are also told that “endurance proves character”. As the faith gets stronger, you learn to stand and persevere during the trial. You can see what God is doing thru the trial. The result is that you now rejoice even in the pain. This produces stability of character. This blessing can only happen as God does His great work in you in the fire. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (Jam 1:2-4). The natural man is impatient and restless. Even the baby Christian is impatient. All he wants is that the pain should go away. Patience and wisdom are twins. Led by the Holy Spirit, the trials of life build up character that is tried in the fire and proven to be genuine. In the Bible, the word Character always means proven moral character. The mature Christian has the scars to prove that God’s fire has purified, approved and established him. Thru hardships, we learn to Love an invisible but Loving Jesus!

These are some of the characteristics of a Christian who has a mature godly moral character:

*First, this man is a Lover! He loves God with all his heart. Secondly, he loves people as he loves himself. Love is the greatest proof that this man has a proven moral character. If you want to know who is genuine, then look for agape Love in his words and actions. Love is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that true believers are known by Love and unbelievers are known by wickedness (Matt 7:17).  

*The godly man is humble, submissive and teachable. He submits to God, to Christ and to the human authority given to him by God! He loves to serve others, to help them with their needs. “Through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal 5:13,14).

*This man pays the price to grow spiritually. He is not stagnant. He loves God’s Word, prayer, and church activities. For example, Apostle Paul, who is considered the greatest Christian who has ever lived, continue to pay the price for spiritual maturity. “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Phil 3:12).

*This godly man is responsible. He is hard working. He takes care of his household needs. He does not borrow except in emergency. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1Tim 5:8). This man is worthy of trust. He does what is right and the things expected of him. He accepts the blame if anything goes wrong.

*He is generous with his resources. “The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself” (PV 11:25).

*He is kind, forgiving. “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:32).

*He fears God. “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” (PV 31:30)

*He is strong and courageous (Josh 1:6,7,9). He is not a coward!

*He speaks Truth in Love (Eph 4:15). He is a good communicator. He does not gossip or slander. He is an encourager.

There are some people in the Bible who have great moral character. For example, Joseph, King David, Daniel, Ruth, Esther, Mordecai, the wife in Proverbs 31, and others, were shining examples of godly behavior even in difficult or dangerous times. They were not born like that. They were all sinners saved by Grace. But they paid the price for spiritual maturity and godly character. Fame is what people see. It is who people think you are. But Character is who you really are, the things you do when no man is watching. Doing the right thing is never easy. But standing for what is right, doing good to people, is a test of our moral character. Iron is known for its strength. Nature is known for her beauty. In the same way, a godly man is known by his excellent character. It is built by constantly seeking God’s will in every decision in life. Children are 25% of the present population and 100% of the future. As parents, we must display and teach godly values to our children. Study a moral godly man! Look at the things he loves and at the things he hates. That will tell you the truth about that man!

4-Godly moral Character produces more hope! Hope is defined as the Joyful expectation of the future. It is only a man who loves God and people, who is humble, teachable and submissive, who pays the price to grow spiritually, who is hardworking, responsible, and generous that has hope for the future. After passing the fire of affliction, the Christian is now trustworthy, faithful, and emotionally stable. God can trust him with His resources. This maturity leads to greater hope. We started with hope, and we’ll end shall with hope. The Old Saints said that Hope is both the father and the child of spiritual maturity. The trials confirmed God’s Love in the believer and the hope of heaven. That is why the Christian, at the end of the period of hardship, is even stronger. This is the proven royal way of the Cross, the agape road!

Don’t forget the power of hope. When a doctor tells his patient that there is no hope, he means that death is his only option. Hopelessness is a terrible burden to carry. It is proven that even if you take everything from a man, if he still retains his hope, he will make it. These are some Feelings of hopelessness (despair): depression, anger, sleep disturbances, weight fluctuations, slow in thinking, in making decisions, feelings of guilt, inferiority complexes, thoughts of suicide and unexplained physical problems (weakness, body pains, stomach pains etc).

RUTH – A WOMAN OF NOBLE CHARACTER

“And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman…. A woman of excellence… a woman of noble character” (Ru 3:11; NKJ; AMP; NIV).

Ruth is called a woman of noble character. These are just some of the reasons why: she was a true believer in Jehovah God. She was possibly Naomi’s convert to Judaism. Ruth was a pagan before she married Naomi’s son. After her husband’s death, she continued to serve Naomi. For her, Naomi was not just her mother-in-law, but her mentor in Judaism. Ruth obeyed God’s word: “The one who is taught the word [of God] is to share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his spiritual and material support]” (Gal 6:6; AMP). Ruth was faithful to her mentor unto death. Love for God and for Naomi was the only explanation why Ruth left her country, her people, her family and her gods to follow and serve Naomi in Isreal. Love is the only reason why a person can go to this extreme of faithfulness and sacrifice.

Ruth was loving, humble, teachable, obedient, respectful, hard-working, and loyal. These are all evidence of a genuine moral character. But the greatest of her attributes is her dedication to Naomi, even to the point of death. This quality is rare to find. People betray one another. They find many reasons why they should divorce, or separate. Ruth did not perform miracles. She did not organize crusades. But in her own quiet life, she shines as light in darkness. Ruth teaches us that faith and hope in God is rewarded by God. Our past is not our final destination. Choosing and doing the right thing, loving with the extra mile passion is rewarded by God. All godly relationships are God’s gifts to mankind. Ruth did not know that a chapter in the Bible will be named after her and that million of people will read and be inspired by her faithfulness. God honored her. God uses the most unlikely people to do His will.  God cares for all people, no matter the nationality, skin color or level in society. Men and women are equal before God. None is unimportant before God. God uses little things and little people to achieve great things for His glory! Love and Faith make the difference. It pays to serve God and man. It pays to build up a godly testimony. God rewards that! “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD bestows grace and favor and honor; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Ps 84:11; AMP). The sun is a symbol of light and life. The shield is protection. God bestows Grace and Honor. God gives spiritual and natural blessings, earthly and heavenly rewards to those who are upright in character. God will not withdraw any good blessing from His children. This promise encourages believers to pay the price for spiritual maturity and godly character.

