Meditations of a New Creature...

Do you? Have you?

2008-01-09T14:55:00.000+01:00

16. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

Matthew 28:16,17

The very first time I read this verse, I was filled with righteous indignation. How could they? How could anyone think of... oh, I shudder to repeat it...

They had been His disciples. They had heard Him teach the multitudes and watched Him heal the sick. They had listened to Him tell them over and over again that He would be killed and then be ressurected. And they has seen Him killed, and had heard angels announce His Ressurection. And when they saw the Man Who had conquered death, some doubted...

And then I paused to think. Do I always choose to believe, every time an opportunity to believe comes my way? Have I always held on to His Word as true, ignoring all contrary circumstances?

Do you? Have you?

Jyde January 9, 2008

The Certainty of These Things...

2008-01-08T10:55:00.000+01:00

It seemed good to me also, ..., to write unto thee ..., That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

Luke 1:3,4

We live in a world where we're constantly exposed to various challenges, temptations and distractions which cause us to doubt the truth of the Word. Opinions from friends and family, books, magazines, popular music - they all band together to encourage us to wonder if God's Word really is so... That's why He reminds us that this is a Book of facts. Not of fantasies or fiction, not of tales or theories... "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness..." "We know that we have passed from death unto life..." "We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding..." "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not..." "We know that we have the petitions that we desired of him..." "We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him..." "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God..." WE KNOW FOR SURE! Jyde 8 January, 2008

Of Dogs and Lions, and Senators and Emperors, and Thieves and Orators, and ...

2007-10-23T12:35:00.000+01:00

A living dog is better than a dead lion.

Ecclesiastes 9:4

Life is a precious thing, and in its humblest form it is superior to death. This truth is eminently certain in spiritual things. It is better to be the least in the kingdom of heaven than the greatest out of it. The lowest degree of grace is superior to the noblest development of unregenerate nature. Where the Holy Ghost implants divine life in the soul, there is a precious deposit which none of the refinements of education can equal. The thief on the cross excels Caesar on his throne; Lazarus among the dogs is better than Cicero among the senators; and the most unlettered Christian is in the sight of God superior to Plato. Life is the badge of nobility in the realm of spiritual things, and men without it are only coarser or finer specimens of the same lifeless material, needing to be quickened, for they are dead in trespasses and sins. A living, loving, gospel sermon, however unlearned in matter and uncouth in style, is better than the finest discourse devoid of unction and power. A living dog keeps better watch than a dead lion, and is of more service to his master; and so the poorest spiritual preacher is infinitely to be preferred to the exquisite orator who has no wisdom but that of words, no energy but that of sound. The like holds good of our prayers and other religious exercises; if we are quickened in them by the Holy Spirit, they are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, though we may think them to be worthless things; while our grand performances in which our hearts were absent, like dead lions, are mere carrion in the sight of the living God. O for living groans, living sighs, living despondencies, rather than lifeless songs and dead calms. Better anything than death. The snarlings of the dog of hell will at least keep us awake, but dead faith and dead profession, what greater curses can a man have? Quicken us, quicken us, O Lord! Jide Lawal October 6, 2004 I did not write the words above - would God that I would be so endowed! They are jewels in the treasury of the Church, penned by that prince among preachers known as Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

The Absence of God's Love

2007-02-19T15:43:00.000+01:00

God…Separated the Light from the Darkness."

Genesis 1:3 (NIV)

A university professor challenged his class: “Did God create everything?” A student replied, “Yes.” The professor continued: “If God created everything, then He created evil too. And since our works define who we are, then God is evil.” The class became silent. Suddenly another student raised his hand and asked, “Professor, does darkness exist?” The professor responded, “Yes.” The student replied, “No, sir, darkness does not exist. Darkness is just the absence of light. Light, we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton’s prism to break the white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. But you cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present.” Then the young man asked, “Sir, does evil exist?” Now uncertain, the professor responded, “Of course.” To this the student replied, “No, evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. It is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness, a word that man has created to describe the absence of light. God did not create evil. It is the result of what happens when man does not have God’s love present in his heart. Evil is like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light.” The professor sat down. The young man’s name was Albert Einstein. Bishop Edward Earl Jenkins February 17 2007

God and angels, and ... and ... and you!

