God owes you and I nothing

Today I came to a very sobering realization that God owes me nothing and that God owes you nothing.
When this thought came to me, I thought no way! This must be unscriptural. It is almost unchristian to think this way not to mention even utter it.
I responded to the voice within me that, if He is my father, does he not have some responsibilities over me? Yes, He has responsibility which He has in His sovereignty assigned to Himself. He is all knowing and knows the end from the beginning. So he knows His thoughts towards you and the bible says to bring us to our expected end, the question was then, what is your expected end? For which my answer was truly I do not know. If He knows, then He knows all that is required to get there.
I had earlier today, been talking with my resident pastor’s wife and I was telling her of my journey in the wilderness of barrenness for 8 years and how it had a brief stop in the 7th year with a miscarriage and how I was really devasted. I told her that I did not question my faith and my belief in God Almighty but that I was shaken and I struggled because I did “all the right things”.
Sometimes we think our acts are enough to warrant God to do things for us. No way! Even if we do not do whatever we do, God will still be God and will find other unquestioning vessels to use. Those willing to move and act without ulterior motive. Same goes with giving. Not that I doubt the word of God that says he will multiply our seeds or to cast our bread upon the waters but I am saying that the motive behind the action is probably what God looks at. And again, he is not ‘obliged’ to do anything.
God gave us promises and those are what they are promises. Those are not debts that He owes us. No. He will show mercy and He loves us unconditionally and will give us what we need but sometimes when he says No, or wait, we panic and we get ‘disappointed’ because by our own interpretation, He has neither answered or He is not quick enough.
God owes you and I nothing but all we have received and continue to receive are just because of His grace to us ward. That is why one of my favorite verses in the bible even when I had not learnt this lesson remains John 1 vs. 16 “From the fullness of his grace we have received one blessing after another”.

Walking in the Path: When God Relocates You

Jesus had the inner 12 friends whom we call his disciples and for some reason he paid closer attention to Peter and prepared him to lead the others when he leaves. Talk about succession planning!

When Jesus died, the bible records that on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and discovered that the stone had been rolled away, she naturally ran to the leader that Jesus had appointed and reported what she saw. Is it not amazing that Peter was not the one who is checking up on Jesus, having been with him and witnessed all sorts of events, the voice from heaven, the transfiguration and the prayer sessions that Jesus made sure he saw? Yet, not only did he deny Jesus when push came to shove, he moved on with his old life right away. Not believing one word that Jesus told him.

Mary’s report must have surprised and shocked him so he left to confirm for himself. What happened when he saw that Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb was the most shocking for me. John 20 vs. 10, “Then the disciples went away again to their own homes”. Jesus tried to get them off their homes while He was with them. He told them that if they want to follow Him, they must deny those family ties and focus on the mission with Him. How quickly that fell by the way side!

The bible records that Mary stayed back there. NO matter what critics say about this woman, she was one person who understood the mission of Jesus and one person who believed what Jesus said. She was not about to give up on her Lord yet.

What does Peter make of all these? He said to the group that Jesus had given him charge over “I am going fishing”… meaning “I am returning to my old ways, my old profession. “I am not sure I understand this Jesus anymore. It must be over now. The guy is dead and even His body has disappeared. Let me return to the life I know”.

The bible records that the others followed him immediately without any persuasion and that they went fishing and caught nothing. What a waste of time!!! They caught nothing. How many man hours that was… fully wasted. Peter is no different from me and all of us. We hear God speak to us and give us charge and instructions and somehow, along the way we take one or two steps and some challenges show up and we quickly retrace our steps backwards. Once God has asked you to move on to something else, do yourself a favour…do not return to the old job, old profession, old way of life… God has closed that chapter of your life. He has relocated you. If you do, you will be like Peter and the rest of the disciples that went fishing when Jesus had said… you shall no longer do this but will be “fishers of men”. They did not say No and that was an agreement.

