Month: June 2013

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: Psalm 27

 

Key Word: Psalm 27:4 – “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.”

 

In our 24/7, 365 days a year busy world it is becoming increasingly difficult to have time for things that one really loves doing, yet there is no greater time to set priorities and focus on the major things that matter in life. If you were marooned on an Island with no other person there to talk to and you were given the opportunity to take one thing with you. What would that thing be? Times of adversity have a way of focussing the mind on what’s important. Have you noticed that at the end of people’s lives they tend to simplify everything and choose who they spend time with? Have you noticed that at that stage they no longer play politics or care about how others feel? They simply clinically ask for certain people and carefully chose those who come near them to hear their last words. So in today’s reading we see one of the reasons why king David was so special.

No one knows exactly when David wrote this Psalm, but if you look at the words, it sounds like he was in a time of great difficulty. Perhaps as was the case for most of his life some of his enemies have risen against him. Right in the midst of all the pandemonium of impending attack, David focussed his heart and mind on what was most important to him. He focussed on the only One he knows has the power to bail him out. He focussed on the only One who is the giver of life.

These words are so powerful, he said “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.” He did not ask for his throne to be secure. He did not ask for the life of his enemies. He did not even ask for his own life to be spared. He simply focussed on what gave him the most amount of joy and satisfaction and fulfilment. He chose one thing. Only One thing. To dwell in the house of the Lord and to behold His beauty and to enquire ion His temple. All David wanted was more fellowship with the Lord. All he truly desired was to gaze upon God’s beauty and to continue to marvel and ask questions from God on why He did what He did. He sought to know God more. He somehow knew that God would look after him, so he was not confused as to what he really lives for.

What is the one thing most important to you? Can I ask you to consider David? A man God described as a man after His own heart. David set God above all other pursuits. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 says “ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

We are called to love God with all our hearts and minds and souls. Like David, let us learn to focus on the major and let the minor issues sort them self out. God must be number one and he is the only one we truly ever need.

 

Let’s pray: Father God, like David, I choose to set you on the highest point of my heart. I let everything else drop and set you as my chief pursuit in life. Thank you for helping me to recognise that you are all I really truly ever need. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

 

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: Psalm 122

 

Key Text: Psalm 122:1 – I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!

 

There are many places that people dread going to for fear that something evil could happen to them there. But then there are certain places you just yearn for and are extremely happy to visit or go to because of the good things that happen there.  I’ve personally loved going to France, especially the South of France. I love the food, the weather, the Pyrenees and the beaches. It’s a very beautiful place and my memories of France are always pleasant. But as beautiful as France is and as pleasant as it is to my taste, it pales in comparison to the joy that fills my heart every time I step into Jerusalem. There is something about this city that sets it above all other cities. Is it the limestone walls? Is it the cobble stone streets of the old city? Is it the temple mount? Maybe it’s the historical buildings that are everywhere?

I am sure that all these contribute to the charm and magnetism of Jerusalem, but I am sure that the main reasons are exactly what David says about Jerusalem in this beautiful Psalm. Let’s examine why David was glad to go to Jerusalem. Firstly Jerusalem is a secure city, with walls all around it and twelve gates leading in and out of it. The bible tells us that the walls of Jerusalem are called Salvation and its gates are called Praise. This is the City of the great King and this is the city of salvation. So all who come to Jerusalem are standing in the gates that call for Praise and are within the walls of Salvation. You only need to open your eyes and heart and you would have enough reason to accept the salvation of God and break out in new praise.

Secondly, the Psalm reveals that the tribes of the Lord go up to the Testimony of Israel.  Jerusalem is a place of witness and the word of God is everywhere. We sometimes jokingly say that we go to Jerusalem to dry clean our doctrine and renew our commitment to the word of God. The word comes alive in Jerusalem. It is in real vivid, Technicolor. Our hearts get stirred many times as we walk around this great city. It is also not unusual to find someone teaching deep biblical truths on the streets. But even more important is the recognition that God is real and His word is living. You see in Jerusalem what God promised to Israel many years ago, still being upheld by His great power. Your faith is always strengthened when you enter Jerusalem.

Thirdly, the Psalm reveals that the tribes go up to give thanks to the name of the Lord. Jerusalem has a way of making you appreciate what we have as Christians. It has a way of making us appreciate God even more and we become grateful for the great sacrifice of our Lord just outside the walls of the great city. We recognise what an incredible gift we have been given in Christ Jesus and also that through this we are now partakers of the commonwealth of Israel. Thanksgiving is quite natural for us who come from the nations, because we realise how blessed we are to be in the covenant.