2007-02-06T09:00:00.000+01:00

And YOU hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Ephesians 2:1

But now in Christ Jesus YE who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:13

Now therefore YE are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Ephesians 2:19

As far back as I can remember I've always been very interested in the Bible. I remember my first one, red with a hard cover, Revised Standard Version. And what a world of discovery it was! I realized that this was a Book of books that spoke of God and angels, of devils and demons, of kings and kingdoms, of wars and warriors, of prophets and prophecies, of Jews and gentiles, of psalms and proverbs, of apostles and epistles, of talking donkeys and parting seas, and a myriad of riddles, parables and chronicles... I enjoyed it as much as I later enjoyed novels, and found it rather interesting. But the day my attitude to the Bible changed was the day I discovered it was also a Book written about ME. I saw the verses quoted above and saw that they referred to me as surely as any letter addressed to me. I saw that my destiny and my destination in life and in eternity were tightly bound to the way in which I responded to the message of the Book and the invitation it contains. True, the Bible is a Book about the Trinity. But it is also a Book about you! And is this so surprising? You are God's child, planned for before the foundation of the world. He loved you and he knew you and He purposed for you to take your place in His will from eternity past. Beyond the transient nature of physical things is the reality of His love for you. Go through your Bible again, and take special note of the message contained in this Book. It contains a lot of information about you!

Jyde July 19, 2004 N.B. Here's an old article I'm posting here in honour of Funmi Oluyimika... Go girl! Bless your generation with all the ability of God in you...

The King's Companions

2006-08-21T18:38:00.000+01:00

... and Hushai the Archite was the king's companion:

1 Chronicles 27:33 (KJV)

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:9 (KJV)

God can be trusted, and he chose you to be partners with his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:9 (CEV)

We are not told what Hushai did to deserve this most noble title, "The King's Companion". The Old Testament is replete with tales of deeds of men who lived and died for David, those who were captains in his army and in his bodyguard, who risked their lives to indulge his whims and stood valiant in battle to slay his enemies, but there is not one mention of anything Hushai the Archite did to deserve David's friendship. This calls to mind the fact that the Father has called us to be companions to His Son. There are many honours God has bestowed upon the New Creature, but surely this is the greatest and the grandest of them all! Oh, He calls us no longer servants, ignorant and uninformed as to the intentions behind their Master's orders and actions, but He calls us friends. He tells us what He wants to do. He tells us why He wants to do them. Where others stumble in darkness, our Friend's Light shines upon us and within us and we see clearly. In all of creation, we are the only ones that share His Nature. We have His Spirit and we can commune with Him. No wonder the Apostle John, in a picturesque to describe this intimacy declared, "He is in us, and we are in Him." We are His Partners! Jyde

When the impossible dares you

2006-04-24T10:01:00.001+01:00

The only time you see the word ‘impossible’ in God’s dictionary is when it is used with respect to him changing his nature or engaging in sin e.g. Heb 6:18 says “it is impossible for God to lie”. When we use the word ‘impossible’, we refer to things that we believe are beyond our physical ability and mental capacity. However, we are supposed to see things like God sees them because Jesus has made God’s ability available to us. Has God ever provided $10 for you? Then he can also provide $100 million. It doesn’t cost God an extra strength to go an extra mile with you. The measure of power (if quantifiable) that heals headache heals AIDS. The same gospel that saves a soul can deliver a million lives. If you have ever trusted God for what you call “small” and you got it, you need the same quality of trust for what you label as “big”. God’s power respects no labels. This was the principle David used when Goliath dared the Israelites. He said “the Lord who saved me from the claws of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine" (I Sam 17:37). When the so called impossible things flashes at you, approach them with the same faith and attitude you used to approach what you called possible, because that is what it is in reality.