With God an agreement stands except He changes it.
Can you imagine if Abraham went back to Ur in Chaldeans after God had said “Move”? He could have gone back when he was faced with Egypt and the loss of his beautiful wife and so many other challenges… he understood that God had relocated him and there was no going back.

“It is well” – 2 King 4 vs. 23

“It is well” the woman told her husband. My first thought upon reading this verse is does the man not know that his son is dead. Chances are he does not know. He knew one thing though; the child was sick and should be taken to the mother. The mother must know what to do and truly she knew what to do. Only the child dies instead. She should have screamed out and started wailing after all, her son and her only child just died in her arms. But NO it was not time for crying, wailing or seeking for sympathy. She was not going to accept what God has not given – a dead son. God gave her son when she did not even ask and the gift of God cannot suddenly be with repentance. How can God just change His mind when the bible says that His gifts are without repentance and that He does not change His mind??

She decided to seek God and she took off to see the man of God. It was not the right time to go and see the man God as it was not the new moon or the Sabbath. It is not Sunday morning neither is it the time for prayer meeting. But her son is dead. She just knows that God needs to be “confronted” concerning her situation and nothing is going to stop her from trying to reach God. And “it does not matter” she told her husband…”God will still hear me even though it is neither the season of the new moon nor Sabbath”. What a faith!!!

She could have said to the husband “do you not understand? Our son is dead and you are concerned about new moon and Sabbath” It was not the time for a fight and it was not the time for vain argument to try and convince people on why you have to take certain steps. It was simply the time to act… to see your God and to ‘confront’ Him.

Several times in our lives, we know what God has said concerning us. We know the gift He has given us and yet the enemy comes to play with our minds to tell us that the healing is not real and how the sickness is back or will be back and we even start looking for the symptoms that are not there.

Like the Shunamite woman, we need to stop the enemy in his tracks by going back to God and saying, No way!!! The gift of God is without repentance.

It is very interesting what happened between this woman and the man of God. Elisha sent his servant with his authority and gave him instructions but the woman would not accept that. She told Elisha plainly, you really must come… this calls for your attention personally. She will not give up. She knows first hand what is needed to bring her son back to life and she will stop at nothing until God answers her.

I do not know what situation you have in your life but one thing is sure. God’s word concerning you is without repentance. I tell myself the same thing… God is not going to change His mind concerning me. Hold unto Him with in faith and obedience and see the dead things in your life come back to life and the seemingly hopeless situations turned around. We can move the hand of God… Elisha got up and went with the Shunamite woman and restored her son to life.

Where are your hands?

Exodus 17 vs. 15 – 16: Moses built an altar and named it” The Lord is my banner”. Moses said “I lifted my hands towards the Lord’s throne. The Lord will fight against the Amelekites forever”

To fight a battle we use our hands to hold the weapon: To shoot a gun, throw a spear or arrow even a catapult, no matter what weapon we need to use our hands.

Psalm 18 vs. 34: “He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow

Moses is faced with a battle and what does he do? He raises his hands heavenwards… The Lord will fight the Amelekites forever. The Lord indeed fought for him… for as long as his hands were heavenwards, there was victory until God finally defeated the enemies.

Sometimes we want to help God fight and we forget what role we should play. .. Turn it over to him…don’t worry about drawing your sword. You will not need it. Just lift your voice and your hands heavenwards.

No matter what problems and which Amelekites you are facing today, if you can raise your hands and your face towards heaven, God will fight for you. After all, the battle is the Lords.