Fourthly, we see that thrones are set there for judgement. As we come into Jerusalem, we become conscious that we are in God’s Holy City. We become aware that God is reachable by a local call, like they say in Jerusalem (laughter). So we are drawn to pray and petition God because somehow you know He is listening to you. I would like to say that most of my petitions in Jerusalem get answered speedily. Is this a coincidence?

But this Psalm speaks to all of us who are believers in Jesus today. When we are asked to attend the worship service in our local churches, we should be filled with joy and gladness, because exactly what I have said happens in Jerusalem is available wherever the church is gathered. Wherever believers come together.  Jesus said where two or three are gathered together in His name, there He is in the midst of them. Jesus the King of Jerusalem is always present at our small gatherings. So Salvation is freely dispensed. The promises of God are expounded to us in the sermons and teachings and our faith is renewed. More so as the living word is present and he confirms the word with His signs and wonders. We are thankful and each week at our local church we give an extended period of time for testimonies. So people come publicly to share what God has done for them and we all rejoice and thank God with them. Lastly in church God is present and so we can make petitions and prayers and get them answered. This is so amazing, that God is also a local call away in our churches. !!!

So like David, I am always happy, excited and glad, whenever I have the opportunity to be with other believers. You too should, because you are going into the house of the Lord and all of God is available for you in these gatherings.

So let us say this together. “I was glad when they said to me “Let us go into the house of the Lord”.

Let’s Pray: Father thank you for Jerusalem and thank you for the church. Thank you that what you are doing with Jerusalem, you are also doing with the church. Father, please fill us with love and joy for your city and your house. Let our hearts always yearn for your courts. In Jesus name. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage; 2 Peter 3: 14-18

 

Key Text: 2 Peter 3:18 – “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

 

Growth is a consequence of life. Everything that God created and is living grows. So the natural progression of life is growth. Babies grow, plants grow, animals grow, churches grow, businesses grow and families grow. But we all know that growth is contingent on all factors remaining constant. If plants don’t get water and sunshine they stop growing, they shrivel up and die eventually. So it is with everything that has life and can grow. They need nourishment and good conditions to continue to thrive. I like the look of Bonsai trees. I think they are cute and I marvel when I see them, but I have refused to buy one or even attempt to cultivate them, because I see an antithesis in every Bonsai tree. I see that man has limited the scope and glory of the tree to such an extent that the tree is limited in size and the value of what it can give. Think about this, a tree that has the potential to be over a 100 feet tall and have a branch span of over 50 feet is reduced to a tree just over 1 foot and branch span of just a few inches. These Bonsais are clipped and pruned so they become so limited in their growth. They are not allowed to flourish to their full extent and as such we never see the full glory of such trees.

This is what happens if a believer is not growing in the grace of God. They are like Bonsais. They are stunted and reduced to mere midgets. They are malnourished and uncared for. They look really unhealthy as Christians. God wants us to grow in grace. So the more we learn to accept and live in the grace of God the more we grow and flourish. No one can live the Christian life in his or her own strength. This understanding is very crucial to living the life of grace. Most people who do not know this find themselves struggling in an endless battle to be right with God. This is actually an error and a grave mistake. We cannot make ourselves right with God; we are made right with God through what Jesus did on the cross. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. God has made us righteous by this one act, and all we really need to do is understand that and lean on His arm and we would keep standing in His righteousness.

But today, I want to talk more about growing in the grace of God. The more you are able to behold and know Jesus Christ, the more you are likely to grow in grace. The more you appreciate His all sufficiency in all things, the more you learn to yield and allow His life to flow through us and the more we flourish under His matchless grace. Do not put any confidence in your ability to live right. Do not boast about your will power or personal ability to walk in righteousness. This is a recipe for disaster. If you must boast, boast in the sufficiency of Jesus Christ to sustain you and keep you. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ, it no longer I who live, but the life I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who died for me.” Powerful words from the apostle of grace. He knew what he was talking about. He had been in Judaism and was a strict observer of the law. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees. He knew what it meant to be in such a strict, personal effort to be right with God. He knew how limiting this was and how stunting. He knew how painful it was when he found himself wanting and didn’t have any means of getting out of the fix he was in. So when Paul caught the message of grace, he grabbed it with all his heart and ran with it.  If you have been a prisoner or under a kidnappers grip, once you are free, you never want to go back there again. You run far from that place.