When the impossible dares you

2006-04-24T10:01:00.000+01:00

Shaping your life …

2006-03-01T16:34:00.000+01:00

The ground is not biased. It produces in multiple quantities any seed that is sown into it, be it thorns or apples. In like manner, you can determine your experiences by the thoughts you are processing daily. Science has helped us understand that when we speak normally, we do so at the rate of 120 words a minute. When we talk to ourselves, we do so at a rate of about 1300 words a minute. The bad news is that 70% or so of our self-talk normally is negative. You obey your voice more than any other voice. Everything within and without you have a way of working together to bring to past what you’ve voiced in your mind. Miracles are experienced when our voices tallies with God’s will/word. The woman diseased with the issue of blood in Matt. 9:21 “said to herself, if I can touch the hem of his garment, I’ll be made well”. Our lives are a reflection of what we are saying to ourselves. People may condemn you, but do you also condemn yourself? The most anointed of ministers may talk to you and pray for you, but what do you believe? Is it not amazing to see believers attend ‘prophetic services’ and by the next day they say “things never get well with me”. Even when angel Gabriel gave Mary the information about Jesus, she believed in it and voiced it before she experienced it. She replied the angel; "may it happen to me as you have said." “Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious--the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse”. Phil. 4:18 (MSG) Spend quality time daily to have a good self-talk, because a radiant life is a byproduct of a radiant thought.

What is Your Best Kept Secret?

2006-01-09T11:11:00.000+01:00

But let it be THE HIDDEN MAN OF THE HEART, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

1 Peter 3:4

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet THE INWARD MAN is renewed day by day.

1 Corinthians 4:16

There is an inward man. There is a hidden man. On the inside of you is a man who does not lie. On the inside of you is a man who does not steal. On the inside of you is a man who does not cheat. On the inside of you is man who does not commit fornication. On the inside of you is a man who pleases God. We would like to meet this man who is a partaker of God's Divine Nature. We would like to meet this man who is created after God in righteousness and true holiness. We would like to meet this spirit that is born of the Father of spirits. For too long the spirit within has been a well-kept secret for many believers. They have the nature, but nobody knows. They are God's children, but we can't tell the difference. Let us meet with the real you... let us meet the new man!

Jyde

Because You Believed...

2006-01-06T13:06:00.000+01:00

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.For with the heart man BELIEVETH UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10: 9,10

For years after getting born again I was uneasy about my relationship with God. I knew I was saved. I knew if I were to drop dead at any moment, I would find myself "absent from the body, but present with the Lord."

But I wasn't sure I was "good enough." I wasn't sure I was "good enough" to get my prayers answered. I wasn't sure I was "good enough" to take my place in life as one who is more than a conqueror. If you were to walk into a room and make enquiries for a righteous man, it wouldn't have occurred to me you could be talking about me.

That is, until I saw what Paul is saying in these two beautiful verses. The apostle tells us, "The way to get saved is to believe in Jesus. And when you believe, you are immediately made righteous. In fact, the reason why you are described as saved, is because you became righteous when you believed."

Read these verses over and over again. Meditate. Stay with them until you come to a full assurance of understanding. We do not do any good works to become righteous. We do not "pray unto it." We do not "fast unto it." We "believe unto it." The way to become righeous, is to believe...

Jyde

Always Remember... Never Forget...

2006-01-05T14:34:00.001+01:00

But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath FORGOTTEN that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in REMEMBRANCE of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

2 Peter 1: 9,12

What a different world it would be if, once we had learnt something, we could never forget it. Going through school would be much easier, since teachers could just teach a topic and give a test immediately. Anyone who passed would never need to be retested on that topic again. Financial losses and romantic disappointments that occur due to forgetfulness would be entirely eliminated. And industries that provide reminder services would be unnecessary, as would be diaries and journals that help us to keep records.

Well, let's stop dreaming. MANY TIMES WHEN WE REALLY, REALLY SHOULDN'T, WE FORGET. That's the real world.

And Peter points out, "The reason why some people lose sight of spiritual things is because they have FORGOTTEN. That is why I will always try to REMIND you. I know you probably know these things I'm talking about, but I also know you need to be reminded about them from time to time."