The Price of Moab

Whether it is global recession or national recession, these are desperate times. Without much warning events began to unfold, businesses were folding, big institutions were laying off thousands of employees and we all know one or two people who are affected if we are not ourselves.
Everywhere you turn there is helplessness, poverty, need and hopelessness. The current situation reminds me of the picture Genesis 1 vs. 1 creates in my mind: darkness was upon the earth… a state of stagnancy… nothing moving… nothing growing, millions of people out of work creating desperation all over.
The Israelites faced desperate times as recorded in Ruth chapter 1 vs. 1: “ In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab taking his wife and two sons with him”
Desperation can drive us to do many things, unethical, unacceptable and to take extreme measures. Ever seen a desperate man or woman? They can do anything to survive. It is almost as if they are driven by some form of insanity as they lose all forms of moral consciousness. Elimelech moved to Moab – that was the peak of desperation. From the time the Israelites were leaving Egypt, God was clear on the Moabites. He told Israel to avoid them on their way. Moab was a no go area for them. Moab has that ‘that effect’ and God knew his people, He knew that Moab will lead them to death.
As we experience our own period of famine and desperation, we are faced with the same choice. Are we going to trust God who has promised that He will satisfy our souls in famine or are we going to look for succor somewhere else? Is Moab an option for the children of God? Famine is not strange to God, why would He make a promise of provision in famine? It is simply because it is a period or periods that we will go through.
Moab can be quite tempting and for someone looking for even food for her children, we may deceive ourselves that God surely will understand. But the truth remains that Moab will give us temporary succor but the price will be too dear. Elimelech died in Moab, his sons died in Moab even without having children. Was marrying Moabites a condition for Elimelech? It was bad enough that he moved to Moab but marrying them? You do not know what conditions the land of Moab will present no matter the carrot they wave in front of you. Moab is costly. Moab will take you and I away from God. God is clear on that one.

Who Makes the Rules for You?

“During the time Herod ruled Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to Abijah’s group. Zachariah’s wife, Elizabeth, came from the family of Aaron. Zacharia and Elizabeth truly did what God said was good. They did everything the Lord commanded and were without fault in keeping the law” (Luke 1 vs. 5 – 6)

Interestingly, even in biblical times which is thousands of years ago, there were people who were obviously confused about what was right. If not, why would the bible identify someone or some people as doing what God said was right? It implies that there were other ‘right doings’ that were not from God that may be was politically correct and politically acceptable.

In our time today, there is a very blurring line about what is true and what is politically correct. People seem to be confused, or want to be confused. Young children are caught in between the debates that rage on TV screens and online daily about these positions. Parents are also caught up in the confusion so they cannot even teach what is right.
In the passage above, Zachariah and Elizabeth, the bible records were not part of the confusion of their time. They truly knew what God said was good and what was not acceptable to the one whom they knew had the ultimate authority in all the matters relating to mankind.

As Christians we should not be confused about who sets the standards. We should not be confused about where to find the rules and constitution that govern our behaviors. It is unfortunate and somewhat disheartening that even among Christians there are people who want to be politically correct because according to them, Jesus Christ did not reject or cast anyone away. They forget that He never compromised and never dilly-dallied about calling sin, sin and a sinner a sinner.

It seems to me that there are things that seem right and may be right before men who are polically judging all things and they are not what God said is good or right. It is important that we are not caught up in being all things to all men and being so concerned with being accepted by all and loved by all groups that we lose sight of who we are and whose we are.

When it sounds so ‘right’ it will help if we can check with the only true source to see if it is truly what God says is good before we jump into it. It may sound right, feel right but not truly what God said but what deemed good.