Ruth was declared to be kind by Naomi and Boaz. She loved Jehovah more than her natural family. She was determined to find and serve God. Not even Orpah’s going back or Naomi’s pleading changed her mind. Naomi failed the test of affliction. She blamed God for her troubles and became bitter. She was supposed to rejoice in her hardship, but she did not. Ruth passed the test of affliction. She did not become bitter. She served a backslider with a joyful heart. Ruth obeyed God’s promises that said: “God makes a home for the lonely; He leads the prisoners into prosperity, Only the stubborn and rebellious dwell in a parched land” (Ps 68:6; AMP). “And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you, And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you. And in you all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed” (Gen 12:3:AMP). Worship the Lord!

GRACE UPON GRACE

“For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]” (Jn 1:16; AMP). In Greek, the word ‘fullness’ means completeness and overflow. Christ is 100% God and 100% Man. The Christian is a man who has received and continues to receive something from God. He receives willingly and actively. God thru Christ gives the believer the best heaven has. The Christian receives the Holy Spirit by faith and at different levels. This pouring of the Holy Spirit is by God’s Grace. It is an intimate relationship of giving and receiving. Christ’ gift increases gradually. It is grace upon grace. Grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God to the believer. It manifests as spiritual gift upon gift, and spiritual blessing upon blessing. This continuous increase in spiritual power and anointing never stops until the believer goes to heaven.

Grace is the generosity, the outpouring of Love. Grace is like a glass full of water. We drink and drink and it is still full. As children of God, we know and feel that we are loved, protected and blessed. Out of this overflow of Love, we love others. The Christians are different in their levels of revelation, authority, and power to testify for Jesus. All believers are citizens of God’s Kingdom, but not all are governors or judges with authority to open and shut doors. It is possible to be born-again and still not be baptized with the Holy Spirit. There is a price to pay to know and function in the realm of power, and love. May we be willing to mature!

LOVE IS STRONG AND COURAGEOUS (Deut 11:22-25; Joshua 1:1-9)

We are ready to crossover into a new year (2025). Let God’s Word guide us. Let the Holy Spirit direct us. We shall experience a higher level of fruitfulness and greater harvest. We re-visit the story of Joshua, taking the lead after God’s servant, Moses has died. This is a story of transition, from dreams to dreams come true. The people of God are ready to crossover. They’ve camped by River Jordan. God commands Joshua to arise and lead the people. God commands him to be strong and very courageous. He must devote Himself to study and apply God’s Word. God’s promises are ready to be fulfilled. Centuries ago, God promised that the Land of Canaan will be theirs. Because of disobedience, they’ve wasted many years. But they are now ready to enter the Promised Land. This is a destiny moment for Isreal.

Three times in this passage God commands Joshua to be ‘strong and very courageous’. This is not a suggestion. Obeying this command is rewarded with godly prosperity and success. Moses was a strong leader. Joshua also needs to be strong and very courageous as a leader because God’s people were not experienced warriors, and the Canaanites were strong enemies. To be ‘strong’ means emotionally firm and stable, but not totally hardened and not soft; he must not be easily moved emotionally, not yielding to manipulation or intimidation. The word ‘courageous’ means to be brave, fearless, having the mental and moral strength to deal with dangerous, unpleasant or difficult things without breaking down. God’s command was ‘to observe to do’ all God’s Law. This is an active, diligent and intentional obedience to God’s commands. According to God’s covenant, obedience to God’s Word brought blessings. Disobedience brought curses. Partial obedience is counted as disobedience. Joshua was not to turn to the right or to the left. It shows the need to go straight on God’s path of righteousness. Any deviation means failure or danger. Lesson: stay focused on the path God has prepared for us, and faithfully, to run the race to the end.

God has promised that obedience to His Word leads to prosperity. In Hebrew, the word ‘sakal’ means prosperity that comes from wisdom and understanding of God. It is not just wealth. It is the testimony of a mature believer who knows God and His Word. He hears from God. He applies God’s Word wisely in his life. This is how he becomes wealthy, spiritually and materially. This promise is not connected only with the Promised Land. Its blessings shall manifest in any place you go in this world. You become a source of prosperity in any place you live.

The Bible is the true and final authority in the life of the believer. We must study, meditate and proclaim God’s Word. This is the lifestyle of the believer. It affects his thinking, his emotions, his choices, his speech and his actions. The diligent study and application of God’s Word leads to prosperity. In Hebrew, it is the word ‘tsalach’. It means to advance, to make progress, or to have breakthrough. Good success means success connected with wisdom taken from the Word of God. This is a reminder that God’s Law is extremely important. It cannot be broken. Man cannot keep God’s Law perfectly. The only Man who ever obeyed God perfectly is Jesus Christ. He did not come to do away with the Law, but to fulfill it through His perfect obedience. In Him, we are justified by Grace and through Faith. His obedience becomes ours. In Christ, all the promises are yes and amen. God’s Word decrees that as believers, we will have a successful and prosperous life.

As we enter this new year, we too stand at the river. We’ve known thirst in the desert. We’ve also tasted the refreshing water of salvation. Now it is time to crossover and enter the Promised Land. The Lion of Judah looks us in the eye and says, “Come here.” The Promised Land is the fullness of the presence of God. Entering there is never casual. It is frightening because in that Land we are to live a whole new life that we have never known before. In the desert, even though we were thirsty, at least we felt some sort of control. But now, we are afraid of heaven because the promises are so, so big and the glory so, so bright! It is hard to have faith that our lives will change so much!

How did Joshua have the power to let go of the past and crossover into the Promised Land? What are the lessons for us? Joshua heard the voice of God. In all transitions we must hear from God. God speaks thru His Word and by His Spirit. Trying to move on without God is dangerous. God’s Word must be heard and obeyed. God promised to be with Joshua always. God’s presence is safety. God promised to fight and defeat all Joshua’s enemies. God’s presence of victory. It is hope! Learn to let go by giving God your desire for comfort, security and control. Let Him replace it with the reality of His presence. Now you are ready to cross over into the Promised Land! Worship the Lord!