In my own experience with teaching and preaching God's Word, I've discovered that the preacher's task is more involved with reminding believers about what they know already, than teaching them new things.

Please don't forget to remember... these things...

Jyde

2006-01-05T14:34:00.000+01:00

But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath FORGOTTEN that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in REMEMBRANCE of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

2 Peter 1: 9,12

Well, let's stop dreaming. MANY TIMES WHEN WE REALLY, REALLY SHOULDN'T, WE FORGET. That's the real world.

Please don't forget to remember... these things...

Jyde

Do You Believe the Scriptures?

2006-01-04T12:12:00.000+01:00

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

1 Peter 1:16

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you,...

1 John 1:1,3

I have always been amused by the tendency of believers to slip into what I call "fairy tale mode" at the very times when they need to be very mentally alert. These are intelligent, educated, reasonable people endowed by God with common sense, but when they pick up their Bibles or step into a church building, they suddenly become 6 years old again, and they are ready to listen to any story "Grandpa" feeds them. Part of the problem is the fact that most believers do not think of the stories in the Bible as narrations of real events that happened to real people as they interacted with each other and a real God. That is why they find it difficult to take action based on what they have come to know of the Word. Peter assures us, "Together with my fellow disciples, I was an eye-witness of the things that Jesus did, and the things that happened to Jesus." John goes a step further and said, "I heard the Word. I saw Him. I touched Him. I handled Him with my hands. That is why I am so sure of what I am telling you." When the chips are down and the time comes to take an action that shows just how much conviction you have in a story, would you risk your life on the assumption that there was really a peasant girl called Cinderalla who had a wicked step-mother, lost a silver slipper, married a handsome prince and lived happily ever after? Of course not! And for the same reason, many believers will not risk any thing on any truths they have encountered in Scripture, because they count it all to be mere tales. You can trust these eye-witness accounts. You can trust the testimony of these men of integrity who saw and touched and heard and ate with and talked with and walked with the Word, two thousand years ago. Jyde

What Do You Want?

2006-01-03T14:29:00.000+01:00

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so PANTETH my soul AFTER THEE, O God.

Psalm 42:1

As newborn babes, DESIRE the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

1 Peter 2:2

The first verse of Psalm 42 is rather characteristic of the beatiful poetry of the Psalms. The hart is a deer-like creature usually found in grasslands. It usually expends a lot of its energy running, which it does at rather fast speeds. And when its time to drink, you can be sure that this creature has a big thirst to quench!

David says, "The way the hart usually has a deep longing and a craving for water, is the same way my soul has a DEEP LONGING AND A CRAVING FOR GOD."

Peter, the apostle writing 1,000 years after David, instructs evry believer, "The same way a new born baby has a natural, innate desire for its mother's milk, that is the same way you should DESIRE the UNADULTERATED TRUTH of God's Word. This is necessary for your growth."

I've met a lot of believers who desire every other thing except progress in understanding the truth of the Word. But Bible teaches that the very first thing we need to ensure growth in the Lord is a desire for the Truth and the Truth alone. Prayers, fasting, evangelism, church attendance, preaching, singing songs of praise, etc are good and Godly spiritual activities that we ought to engage in, but they are no substitute for the UNADULTERATED TRUTH.

DESIRE!

Jyde

The Believer’s Winning Attitude

2006-01-02T17:56:00.000+01:00

If Ronaldinho was in your local football team, what difference would that make? What about going into a joint business venture with Bill Gates? If your city wages war against its neighbour with the support of the US & UN troops, which is likely to be victorious? Pause a moment to think - As you face the challenges of life, "If God be for you …" No one swims with God and goes to the bottom (Polish proverb). Although we have been told that life is all about ‘win some and lose some’, but there are no defeats in God’s camp. We serve a God that ‘causes us always to triumph’. Maybe in the past years, you had goals that were not realized, it doesn’t mean you lost. It’s wrong to declare the winner of a game while it is still on. You are still a full participant in the game of life and because God is your team partner (II Cor. 6:1), at the end of the game, when the chips are down, you ought to be declared a winner. This year you will undoubtedly face challenges in your ministry, career, vocation, education etc. and I desire you face them with the winning attitude: "… Because God is my team partner & leader, I will surely win …"

