COMPARISON

Mark 1:16,19 KJV
[16] Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. [19] And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

Jesus met(in the physical world), Simon and Andrew before John and James. However, John and James and Andrew became part of the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples; Andrew did not. However, in the end they were all disciples of Jesus Christ(!). The fact that someone became born-again before another does not necessarily mean that the former is greater than the latter. We are all used in various ways to promote the kingdom of God. We should not compare ourselves to others because everyone and their race(2 Tim. 4:7).

WISDOM

Exodus 4:4 ESV
But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand—

Why did God ask Moses to take the snake by the tail? Could not God have prevented or cured a snake bite? Wisdom is proved right by her actions. There is no need to use spirituality to expect immunity from the consequences of our actions.

GOD AND TEMPERAMENT

Exodus 4:1 ESV
​Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’”
Luke 9:33 ESV
Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.
Acts 8:3 ESV
But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Genesis 24:4 ESV
but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

God does not care about our abilities, he wants our availability. No matter our temperament, God can use anyone who avail themselves. The hesitant melancholic Moses, who could easily foretell everything that could go wrong, the talkative sanguine Peter, who would sometimes speak without thinking, the hotheaded choleric Saul who was willing to maltreat Christians because they didn’t share his views, the cool, calm phlegmatic Isaac, who needed someone else to find him a wife when he was as old as forty; no matter what our strengths or weaknesses, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, if we avail ourselves.

Rules

Colossians 2:20-21 ESV
If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”
1 Timothy 4:7 ESV
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;

“..PayPal [a financial company] are part of the illuminati and I’d never trust them with my details!” Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty. Let us know this and walk without fear. As Christians we need not entangle ourselves with unnecessary rules we make up. If God be for us, who or what can be against us? The kingdom of God is about righteousness, peace and joy, not a bunch of dos and don’ts.

Truth Hurts

2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

“Australian megachurch Hillsong founder Pastor Brian Houston has sent a message to all of his church campuses saying gays and lesbians should be welcomed in the church”. The truth is hard, sometimes even painful. But no one is more compassionate than God; no one can be more accepting of people than He is. After all He created us and then sent His Son to come and die for us after we sinned. The road is narrow, and you can’t save a sinner by pretending sin is acceptable. Naturally, people like their feelings not to be hurt, even if it means withholding the truth. But if we value our souls, let us not allow ourselves to be part of those who want the Bible to be twisted to suit our egos, and let us not be shy to stand by the biblical truth, even if unpopular.

HOLY

Galatians 5:16
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Perhaps the hardest part of being a Christian is practicing what we preach. It looks good on paper, but it’s harder when trying to align it with our lifestyle. Not to judge, but an example is outspoken abstinence activist Bristol Palin, who recently revealed she was pregnant again out of wedlock. Likewise, we all have good intentions and resolutions, but we cannot uphold moral standards by ourselves; Adam and Eve made sure of that. The Holy Spirit is available and just as the name suggests, He is the only One who can help us lead holy lives. Apart from Him we are doomed to our fleshly weaknesses, despite our professed faith. Let us be sensitive to Him.

Clay in His Hands

Jeremiah 18:6
“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

Fufu is a staple food enjoyed by many in this country. However, the same cannot be said for the process, that one is tempted to wonder why the creators could not think of a less harsher process. But when you follow it nonetheless, it becomes what it is known for. Such is life. As humans, we go through a lot of processes before we are shaped into who we finally become. The best success stories are from those who allowed themselves to be molded by tough times without giving up. No matter who you are, life happens to all of us. But if we allow ourselves to trust God, He makes all things beautiful in His time.

ENTERING HIS GATES

Psalms 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

‘It is better to live on the corner of a roof than to live with a nagging person’. Sometimes, we can be nagging in our relationship with God. Even earthly children know that to receive the best from Mummy and Daddy, they must butter them up to ensure that they are in a good mood. How much more should we praise God and be grateful for what He’s already given us before we ask for more? Us human beings eventually tire of people who call on one only when they need something. Though God is not a man to get tired of His people, neither is He a genie. Let us balance our prayers with praise and thanksgiving as well as our requests and confessions. Good morning and have a blessed day.

GRACE

Genesis 16:13 KJV
[13] And she [Hagar] called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

Hagar, an Egyptian servant caught in the midst of crisis in a ‘Christian’ family, must have been very disappointed about how God’s people were maltreating her etc. She could have been bitter and disappointed to the extent of denouncing the God Abraham and Sarah served. Yet, she called on the name of The Lord, just as she had probably seen them do. God did answer her. Christians are not superhuman; it is the grace of God. Don’t blame the Giver of grace for the mistakes of the receivers. We should not let the mistakes of some Christians dissuade us from worshipping the true God. We are only responsible for our own relationship with God, just as everybody else is responsible for theirs.