REJOICING IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD

The effect of standing in the Grace of justification by faith is not only peace and access to stand. It is also pure joyful hope to enter glory. Hope is defined as the joyful expectation of the future. For a Christian, the future is always better and more glorious than the present. In this scripture, the word ‘rejoicing’ is not just an emotion of happiness. In Greek it is translated as ‘boasting’. It means to triumphally and happily brag about the achievements of another. Practically, it means to boast of knowing Jesus as our Savior and Lord! We boast about our hope we have in Christ. A Christian is so confident that he will go to heaven, that he happily boasts about that place. He sees heaven as his eternal home. This is called the assurance of salvation. All believers are saved but not all believers have this assurance of salvation. To get that, you need to press on by faith. Fast and pray so that God will give you this extra gift. This hope is not an ordinary hope of better life on this earth. It is the hope of experiencing and being a part of the eternal Glory of God. The believer has this living hope: he knows that he will go to heaven and will see God face to face. This hope is extremely powerful. It keeps the believer focused and strong through the trials of this world. Hope in the Bible is never mixed with doubt. It always connects with joyful faith. To walk in faith, with full assurance of hope is a walk of strength and courage. Few believers walk like this. Ignorance of doctrine is a major hindrance to the believers’ victorious life!

What glory does the Christian hope to see? It is the glory of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. When Jesus lived on earth, His glory as God was veiled by His human body. Few people had the privilege to see a glimpse of it But now, in heaven, Jesus does not hide His glory. He is God Almighty! He is the King of Glory in heaven. As Man on earth, Jesus suffered rejection, died, was buried, and on the third day, He rose from the dead. He bodily ascended to heaven. The Father exalted Him above all. His glory is now revealed to all. All creatures in heaven bow and openly worship Him, singing with loud voices: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:12). He always had glory as God! Now He receives glory as a Man! Amen!

God created man in His image, to reflect His Glory. Adam and Eve were the only human beings who saw the glory of God on earth in their physical bodies They had fellowship with God in the garden. God’s glory covered them as garments of light. When they fell into sin, the glory left. They felt naked. Sin damaged God’s relationship with man.

Among human beings, godly success is described as ‘glory’. Joseph told his brothers: “So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt” (Gen 45:13). King David also experienced God’s glory on earth. “His glory is great in Your salvation; Honor and majesty You have placed upon him” (Ps 21:5).

These are some examples of men who saw the glory of Jesus.  Moses prayed to see God’s glory. God answered his prayer. God passed by revealing His goodness and sovereign mercy. God covered Moses so that he can only see His back. This is because no mortal man can see God’s glory and live (Exo 33:18-23). Prophet Isaiah saw King Jesus seated on the throne. He also saw that God’s glory is over the earth (Isa 6:1-3). Prophet Ezekiel saw God’s glory as fire around the throne of God in heaven (Eze 1:26-28). As he was dying, Stephen did not see the wicked men who were stoning him to death, but he saw Jesus in His glory. “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Ac 7:55). When Saul of Tarsus was going on the road to Damascus to arrest the Christians, he suddenly saw Jesus in His full glory! “Suddenly a light shone around him from heaven” (Ac 9:3). The light of the glory of Christ blinded him. He was never the same again. He became Apostle Paul, the greatest preacher of the Gospel in the history of mankind.

Jesus took Peter, James and John on Mount Tabor. He was transfigured before them. His glory shone thru Him. “His appearance changed dramatically in their presence; and His face shone [with heavenly glory, clear and bright] like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light” (Matt 17:2; AMP). Peter remembered this event and he wrote: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2Pet 1:16-18). Later, Apostle John saw the resurrected Christ in His glory and fell at His feet like dead (Rev 1:12-18). Remember this: Each believer who has seen even a glimpse of the glory of Jesus, will be forever changed, from inside out. God’s glory changes us! “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Cor 3:18). Amen!

The disciples came back excited from doing ministry. They said that the demons submitted to them. Jesus didn’t stop their joy of successful deliverance ministry. But he raised their eyes to eternal things, to the glory of heaven. “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Lk 10:20). Many preach about sanctification, but few preach about glorification. That is why the Christians focus too much on the present-day trials on earth, how to overcome them and ignore the hope of glory in heaven, which alone gives strength, courage and focus! “By faith he (Moses) forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb 11:27). Lesson: Keep your eyes on Jesus and the glory ahead!

GOD’S GLORY DEFINED  

The Bible is the story of God’s glory! Glory is defined as the highest level of honor, beauty and power. It is fame won by the greatest achievements. It is the greatest intrinsic value of a Person. Glory refers to Position, Possessions, Power and Length of Life. Of course, Glory belongs to God. The Glory of God is the beauty of His Spirit, of His holiness, of His perfect character. “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all!” (1Chr 29:11). Hallelujah!

The Glory of God is defined as the external manifestation of God’s Presence. Glory can be seen, or it is revealed. “Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud” (Exo 16:10). “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isa 40:5). To see God’s glory and to disobey His commands, brings judgement upon the rebellious (Nu 14:20-23).

We are told that God does not share His glory with the idols. “I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images” (Isa 42:8). In Hebrew, the word ‘glory’ is ‘kabod’. It is the weight, the heaviness, or the splendor of God. God is unwilling to share His glory and His Praise with idols or any false gods. All authority belongs to God alone, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Idolatry is desire to steal God’s glory. God punishes it. “Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Rom 1:22-25).

Immediately a believer dies, he goes to heaven to see Jesus in His glory, face to face. Our salvation starts on earth, and it is perfected in heaven. We start as sinners saved by Grace and end as saints in glory. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Rom 8:29,30). Apostle Paul connects Justification with Glorification, jumping sanctification. The Process of sanctification is taken for granted. Many Christians know much about sanctification and little about the glory of heaven. It is not that sanctification is not important, but we are to look ahead to the glory of heaven. This vision helps us stay focused. When Jesus comes again, we shall have new spiritual glorious bodies, exactly like Him. That means we were not to be just spectators to the glory of Jesus, but we share in it. In our new glorious bodies, there shall be no spots, no wrinkles; no remnant of sin, no damage done by sickness or by old age. Our bodies will be beautiful, perfect and glorious. Halleluiah!

