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!!!

Jesus commands the believers to love even the enemies. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt 5:43-48).

These are the eternal words of our King. Jesus makes a clear difference between the way the Pharisees understood the law and the way the Law of God must be interpreted. The religious leaders said: “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy”. First, we must say that there is no place in the Old Testament where you find these exact words. The Pharisees invented that law. Possibly, they were inspired to say this because in the Old Testament, God commanded His people to kill the Canaanites and take over the Promised Land (Deut 20:16-18). Why did God say that? God is the owner of the whole world. He gave the Canaanites 400 years to repent of their sins. He told Abraham that the sins of the Amorites are not yet complete; their cup of wickedness is not yet full (Gen 15:13-16). God could have killed them with a plague. But God chose Isreal to kill the Canaanites and to take over their land.

Some of the Psalms have strong words to curse Isreal’s enemies. These are called ‘imprecatory’ Psalms. For example, read what David prayed to God about his enemies: “Let their table become a snare before them, and their well-being a trap. 23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; And make their loins shake continually. 24 Pour out Your indignation upon them, and let Your wrathful anger take hold of them. 25 Let their dwelling place be desolate; Let no one live in their tents” (Ps 69:22-25). Reading these words, you can imagine why the Pharisees said that they should hate their enemies. But if you read these psalms, David prayed to God not because he was wicked, or because of selfish ambition, but he asked God to vindicate him when his enemies wanted to kill him. David refused to kill King Saul even when Saul was in his power. This psalm is not an invitation to personal hatred against human enemies. It is the appeal of an oppressed person that God should help him. David trusts God for justice and vindication. He wants the glory of God to be revealed in his life! Amen!

In the Book of Matthew, chapter 23, our Lord speaks curses upon the religious leaders, the hypocrites. Reading those lines is painful. The word ‘woe’ is a curse word, mixed with grief and sadness. The religious leaders did not know God. They mispresented God. They were proud and wicked. They led the people astray. Here we clearly see that God (Jesus) cares for the people, that they should know God. There is a greater condemnation upon the religious leaders and teachers of God’s Word who are considered shepherds to God’s flock! These are the very people who plotted the arrest and the death of the Son of God! Selah!

The Pharisees said that a Jew should love and help only another Jew. Every other person should be considered an enemy to be hated and even killed. The Jews hated all the Gentiles and called them ‘dogs’. The problem with their interpretation is that they did not understand the purpose of God’s Law. God commanded that the Canaanites should be killed as an act of divine justice. It was not because of personal hatred against them as individuals. But the Pharisees used God’s divine justice to apply it to their personal relationships with people. Any man they did not like, even if that man was a neighbor, they hated him. They justified their hatred, lack of love and wickedness by saying that it is God’s Law. Hatred of people is always wrong. You can hate the devil, sin and evil in evil men. But you should not hate people!!!

How can a Christian replace the sinful selfish hatred in his heart with the Love of God? Jesus commanded us to do three things: Bless, do good and pray for others! He commanded us to “bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you”. You replace hatred with loving words. Love has a language. You bless people with your words. Saying to someone: “God bless you!” even when you don’t feel like it, is a powerful manifestation of Agape Love. Love is never rude. Love never curses a human being. Another way to show Love to others is by doing good to them. Righteousness means ‘be good and do good’ for Christ’ sake. You do good by greeting, shaking hands, hugging, helping others, and by giving gifts without waiting for appreciation from men. Doing good is a great form of evangelism. Many sinners came to Christ because Christians chose to help them especially in their time of need. Doing good never fails. Please examine your motives: You don’t do good because you want to convert the person. You don’t do good because you are religious, but because love is your nature as a child of God and a citizen of God’s Kingdom. You trust God to bless your ministry and life. No matter what people say to you, God blesses righteous deeds. Finally, choose to pray for people, even for those you dislike and persecute you. Prayer is a responsibility and a mighty blessing. The greatest example of prayer for the wicked was heard on the Cross. Jesus said: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Lk 23:34). When Steven was dying as a martyr, he prayed for the men who were stoning him. “Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Ac 7:60). This is Agape Love praying! May prayer and worship never cease from our lips! Amen!

There is a great difference between loving and liking a person. To like someone is more natural. There are attitudes you observe in a person that connects with you. Love is different. Love is spiritual. You love because God loves you. You extend Love to others, even to the unlovely, because God loves you and He has saved your soul. Like is instant. It is effortless. Love is deep. It takes time and effort to develop. You may have to go to battle to win and protect love. When you like someone, you must agree with that one. His negative ideas may provoke you. But you can love someone unconditionally, even when you don’t totally agree with him. To like someone, you must stay close to that one. Love endures even if the person is far away. The closer you get to someone, the less you may like the person. But love, increases as you get closer to that person. You like only friends. You love both friends and enemies!

Please note: Only Agape love can love even the enemies. Why? This is because if you love someone, you see him thru the eyes of Christ. You see him the way God sees him. You know that he is a victim of the devil, and he is blind to God’s way of salvation. If Agape Love is in your heart, you can help another even if you dislike him. How do you do that? Treat another person like you like him, even if you don’t. Don’t complain again about your enemies. If you don’t have enemies, how can you love your enemies? The Law of Love is stronger than the law of sin, hatred and death. There is always grace available to treat others with kindness and love. They may not deserve kindness, but kindness is your attitude to all. You don’t pay evil with evil. You don’t react with evil when you are provoked. That is the way of the world. You don’t react. You chose to act. With wisdom, peace, love and respect.

Why do we need to behave well, to show love and kindness to all? It’s a visible proof that God is your father, and that you are a citizen of His Kingdom. God sends rain and sunshine to all men. It is not only the Christian farmer that enjoys rain on his field. That rain goes to the wicked too. We must treat others with respect, kindness and love because we are God’s children, Christ’ ambassadors and citizens of His Kingdom. Love is the atmosphere of the Kingdom of God. As God never fails, as love never fails, so the Christians who walk in love will never fail to fulfill God’s purposes for their lives. This love is the engine of revival in the church and outside the church! May God help us!