If God was to count his blessings

2005-12-17T14:20:00.000+01:00

Whenever the year is running to an end, it is usually a strategic time for us to sing our popular chorus … "count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done". We sing this song to remind ourselves of the goodness and faithfulness of God despite the challenges faced during the year. Imagine the table is turned and God was expected to count his blessings and name them one by one, how many will he be able to count from your ends. Will there be records of souls you’ve won, lives you’ve touched, tears you’ve wiped, smiles you’ve broadened, encouragement you’ve given, people you’ve enriched, the needy you’ve helped … Although we can never repay God for all he has done for us, we can appreciate him by extending his love to others. Such appreciations are the blessings he wants to count. © tope_aladenusi

Concerning Them That Are Asleep...

2005-12-14T10:22:00.000+01:00

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, THAT YE SORROW NOT, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13,14

He tells us not to be sad. The same way Jesus arose from the dead, "them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."

Today when we think about the death and resurrection of Jesus, we rejoice. Because we can relate with the idea of His resurrection at the same time.

If we would think about the resurrection of the saints that are asleep that way, we would rejoice also. Not because they died, but because they will be resurrected in a glorious body.

They have left this world with its trials,temptations and toils, and gone to a place "which is far better." If we believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, let us believe in the ressurection of His departed saints also.

Rejoice!

Jyde

2005-12-06T07:42:00.000+01:00

GOD IS FAITHFUL, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:9

FAITHFUL is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:24

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

The Bible is full of short, sharp, hard-to-be-misunderstood declarations about God... God is love... ... God, that cannot lie... ...God so loved the world... 1 Cor 1:9 proclaims Him as faithful - a God Who is absolutely dependable! Maybe you've been disappointed by people you thought you could could count on in the past. Maybe your pastor let you down when he should have been providing strong spiritual leadership. Maybe your heart was broken by that man or woman you thought was special. Perhaps your family just failed to be there when you needed them most... Not so with God! The Bible declares Him to be "a VERY PRESENT help in time of trouble!" The One Who called you to come and be a friend, a brother, a companion and a joint-heir with His Son Jesus is ever faithful! The One Who commited a ministry into your hands is faithful! Now, more than any other time, is the time to get more committed to taking your place in the work of the ministry. Now is the time to be more relentless and zealous about bringing in the lost and teaching the church. Now is the time to be more diligent and more dedicated about bringing in God's great harvest. Jyde

Should a believer be aware of the time of his death

2005-12-05T08:38:00.000+01:00

“God gives, God takes” is a popular saying whenever someone dies. This statement suggests that God is responsible for the death occurrences we see around. However, John 10:10 says “the thief (devil) came to steal, to kill and to destroy”. This means the devil does some taking. But is he empowered to take just anyone? “No one knows when he would die” is also a famous saying. But John 13:1 says “before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world”. This is a record of someone who knew. Also, Paul said in II Tim. 4:6 “The time of my death is near”. Peter wrote in II Peter 1:14 that “the Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that my days on earth are numbered and I am soon to die”. One thing is common in all these statements. The use of the words “my” & “I” displays knowledge of the time of their departure and their involvement in it. Involvement? When Paul was stoned and assumed to be dead, he did not die. But when Stephen was stoned, he said “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” and he died. Someone says, this is just a bunch of coincidence. May be? Imitators of Jesus Christ are those who want to increase the coincidence tally. Walk closely with God. Never fear death. It’s not meant to catch a believer unawares. When your time is approaching, He will let you know. © tope_aladenusi

A Debt You Can Never Repay...