In the New Testament, God’s glory is revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ, who is the Living Eternal Word. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). The glory of Jesus was manifested thru His Words and His miracles (Jn 2:11). God’s glory was veiled by His human body. Occasionally, the glory was revealed. On the Mount of Transfiguration. The Glory revealed on Jesus is different than the way it was revealed on Moses. Moses’ shining face was reflected faded glory. But Jesus’ Glory emanates from His Person. It’s His own original personal divine glory. The Transfiguration was a glimpse in the eternal glory of Jesus Christ as God! When Jesus will come back again, His glory will be seen in full display. “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matt 16:27).

CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY!

“God [in His eternal plan] chose to make known to them how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you, the hope and guarantee of [realizing the] glory” (Col 1:27; AMP).

Our salvation is strictly by God’s Grace. God is sovereign in His choice of the elect. This doctrine is rejected by many Christians, but it is biblical. The truth is that no sinner is worthy of heaven. God alone calls and God alone justifies. God the Father has designed the plan of salvation from eternity. At the fulness of time, God sent His Son, to become a Man, to die for sinners. In the Old Testament, God revealed His will to Isreal. After the Cross, the Holy Spirit reveals that salvation is now extended to all people who believe in Jesus, Gentiles included. God promised Abraham that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3). This mystery is glorious. Hidden for ages, it is now revealed to the saints (Eph 3:6). The Jews were offended that Jesus included the Gentiles in the plan of salvation. But they could not stop the rising tide of truth and freedom!

There are two aspects of this mystery: 1-It is very rich. Its wealth is beyond man’s capacity to measure. 2-It is glorious, spiritual, heavenly. The Bible reveals that all the elect, both Jew and Gentile are saved by faith in Christ. This revelation brings men to their knees in worship. That is the only proper response to it. This mystery is revealed to be in one Person. That Person is Jesus Christ who lives not only in heaven, but in the hearts of all believers. Christianity is not just religion, but a new way of life and love. Christ in the center of the personality works from inside out. This secret power, hidden in the soul, makes the Christian invincible to evil forces. The believer’s faith, love and living hope of heaven works powerfully during trials on earth. Lesson: Christ dwelling in your heart gives you the power to change, to become more like Jesus. This is an intimate relationship none can destroy. Christ dwelling in the heart gives the believer assurance of his salvation. He has this confidence that if he dies, he will go to heaven and worship Christ forever. Glory to God!

HOW DO WE GIVE GLORY TO GOD?

We are born to know and glorify God forever. It is man’s purpose in life. “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1Cor 10:31). To eat and to drink are normal activities in life. But we reject any food or drink offered to idols. In all we do, we must remember God. Faith in God must be the center of every activity. In Greek, the word ‘glory’ is ‘doxa’. It means to honor, praise and worship God. Believers live such lives that people always see Christ in us. Our lives should make no sense outside Christ. The world hates Christ. They will hate us too. But some unbelievers, will come closer to see the secret of our love, calmness, wisdom and power, coming from Christ dwelling in us. In this world, we are the only people Christ can use to reveal His glory, the only Bibles people may read. To represent God is a great responsibility!

We cannot add to God’s glory, but we can testify to our hope of glory! “You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (1Pet 3:15; NLT).

Practically, we give glory to God by believing and boasting in Jesus Christ, by taking our Cross to follow Jesus, by dying to self so that the Spirit becomes fruitful in us. We give glory to God by preaching and living God’s Word! We give God the glory by praising God’s Grace in His salvation. He chose us before the foundation of the world to be accepted in His Beloved, Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3-6).  We give glory to God by confessing our sins and by repentance. “Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me” (Josh 7:19).

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:23,24). Sin is the enemy of glory. All have sinned means that all humanity is born into sin. The word ‘sin’ means ‘to miss the mark’. It is like an archer whose arrow misses the target. Sin has stained the garments of glory that covered us. Spiritually, it means to fall bellow God’s standard of moral law. ‘To fall short’ shows continuous action. It is a process. We have sinned in the past and we continue to sin in the present. We see the need for ongoing grace in the process of sanctification. The glory of God shows the divine standard of perfection and holiness. We see the eternal gap between sin and glory. The Blood of Jesus on the Cross, has destroyed sin and death and has restored the glory of God back to man. Salvation is by Grace, through faith. The goal of salvation is to share in God’s glory in heaven! Praise God!

I AM GLORIFIED IN THEM!

In His high priestly prayer, Jesus said: “I am glorified in them” (Jn 17:10). “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (Jn 17:24).

The Son of God came to earth to give glory to God the Father. God the Father also glorifies God the Son. “Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You” (Jn 17:1). “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (Jn 17:4,5). The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son of God! Jesus said: The Holy Spirit “will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:14).

Thru the Holy Spirit the believers give glory to Jesus. God the Son gives His glory to the believers. His Glory unites them perfectly. His Glory proves to them that He loves them. Glory connects with Agape Love. This is one of the greatest revelations in the Bible. Because Christ dwells in our hearts in His glory we now enter the family of the Trinity. Thru Christ, we can give glory to God the Father. The problem with many believers is that they have doubts about their identity, and responsibility as ambassadors of Christ. But this is the truth: Christ sends us into the world to glorify Him among people. May our lights shine brighter for Jesus! May we boast of Jesus! Worship the Lord!

HINDRANCES TO THE ACCESS TO STAND

Justification is a once and for all act. From the moment God declares us righteous, He sees us like we have never sinned. As sinners, we were under the Law. God saw us as rebels and enemies. But now, we have changed kingdoms and kings. In the past, we were outside Grace. Now, we are inside Grace. King Grace has given us “access by faith in which we stand” before God. The word ‘access’ is defined as the liberty, the key, permission or ability to enter, and approach someone and the right to see him often. In Greek, the word ‘access’ means admission, an introduction, the right to approach someone. It describes the coming of the believer to the throne of God. This act is done by faith. Try to imagine this holy act: Newly justified by faith, The Lord Jesus Christ takes you by the hand, and brings you before God the Father, who sits on the throne. You remember Him as the Great Judge of the universe, who was angry with you because of your sins. Now, you discover that the same Judge is your Father. Jesus introduces you to God as His younger brother, sister, or as His future Bride. This is a form of official introduction to God. This access is your spiritual personal space of authority, peace, joy and freedom before God. We access that space only by faith in the Blood of Jesus. No unbeliever has access. To be invited to see God is the highest privilege known to man.