When Delayed Obedience is no Obedience

Moses addressing the Israelites towards the end of his mission starts to recall the events of his leadership right at the start of the book of Deuteronomy. Beginning with leaving Egypt to all the events in the wilderness that turned a 21 days journey to a whooping 40 years, comes to the spying of the land and how he asked the people not to be afraid following the report from the 10 spies and to be move up to the mountains because God had already spoken and has given them the land. “But you still did not trust the LORD your God even though He had always gone before you to find places for you to camp. In a fire at night and in a cloud during the day, He showed you which way to go”. (Deut. 1 vs. 32 – 33)
The rebellion of Israel is a well known story. However, the striking thing in this passage is in Deuteronomy 1 vs. 41. When God had made a u-turn because of their disobedience and said that they should head back towards the red sea, they now realized the graveness of their disobedience they told Moses that they will go up and fight. Of course we know the end of that mission God said do not bother anymore since you did not listen the first time, forget it!
Moses said to the leaders and the people in vs. 43 “So I told you (not to go to war) but you would not listen…you were proud and you went up into the mountains… They chased you like bees… you came back and cried before the LORD but the LORD did not listen to you. He refused to pay attention to you. So you stayed in Kadesh a long time.
In my life I can recall several times when I have little Holy Ghost nudges to something but I explained it away or to give something which I conveniently forgot and God does not desert me or scream from heaven. Sometimes the nudging dies off and I believe that at such times, God just finds another vessel that is ready to obey and to be used. As I reflect on this passage today, I cannot help but wonder how many times I have stayed long in kadesh.
I remember at different times when I will pray that LORD I want to move on in my life and that whatever lesson there is to learn in that situation that I had learnt it. So many times, we are where we are as if marking time in one spot, not making much progress because we refused to take God at His word and move at His command so he leaves us a long time in kadesh.
Has God been speaking to you to do something, to move up to the mountains because he had already taken care of the Amorites?
Do not hesitate. Do not delay because he may just move on and no longer be interested if you are not willing to obey or get rid of the fear that paralyze you. Remember that it may be too late if you delay or allow unbelief to take away your blessing. Not only will you stay long in kadesh, you will also push your inheritance and blessings years and years down the road and you will wallow in pain and anguish.

Getting our Inheritance

“On the plains of Moab by the Jordan River across (opposite) Jericho, the LORD spoke to Moses. He said “Speak to the Israelites and tell them “When you cross the Jordan River and go into Canaan, force out all the people who live there… Take over the land and settle there because I have given this land to you to own…”( Numbers chapter 33 vs 50 – 53 NCV)
Beginning with Abraham several generations behind, God promised “the land”… Isaac heard, waited, Jacob heard, waited, Joseph even said they should take his bones since he will definitely not live to see or inherit the land but they all believed without a doubt. Multiple generations and several years later, Moses will have this onerous responsibility of leading the people of Israel to the Promised Land.
Obviously some promises that God has made to us will come to us generations after and that is why our actions today will affect not one or two or three generations after. It is not only our sins and our evil deeds that God will visit generation after generation to the fourth and fifth generations. The blessings of God are also dispersed in the same token. But this is not the main focus of this write up today.
So here is a generation that has heard over and over that God will give them the land of Canaan for an inheritance. They endured hunger, thirst, panic, watched their loved ones die in the wilderness all in the journey to the Promised Land.
In numbers 33, the bible recounts the stop overs which were about 40 different camps and locations. They camp and move and finally they arrive at the plains of Moab and can see the promised land and instead of walking in, they now have to ‘force people out’ and fight for what has been promised to by Almighty God for donkey years. Surely that is not fair by any standard.
The ways of God re not our ways and as I look at my life and the life of many I know who are walk in the promise and grace of God, I see that God demands not only that we believe Him and His word but also to be ready to ‘act’ and ‘fight’. No wonder Paul in writing to us through the letter to the Ephesians says that “Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of evil in the heavenly world…And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing”
There are several instances in my life that I know that God has spoken, confirmed his blessings personally and yet it would be “struggle” before it will come to pass and I use ‘struggle’ because that was what it felt like at the time but in retrospect, it was just wars that needed to be fought and some of the time as I got to the plains of my Moab just in the face of the promised land, I had to ‘force out’ all the people who live there before I can take over the blessings God had predestined to me.
Sometimes, we doubt the ferocity of God’s word when we are surrounded by the Amorites and the kings and kingdoms of Edom of this life and we turn the other way, there are not one but five kings of Midian and you cannot but ask “Did I really hear from God?”
Remember at such challenging times and situation that God has already given the challenges a knock. He has already caused the ‘people’ to be afraid and has weakened their army so that when you step into action, take the step towards the city gate, victory is assured just like the Israelites. Who would have believed that singing and shouts of praise will bring down the walls of Jericho? C’mon! That was God in action. Can you imagine if they have stayed back in the plains of Moab because of fear? And we know what Moab stands for, not only would they have cut themselves short of their inheritance but they would have been destroyed.