2005-11-25T13:17:00.000+01:00

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8

Much has been written about this verse, suggesting that it expressly forbids the believer to borrow money from others. For our part, we will not address that issue now. Instead, we will consider the part of the verse that has its meaning so apparent.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Paul here teaches us that we all owe one another a debt which we can never repay, which is an obligation to always show love to each other. Consider this. If a man owes his friend 100,000 Naira and pays 30,000 Naira, is it still necessary for him to pay the remaining 70,000 Naira? Of course! No matter how much love you may have shown to the man or the woman next to you, you still have an obligation to show even more! That man may not appreciate you. That woman may take advantage of you. That boy may hurt you over and over again. That girl may prove an unfaithful friend. But the time-honoured injunction from Bible is to love them, the same way a debtor, no matter how much he has paid his creditor, is still obliged to pay more if he has not paid up the full amount... Jyde

God the Giver 2

2005-11-23T20:21:00.000+01:00

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

James 1:17

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are FREELY given to us of God.

1 Corinthians 2:12

Indulge me again today as I celebrate the Father of lights. Let me remind you of the God Who is a Giver, and tell of His inclination to give freely. God is by nature a Giver. This fact cannot be repeated too many times. It is important for you to think deeply about this fact and let it permeate your consciousness. God is by nature a Free Giver. We live in world where "nothing goes for nothing." The Good Samaritan, or stranger who does a favour for free is the exception, rather than the rule. No wonder we find it difficult to deal with the idea of God giving us things freely! Many times we hear men make statements like, "God is ready to give it to you, if you are willing to pay the price." Many times we are reminded to "of the cost of serving God." Thank God for the blessedness of serving Him! Thank God because He gives freely! Jyde

God the Giver

2005-11-22T13:33:00.000+01:00

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, THAT GIVETH TO ALL MEN LIBERALLY, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

James 1:6

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

James 1:17

All over the Scriptures, God is presented to us in terms of His multiple attributes all revealing different aspects of His divine nature. We read that God is good, God is love, God is a Father, God is a consuming fire, God is a helper, God is a comforter, and a thousand and one other things in between. Today I want to remind you that one of the things that Scripture also teaches us is that God is a giver. Too many times God is presented to us by contemporary preachers as a stingy, miserly, hard-to-please Deity Who might just let you have a liitle bit of something (once in a while) if you've spent enough time running from pillar to post to get enough people to support you in prayer and fasting to get whatever it is you want from Him. Too many times we end our prayers uncertain as to the outcome because we're not sure what our Father which art in heaven will do. The truth is, with Him there is no varying, or changing. He is and will always remain the Cheerful Giver Who loves cheerful givers. Always approach your Father with confidence! He is the Great Giver of good gifts! Jyde

God and angels, and ... and ... and you!

2005-11-21T14:11:00.000+01:00

And YOU hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Ephesians 2:1

But now in Christ Jesus YE who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:13

Now therefore YE are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Ephesians 2:19

As far back as I can remember I've always been very interested in the Bible. I remember my first one, red with a hardcover, Revised Standard Version.

What a world of discovery it was. I realized that this was a Book of books that spoke of God and angels, of devils and demons, of kings and kingdoms, of wars and warriors, of prophets and prophecies, of Jews and gentiles, of psalms and proverbs, of apostles and epistles, of talking donkeys and parting seas, and a myriad of riddles, parables and chronicles... I enjoyed it much as I later enjoyed novels, and found it rather interesting.

But the day my attitude to the Bible changed was the day I discovered it was also a Book written about ME. I saw the verses quoted above and saw that they referred to me as surely as any letter addressed to me. I saw that my destiny and my destination in life and in eternity were tightly bound to the way in which I responded to the Message of the Book and the invitation it contains.

True, the Bible is a Book about the Trinity. But it is also a Book about you! And is this so surprising? You are God's child, planned for before the foundation of the world. He loved you and he knew you and He purposed for you to take your place in His will from eternity past. Beyond the transient nature of physical things is the reality of His love for you. Go through your Bible again, and take special note of the message contained in this Book. It contains a lot of information about you!

Jyde

Forgiven, Part 2

2005-11-17T08:05:00.000+01:00

For he hath made him to be sin for us, WHO (Christ) KNEW NO SIN; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2 Cor. 5:21

WHO (Christ) DID NO SIN, neither was guile found in his mouth:

1 Peter 2:22

And ye know that he (Christ) was manifested to take away our sins; and IN HIM IS NO SIN.