DOING GOOD AND PRAYER IN GOD’S PRESENCE (Matt 6:1-13). 

Our Lord is teaching His disciples how to live a righteous life. His lessons here apply to doing good deeds, prayer and fasting. But the principle is universal. Prayer, praising God, and doing good deeds are done because you have access to God. But there is a danger! Jesus exposes the power of sin, which can corrupt the heart, even after we become saved. Pride is sin. It manifests as a desire to be seen, honored and worshipped as a Christian. These words are not only to criticize the Pharisees. These are words from the great Sermon of the Mount preached by our Lord. The Christian life is not easy. There are many dangers and warnings that we must heed. The devil attacks the mind with lies, fears, doubts, and especially pride. To successfully live as a Christian is a great achievement highly rewarded by God.

The main scripture is this: “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matt 6:1). The first thing we see here is that the Christian lives his life in the presence of God. He is always conscious of that. He truly desires to please God, not himself or others. The purpose of doing good deeds is to obey God’s Word and to be like Jesus. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Ac 10:38).  The danger is that you may do good deeds, you are seen as a good person, but in your heart, you want to please people. By receiving praise from men, you reject the praise from God. The Pharisees “loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (Jn 12:43). They don’t care about hearing these words from Jesus: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matt 25:23). All they want is that men on earth compliment them for their religion, beauty, wealth, or achievements.

What is the sin? It is the desire to take the glory, to be admired by men because we are religious, generous, help people, attend a local church, we fast, pray and praise God. Jesus warns us to be careful about this sinful tendency of pride in our hearts. This desire for fame comes from selfish ambition. Its deep root is pride. To live a life pleasing to God, you need divine wisdom. As a Christian, you are ‘a city on a hill that cannot be hidden’ (Matt 5:14). You can’t avoid becoming visible. But actively seeking visibility, honor and promotion, that is a sin. At the same time, you cannot live like a monk. You can’t totally hide your life to avoid men seeing you. These words reveal the danger or pride and hypocrisy even for us who are Christians and have access into God’s presence. Even when we go into the presence of God to pray, we expect men to worship us because we are prayerful! We allow the devil to follow us in the presence of God! That is a great sin! God will judge it! This is a warning! Watch yourself very carefully! Jesus wants us to search our hearts and not just to do good religious things. Our motives in serving God must be right. We should not seek the approval or the admiration of men. We should desire to be holy as God is holy, pleasing God alone! Accepting praise from men blocks your reward in heaven. This is a reminder that in everything we do, we should never forget God and heaven. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt 5:8). “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). Purity, Peace and Holiness in the heart, are the passwords to enjoy access into God’s presence! Hallelujah!  

Jesus spoke about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18:9-14). Both were Jewish, religious men. Both men went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stood proudly. His prayer focused on himself, on his achievements. He was praising himself in God’s house! The Tax Collector stood “afar off”. He did not see himself worthy of God’s attention. Broken in repentance, he only asked for mercy. Jesus saw into their hearts. Jesus said that the Tax collector had faith in Christ crucified. He went home Justified by faith. He humbled himself at the Cross and God ‘exalted’ him, by justifying him, by granting him salvation and access to God! The proud Pharisee lost a great opportunity to humble himself and to give his life to Christ. This is a great lesson: sin is internal. Sin is more than not doing fornication, for example. Sin is a state of the heart, the attitude we have to God. The most important lesson is that sin dwelling in our hearts can follow us everywhere, even into the presence of God!!! Here we see the dangerous and deceitful power of sin. The second lesson is a reminder that all sinners need to be born again! There is no other way to access God’s presence except thru faith in Christ crucified and resurrected. After becoming born again, we must press on thru the process of sanctification, to die to sin and to the world, taking our cross daily, following Jesus! Hallelujah!  

What can you do then? Stay humble! “Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time” (1Pet 5:6; AMP). Be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Do not advertise your good deeds. Do not attract attention to yourself. If attention comes, stay calm, stay humble! Remember to always acknowledge God for every drop of success you experience. Your life should direct people to Jesus, and never to yourself or to other men. God openly rewards this attitude of humility and faithfulness! Kneeling before God, in worship and prayer, is the highest privilege given to man. Prayer is a holy work. Christ shed His Blood on the Cross to give us this access to God’s presence. We enter being conscious that God sees us and His ears are open to us in a special way. We enter the closet, we shut the door. We respect God’s presence. We forget the world, the people, both friends and enemies. In a way, we forget even ourselves. In God’s presence, the only thing that matters is God. Any remembrance of other things is a distraction and disrespect to the King upon His throne. We do not pray like the pagans, repeating many words. We speak simply, from the heart, to God who already knows all our needs. If you pray well, you will live well. Remain in an attitude of worship. God’s will is better than yours. You are an ambassador of Christ! His Kingdom is where you live now. Pray for its expansion on earth. Lastly, make sure that you give God all the glory! You do not become over-familiar with God, but more familiar with your place of standing before God. Your prayer life and your praise life become established. You are now a mature Christian. God will reward you openly!

SPIRITUAL BLOCKAGE TO ACCESS GOD  

The access to God is thru the door of faith in Christ crucified for your sins. Thieves try to access God by false doors. They can never enter. Jesus said: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:9,10).

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in” (Matt 23:13). Our Lord cursed the religious hypocrites. These words coming from the mouth of Him who loves us forever, are fearful. One reason why Jesus cursed the Pharisees is that they blocked the door of faith to God’s presence. These proud religious people blocked the access to Jesus by their very bodies. They refused to enter and block other seekers. They are ready to commit spiritual suicide to block other peoples’ access to God. This is wickedness in high places!