The Mission of Moses

The mission of Moses seemed straightforward when God called him while he was in exile tending to the herd of his father-in-law saying “… Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt”. That seemed straight forward enough although in retrospect, Moses probably had inkling about the enormity of this job because he gave God enough reasons why he is not the best candidate for this. We all thought that it was mainly because he was a wanted man in Egypt. Eventually he grudgingly accepted and that was the beginning of a very difficult assignment.
To start with when God told Moses that Pharaoh will resist, I doubt that he envisaged the drama that went on in Egypt before the Israelites finally left Egypt. As you read the plagues and the frequency and severity of it, one wonders how Moses was being dribbled by the Pharaoh man and yet each time God says “go tell Pharaoh, let my people go” he goes and each time the plague comes Pharaoh begs Moses to beg his God and the drama was endless.
Now we get to the people for whom mosses had taken so much stress and given so much of his life and their rebellion over and over again on their way to the promised land to the point that God will wipe out a whole generation over the age of twenty for disobedience and doubt about the capability of God to fulfill his promise to His people. Then we come to the wars… it was one war after the other to even get close to the promise land.
It is amazing for short of a better word that in leading the people Moses became not only a political leader but also their spiritual leader until God set apart Aaron and the Levites to reduce the role and one recalls that even when his father –in-law visited them as they came out that he observed that he was doing a lot and asked him to find some assistants. Later he will lead them again into wars and that is really what struck me about this assignment, the job kept expanding and getting more difficult but Moses held on… yes there are a few cases such as when he struck the rock and when the tablets dropped for which he paid for by not getting into the promise land. I remember thinking “common God, for a guy who did all these, you could at least have forgiven him and let him enter the promise land instead of just seeing it”.
Another intriguing thing is that with the difficulty of managing the Israelites, the rebellions, the deaths, the wars, Moses still managed to marry another wife along the way to the point that even his sister complained about the woman and God came to his rescue.
Apparently, when God gives us an instruction to do something, we truly do not know the assignment in its entirety until we obey and set out. As we walk and work with him, he reveals the demand of the assignment step by step and phase by phase. All He demands of us is full trust that he is able to do that which He said He will do. Also, before God sends anyone on any mission, He first reveals who He is and that would be the point of reference for the messenger … an encounter that one can never forget and the one that will be the bedrock for the messenger.
Has God sent you on a mission? Have you had an encounter with God resembling the burning bush? One that takes away the doubts and the fears and one that will be the reason you will face Pharoah confidently and not panic when you see the red sea?

Mission Accomplished

Yesterday I read John chapter 17 and left my page marker at the page where it ended and today as I opened my bible it naturally fell open where the page marker was and it was John chapter 18 and immediately it opened my eyes went to the title on the page and it says "Jesus completes his mission". I thought how awesome. I also rememebered Paul's declaration that he has fought the good fight and indeed completed his mission with great sense of accomplishment.

St Paul could look anyone in the eyes like Jesus and say "I have completed my duty and fulfilled my mission". I then asked myself, will I be able to boldly declare that I have completed my duty towards God, that my mission has been fully carried out and successfully too? Like Paul, I now await the crown?

It was a stark reminder to all of us that we are here for a purpose and this is the time to fulfill our mission for will not be here again.

Jesus said "I must work the works of He who has called me while it is day for the night cometh when no man can do any work". This verse tells us unequivocably that the work, our mission is for an appointed time.

I once heard a man of God say that God can only wait for a man for so long and then He moves on because the work needs to be done. Once God has given a person the opportunity, He can only struggle with you for so long before He finds another willing heart and ready vessel to carry out His mission.

Are we working while it is day today?
Can God depend on you and I?
If God calls us home today, can we boldly say "Father, I completed my mission?"