1 John 3:5

Ever since Adam and Eve left Eden, the problem of sin-consciousness has been with man. Many religions have risen and attempted to address this issue to no avail - most people sense instinctively that they fail to meet the mark when they are measured alongside a Holy and Righteous God. That is why many believers find it hard to believe that they could actually be in deed and in fact, "the righteousness of God". Consider the verses above. The reason why you are righteous is because a sinless Man took your place. The reason why you stand before God just as pure and as holy as He is is because on a particular day in history, a Man Who was just as pure and as holy as the Father bore your sins. He knew no sin, He did no sin and in Him was no sin, but He bore your own sins so that you could be sinless. He bore your sins so you could be free to walk in righteousness. Walk in righteousness. Jyde

Forgiven

2005-11-14T13:15:00.000+01:00

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions FOR MINE OWN SAKE, and will not remember thy sins.

Isaiah 43:25

I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE.

1 John 2:12

What a wonderful thing it is to be assured of the forgiveness of one's sins! So many live their lives today under a heavy burden of guilt. They can recollect so many bad things that they've done and the thought of it causes a gnawing unease in their hearts. For the believer, there ought to be no such thing. We are blood-bought and we are blood-washed. We are assured that our sins are forgiven. Not because of anything we've done, but FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE. When Christ suffered for us in his death and ressurection, the legal claims of justice were satisfied. We can no longer be made to pay the awful penalties for our sins anymore because Jesus has already borne those sins on our behalf. Now there is nothing left for us to do but to spend each day in gratitude to the One Who does not remember our sins. Now there is no more sacrifice expected on our parts but to live each day for the One Who stands for us as an advocate with the Father. Now there are no more works of the law for us to struggle to please God with, but a yielding of our lives as labourers in His vineyard to share the work of bringing in the lost! Thanks be to God for the forgiveness of our sins! Jyde

The Able Word...

2005-11-08T13:20:00.000+01:00

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, WHICH IS ABLE to save your souls.

James 1:21

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, WHICH ARE ABLE to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:15

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, WHICH IS ABLE to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Acts 20:32

In these Scriptures a particular characteristic of the Word of God is revealed - its ability. The Word is ABLE. We cannot learn this truth well enough. We should always be conscious of it and let it rule our mentality. The ability is never in us or in anything we can do, but in the Word of God. The ability is in the Word. Not in our ability to pray, our ability to believe or our ability to do anything else. The ability is never of us. For example, in 2 Timothy Paul reminds the young pastor Timothy about the ability of the Scriptures to make us wise unto salvation. We know that all the wisdom we need with respect to God and the things of God are resident in the Word. But beyond that the ability to "make us wise unto salvation" is itself inherent in the Word. Next time you read your Bible, don't "try to catch something". The very words you are reading convey to you the truth you need to understand. Simply believe them. Next time you're facing a challenge in life, don't look to yourself or your ability to engage in any spiritual activities of any kind for help. The Word has the help you need. Next time you see a man or woman who needs a touch of the supernatural, look beyond the things our eyes can see for the ability to meet that need. Look to the Word. The Word is ABLE.

Jyde

A Willing Mind...

2005-11-07T08:44:00.000+01:00

For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

2 Cor. 9:12

In the eighth and ninth chapters of 2 Corinthians, Paul teaches about giving as it should be done in the New Testament. Verse 12 of Chapter 9 is particularly insightful. When we give, the first requirement is a willing mind. It is meaningless to give anything when the motivation is not love. Equally important is the fact that our giving is accepted according to that which we have. Too many times we make statements like, "I wish I had a million dollars. I would give it all to support the ministry." Or others like, "If I had a my life to live all over again, I would spend more time serving God." Well, you probably do not have a million dollars anywhere, and you definitely do not have your life to live all over again. What you have right now is what you are expected to give. What you can do right now is what you are expected to do. Don't wait until you have billions before you give. Don't wait until you are behind a pulpit before you preach. Don't wait until you have resigned from your job before you start labouring in the ministry. "If a man have first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that which a man hath..." Jyde