This is a reminder that the devil also attends church! What is the devil’s purpose in going to church? He tries to disrupt the service. First, the devil tries to hinder the believers from worshipping God or to listen to God’s Word. He tries to make them proud during the service. Secondly, he blinds the eyes of the unbelievers who are seeking God. He makes them sleepy, tired, distracted, or sick, so that they leave the service. About half of people who attend church go home untouched by God. Ignorance of the devil helps the devil. You must do spiritual warfare! The devil attacks your mind with lies and deception. He succeeded planting doubt in the mind of Adam and Eve when he asked them: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen 3:1). The devil wants to damage your faith. Without faith, you cannot enter the access God has provided. The devil wants you to doubt God’s Word, God’s plans for your life, God’s Wisdom, and God’s Love for you. Once you doubt God’s character, you are already falling. Never forget: The devil is a thief and a liar. But “God cannot lie!” (Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18). When in doubt, run to the Cross! See Christ crucified for you! Stand strong in faith! Reject the devil! He will flee from you! Amen!

THE SIN OF LAWLESSNESS

Lawlessness is rebellion against authority. It is illegal behavior not controlled by any law. It is a behavior that shows indifference or defiance to the law. The purpose of the law is to regulate human behavior. Lawlessness in a country is a state of disorder, usually resulting from a failure of government. Anarchy is a form of society without rulers. The climate of lawlessness is one of violence and confusion. Without faith in God or fear of God, there is chaos. ‘Even the worst form of tyranny was preferable to anarchy’ (John Calvin). The root of lawlessness is lack of discipline and terrible greed. High levels of poverty can lead to desperation. Men commit crimes to survive. When man becomes selfishly ambitious and greedy, wants to be rich at all costs, he places his desires above the law. His life is more important than any law.

The lawless person takes pleasure in breaking the law. With time, he breaks more laws. Lawlessness is a demon; it is sin, and it is addictive. Jesus died to expose and defeat the devil, who is the father of all sins and lies. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1Jn 3:4-8). It is only thru faith in Jesus that lawlessness can be defeated.

According to the Bible, Lawlessness increases in the last days. From what we see in social media, the world is getting worse. There is more wickedness. The number of criminal cases, divorces, and violence is on the rise. Lawlessness damages relationships and families. It destroys every good thing among men. It especially damages Love! Jesus warned us about the future, saying: “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt 24:10-14). Agape Love is not just a feeling. It is God’s Law. Loving God and others is a Command! “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12).

“Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2Thess 2:5-12). The Holy Spirit restrains the devil so that sin is still limited. The demon of Lawlessness cannot enter where God’s children pray. The agents of the devil use seducing spirits to deceive many. Our protection is total faith in Jesus, in God’s Word. We must love the Truth in the Bible. We must be humble. We submit to God. We are confident that Jesus can never lose any battle. He will finally destroy the lawless one, the devil, with the breath of His mouth and by His glory revealed!

Righteousness is the opposite of lawlessness. It means being right, doing right, being lawful, living a godly and moral life as a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Godly, moral and righteous people seek God. They will cry out for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness to come!  Redemption and godliness are available NOW through faith in Jesus and obedience to God’s Word.  Our society needs people like Jesus now more than ever. The lawlessness we experience is the result of men’s rejection of God and His Word.  Are you LAWLESS or are you LAW ABIDING. Is Jesus seen in you thru your words and deeds? We must all give an account to Him for how we live in this world!

THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST – ROMANCE SCAMMERS – FAKE LOVERS (YAHOO BOYS)

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (2Jn 1:9-11).

Deception is one of the sins that is practiced often but rarely tolerated; the lowest of the low, in society, are liars and thieves. Deception is the worst form of lying because the deceiver knowingly misleads the victim to believe that a lie is true. Deception is dangerous and has been the cause of death for many who have been victims of deception. The Bible warns us against deception. Deceivers use sweet words. “This I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words” (Col 2:4). Persuasive words are forceful, convincing, and partially truthful. They are like poison coated with sugar. Jesus said: “And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matt 24:4,5). Anxiety, fear of death, weakens the mind to be deceived. Peace of mind protects the mind against deception. “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep your eyes on those who cause dissensions and create obstacles or introduce temptations [for others] to commit sin, [acting in ways] contrary to the doctrine which you have learned. Turn away from them. For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites and base desires. By smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting [the innocent and the naive]” (Rom 16:17,18; AMP). 

A romantic scammer is a fake lover. He is a deceiver who attacks the victim’s bank account through her heart. Most of these relationships happen through the internet but sometimes they happen in person. Scamming in on the rise all over the world. In 2020, there was a loss of $304 million dollars from romance scams. The victims are mostly lonely wealthy women, widowed or divorces. The scammer uses a method called ‘catfishing’. He makes a false profile with false pictures, pretending to be someone else. His profile is made to match the female’s desires. If she loves fashion, he says he loves fashion too. The scammer attacks with sweet words. It is called ‘love bombing’. He writes long passionate love letters saying that he wants to marry her. This process is called ‘grooming’. The scammer and victim exchange love letters, pictures, and dreams of their future. This is to create an emotional connection and trust so that the victim becomes needy for love. Once this stage is set, the scammer starts to ask for money. He brings different excuses like sickness, having an accident etc. Initially the amounts are small but with time, the victim gives more money. The scammer can also ‘blackmail’ the victim. He threatens to be violent to the victim or her family. He also threatens to release her personal information to the media. These threats intimidate the victim to send more money. Be careful! These are signs of romance scam: the scammer flatters you!!! He is in a hurry to declare his love! “A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet” (PV 29:5). Be careful with sweet talking but impatient lovers!!!

Who are the victims? They have a romantic idea of marriage. They don’t care about the price they have to pay to hear romantic words. They imagine that they are actors in a movie. The people who know how hard it is to build a genuine relationship are not deceived. These women are lonely or have an inferiority complex. They have tried to marry, and failed, They are now disappointed in relationships. These can easily become victims to those who flatter them romantically. Once the spell is broken, and truth is revealed, the effect on the victim is massive. She has not only lost money, but all self-respect. She feels guilty and deeply ashamed. She totally loses trust in God and men! This is God’s warning to the scammers: “Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, But he who gathers gradually by [honest] labor will increase [his riches]” (PV 13:11; AMP). Selah!

Nigeria is reported to have the highest number of online romance fraudsters in Africa and ranks third in the world. I read that Nigeria was responsible for 1129 romance scams in 2021, amounting to the sum of £12.1 million, totaling an average of 22-million-naira loss per victim. These attackers are called ‘yahoo boys.’ They pretend to be wealthy handsome Europeans who want to marry women abroad. These young men even use ‘native doctors’ to make charms for them to succeed. They are ruthless. They don’t care for their victims’ feelings, who enter depression, and even commit suicide once they discovered that they have been deceived. Poverty, lack of genuine jobs, few role models, wealth display, and social acceptance are some reasons who the Yahoo Boys continue to scam. For them, this is their job. They don’t even hide. Many are celebrities and women want to marry them. Some say that taking money from the white people, is vengeance against slavery. But no matter what they say, scamming is a crime, a demon and sin. God hates sin. Their wealth will not benefit them in the end! We pray for revival in Nigeria. May the fear of God cover this land! May these men repent and surrender their lives to Christ! Amen!

(Jn 7:53; 8:1-12)

This event happened at the end of 7 days of the feast of Tabernacles. Jesus has just declared Himself to be the Messiah, the Fountain of Living Water (Jn 7:37,38). The feast for that year was now over. Everyone was tired. The people that came from all over Isreal, went away. “And everyone went to his own house. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives”. As all the people in Jerusalem went to their homes to rest, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. The King of kings had no house of His own. He possibly went to the house of Martha and Mary, at Bethany, the village at the foot of Mount of Olives. Or He went to rest in the open air in the cool of the night, on Mount of Olives. This shows the wonderful humility of Jesus. The next morning Jesus was back to Jerusalem. He came quietly without any advertisement. He went back to the temple. People came to listen to Him. Why did He teach these people? He knew that they didn’t understand what He was saying. He knew that soon they would shout: Crucify Him! Why did He teach these sinners for hours? Because He loved them! What Humility! What Grace! What Love! Lesson: Love is the greatest teacher! Ministry has no vacation! Trust God for added Grace!

Suddenly, the open-air classroom is disturbed by loud noises. The Pharisees brought to Him a screaming woman. They accused her of being ‘caught in adultery; in the very act’, they claim. The truth is that these religious rulers are trying to trap Jesus in something He may say. If they can catch Him saying something wrong, His reputation among the people will be ruined. These men are religious hypocrites and faultfinders. The people do not know that. But Jesus always knows what is in man. There were two options: If Jesus agrees with their verdict, that the woman has committed adultery, according to the Law of Moses she must be stoned to death. Then Jesus is not as merciful and loving as He claims to be. If Jesus does not agree to stone her to death, it proves that He is not a true teacher of the Law because He does not obey the Law. Therefore, He is not the Messiah. Their evil minds planned that whatever Jesus says will be against Him. Even in the Old Testament, the death penalty was rare. Adultery, breaking the Sabath, continuous disobedience to the parents, and blasphemy, were crimes punishable by death. But if death was applied in each case, no Jew would be alive, because they were all guilty of breaking the law.

These Pharisees ignored the law too. If the woman is found guilty of adultery, and must be stoned to death, that act cannot be done immediately in the temple courts. There were conditions. The adulteress, her husband, and the man who committed adultery with her, must stand before the Religious tribunal. If her husband shows her mercy, and forgives her, she is free. If her husband does not forgive her, she is guilty. In that case, the unmerciful husband must be the first to throw a stone at her. The witnesses who saw the act of adultery must be at least two or three. They too have the option to show mercy and to forgive the woman. God is a merciful God. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Ps 103:8). But if the witnesses refused to forgive, they would be the first to stone her. They could not just stand by and watch. Even the people in the crowd must join them in the stoning. No passive spectators were allowed during judgment. If later, the witnesses proved to be liars, they could be stoned to death. In the Old Testament, mercy was almost always applied in the cases of death penalty. In this case, there is no mention of a husband, or the man involved in the act of adultery. They only bought the woman. But the accusation was not fair. These are the three options: the woman has committed adultery, the woman was raped, or the woman was innocent and falsely accused. Whatever the situation, this woman is not receiving a fair trial according to the Law. The Pharisees did not present all the facts. The people around did not know the truth. Only Jesus knew exactly what the truth was.

The response of Jesus teaches us a powerful lesson of Justice, Mercy and Love. As the accusers were shouting, Jesus stooped down and wrote something on the ground. Please observe that Jesus did not answer immediately. His silence was loud!!! Nobody knows what He wrote. But one thing is sure, the same finger that wrote the Ten Commandments was writing on the dust, on the stony courtyard in the Temple. He who wrote the Law is the Best Interpreter of the Law. We read that two times “Jesus stooped down” (Jn 8:6,8). In Greek, the words ‘stoop down’ mean to bend forward and bowing the head. This is a picture of the Cross. “So, when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (Jn 19:30). No Jew would bow down in the presence of a woman, especially a sinful woman. But Jesus did that. You see the extraordinary humility of Jesus and the display of His Love on the Cross. As Christ crucified, who died for this woman, He freely justified her. At the same time, the Cross condemns unrepentant sinners. The accusers are now condemned of sin. This is the power of the Cross! What an amazing love!

Please observe: Jesus does not accuse the woman. He does not even ask her questions or tell her to defend herself. The Pharisees pressed Jesus for an answer. They were sure of winning their wicked game of fault finding. Suddenly, Jesus stood and said these powerful words: “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first!” Jesus is exposing the wickedness and hypocrisy of the Pharisees. What He meant was this: ‘If you are witnesses of this sinful act, and you are sure that you are totally innocent, then be the first to cast the stone at her.’ Jesus exposed the evil minds of these religious men. They don’t care if the woman lives or dies. All they wanted is to trap Jesus in what He would say. But none was innocent. All were guilty of the sin. Shocked that Jesus knew their hearts, one by one, the men are leaving. No one is willing to cast a stone at the woman. The crowd leaves too. The confusion is over. The place is now quiet.

The woman is still trembling waiting for the judgment. She is alone with her Savior, who alone is without sin. Jesus is the only One who has the right to throw the stone at her because He is innocent of sin. But He does not throw the stone. He exercises mercy. This is Love! When we read the story, we assume that what the Pharisees said is true. We generally call this ‘the story of the woman caught in adultery’. But please observe that Jesus does not accuse the woman of adultery. He alone knows the truth about this woman. What if is she was raped?  He only says: “go and sin no more”. This is the moment when the woman was justified by Grace. She became born-again! She had faith that Jesus is her Savior and her Lord! “Go and sin no more!” But this command applies not only to the woman. Jesus could have said these words to any one of us. This is the Light of the World speaking love, shining mercy!

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Col 2:13-15). This story reveals clearly how Jesus took away the accusation against the woman and nailed it on His Cross. He disarmed and disgraced her wicked accusers. Praise the Lord!

Let us examine ourselves… Sometime, we are like the Pharisees, too quick to accuse people. Other times we are like the crowd, interested in free entertainment at the expense of another’s pain. Or we can be like the woman, lonely, afraid, unfairly accused and in desperate need of Love. Jesus is our best example. He who alone was without sin and had the right to stone the sinner, choose to show Mercy and Love. We should do the same. Listen to Our Lord: “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. 37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven!” (Lk 6:36,37). Instead of gossiping, let us encourage others. Instead of slander, pray for one another. Instead of oppression, help another. These are fruits of Love none can deny! These same Pharisees continue to accuse Jesus. They finally succeeded in crucifying the Savior. The Father in heaven did not show mercy to His Son hanging on the Cross. Christ died on our behalf. Only “Love is as strong as death” (SS 8:6). Love always has the last word.

Why is so important to believe that God Loves you forever? God’s gracious love is the basis of our relationship with Him, in Christ. If you are not sure of God’s love for you, then you will have no peace, no joy, no assurance of going to heaven. You will always try to impress God by your good deeds. You cannot relax in His Love. True Christian life is a life of peace, joy, hope and strength. When you come to God, you will discover that He loves you always. He is not like a judge or like a police man who always looks for your trouble. God smiles on His children. You discover that God loves you, teaches you, disciplines you, embraces you, carries you on His shoulders until you go to heaven!

Finally, you may be rich or poor, educated or illiterate, you may be white, black or brown, a slave or a master, you may be young, old, or at the point of death, all this does not matter. Only one thing matters: you cannot save yourself! You cannot go to heaven by your own wisdom or power. Give your life to Christ! You must be born again! You must be born again! You must be born again! Worship the Lord!

“Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Heb 2:1-4).

This is a reminder that we have an enemy who hates us. The devil wants you to be ignorant of God’s love for you! The real danger is that if we neglect so great a salvation, we will drift away from our first love. To Give heed it means to pay closer attention, to be cautious about, to be on guard, to beware of danger ahead, careful not to take unnecessary risks. It also means to listen and to follow!!! The command applies to the ears and to the feet. If we do not listen to God’s Word and ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit, we become spiritually lazy, or passive. From that position of weakness, the strong currents of the powers of darkness will carry us away from Christ’s love. It is like falling asleep in a boat that is not tied down to the shore. The river will eventually carry the boat away by its gentle currents. By the time we wake up, we see that we are in a different area we never planned to go before. The gentle river has now become fast and rough, and we wake up in a strange place of danger. To neglect it means to be careless, to fail to give attention or to respect the things that are your responsibility to keep and protect. Neglect is worse than ignoring. You can ignore to clean your house. That is not sinful. But child neglect is sinful. For a doctor to neglect his patients, that is criminal. To neglect God’s Word is like holding a treasure in your hand, but your fingers are not tight on it. The gold falls from your hand, and you are not aware that you have lost it. It means that you failed to value the revelation of God’s Word that you have received in the past! Because of your negligence, you are now becoming poorer. Neglecting the supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit is a sign of drifting from your first love! Selah!

These are some of the common situations that can lead to the sin of neglect of God’s Word. These are like strong currents of a river:

*The anxiety of life, the cares of this world. They prevent God’s Word from taking roots and producing fruits in your spirit. “The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mk 4:19). These produce weakness of the mind and of the body. You become spiritually weak and discouraged. As our Lord was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, drops of blood falling from His brow. But the disciples became so grieved that they fell asleep. “Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:40,41). Medical science has proven that the brain shuts down during times of great stress. To watch and to pray takes a lot of energy. This spiritual warfare is done only by the power of the Holy Spirit. But if you ignore watching and praying, you will fall asleep spiritually and you will drift away from the safety of truth. Selah!

*Pleasures of life. It’s easy to forget God and His Love when you seek only for pleasures. To always look for fun is the world’s mentality. “The heart of the wise [learns when it] is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is [senseless] in the house of pleasure” (Ecc 7:4; AMP).  Seeking the pleasures of life can become an idol. “Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play” (1Cor 10:7). Seek God and His Kingdom! Let God chose what pleasures and the level of pleasures you may have in this life. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt 6:33).

*Overfamiliarity with God and the Bible. To be overfamiliar with someone means to be extremely close, or intimate. You feel that you know that person too well. You have seen him and heard him so many times that the person now becomes boring to you. Other similar words with overfamiliarity are ‘being bold, forward, presumptuous, or disrespectful’. To be overfamiliar with God is always a sin. Its root is pride and Presumption. Presumption means to take someone for granted, to jump to conclusions without knowing the whole truth. It means to disrespect. God punishes it. “The prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die” (Deut 18:20). It is true that we are one with Christ. But we must still fear God! No one knows God totally. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable” (Ps 145:3). Whatever we know about God is what God has revealed to us, in Christ, by the Holy Spirit. That is all! Love always honors the Lover!

*Getting older. As we grow older, we change. The body gets weaker. The mind starts forgetting things. People close to us die. We become lonely. The strength we had as young people is replaced by a gradual weakness of body and mind. The zeal to study God’s Word, to pray or to serve God is less. We feel we know everything, and we don’t need to learn new things. To love others requires too much sacrifice. We give up on ourselves. Reading the Bible, praying, attending church services becomes routine and boring. “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore” (Ecc 12:1;NLT). Old men may experience apathy, a lack of mental energy, emotion, passion, or excitement. To some old people, Love becomes burdensome. This apathy may lead to depression and to drifting away from the truth. The cure is to come back to your First Love!!!