So to grow in grace, you must live in the knowledge of your personal inability and weakness to walk right outside the power of God. You must have a sober mind and recognise that only the presence of grace in your life can keep you from stumbling and falling. Two scriptures pop into mind; Romans 5:20 “….But where sin increased and abounded, grace (Gods unmerited favour) has surpassed it and increased the more and super abounded,” I understand this to also mean that where there is prevalence of sin, there is an even greater prevalence of grace. So for those caught in an atmosphere of sin, there is a greater atmosphere of grace, so we can draw on God’s grace so we are not sucked into the sinfulness around us. Second scripture is found in Jude 24 – 25 “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. God is able to keep us from falling and present us blameless before God. The key word here is that Jesus is able to keep us, uphold us, and steady us, so we do not fall.

So growing in grace is contingent on us continuing to recognise that we need God and fully affirm our dependence on him and trust his all sufficiency in all things. The more we are able to raise our hands in surrender, the more we attract His grace and the more we grow in grace.

 

Let’s Pray: Father God thank you for your all-abounding grace. Thank you that you have made grace to be so available that we do not need to struggle to live the life of Christ on earth. Today, we want to continue to grow in grace, so we affirm our need of you and put no confidence in our flesh. Thank you for keeping us from falling and thank you for the never –ending supply of your grace, in Jesus name we pray. Amen. 

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: Psalm 18

 

Key Text: Psalm 18: 28-29 – “For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. 29 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.”

 

History is replete with unfulfilled visions and dreams, uncompleted projects and abandoned inventions and creations. Myles Munroe said the richest place in the world is the cemetery. He said this to illustrate that many of those in the graves went there with some of their greatest inventions and ideas interned with their bones. God will not let us die with unfulfilled dreams and visions. We must die empty. As an observer of life and a student of success, I have discovered that many abandoned dreams, visions and projects are not necessarily the carelessness of those who are executing the project, but a more malevolent person, who is skilled at developing walls that would stop even the most envisioned in their tracks. Satan is the master of ‘provocations at the door of breakthrough’!

Most of these aborted visions and dreams are casualties of the devil’s meanest weapon. He is not a fool, just that God is so much wiser than him, so when we are dependent on God, we can overcome even this sinister strategy of Satan.  What is a ‘provocation at the door of breakthrough’? To define it, I will tell you a story that every lover of football will remember. Zinidine Zidane, probably the best footballer in the world at that time had led France to the finals of the 2006 world cup against a weaker and older Italian team. It was a world cup for France to win. In the 110^th minute we all saw something totally uncharacteristic of Zidane. He head butted Marco Materazzi of Italy and was consequently sent off. His departure from the pitch gave Italy the power to hold on and eventually win the title on penalties. This was the night Zidane and France should have been crowned as champions of the world. Zidane was undoubtedly the best player of the tournament and on the night was in superb form. It was like his ‘swan song’, when he left the pitch in disgrace and shame for a silly reaction to a provocation. We learnt that Marco Materazzi had employed the vilest but old weapon of abusing a person’s family member on the pitch to get them to lose their concentration. In Zidane’s case it was his mother and sister, the two most precious people in his life. He fell for it and the rest is history.

With this story, we can see what a provocation at the door of breakthrough is. It is a ruse or attack, aimed at the visionary to take their eyes off the goal or purpose long enough to frustrate the dream and abort it. It comes in many forms. It may be a personal issue or an attack on your person. It could be a family member close enough to have the impact and pull on the emotional heartstrings. It may be a sudden disaster that looks so great it will cripple everything. It may be even something to stir up righteous anger in us and then we overreact by trying to deal with the situation in our own strength. But even more important is the timing of these things. They come just as you are about to hit a big breakthrough. They come just before the day of great accomplishments. It is the timing of these things that make them so dangerous, and why we need to be so sensitive. 

Remember Moses, after leading Israel for forty years and enduring all forms of attack, he was at Meribah and the children of Israel complained again for the umpteenth time about the lack of God’s provision and Moses was instructed to speak to the rock and it would give water. But Moses was so annoyed with the children of Israel that he went and struck the rock twice in anger. The water flowed for Israel, but Moses threw away his forty years work in one rash act of anger.  He failed at the last obstacle before entering the Promised Land. He did not lead them into the Promised Land. He died with an unfulfilled vision.

David was a few days away from being made King in Israel and Saul was about to die. Then disaster struck in Ziklag and David’s entire city was burned down and his wives and children taken captive by the Amalekites. Thank God that David was wise enough to enquire of the Lord, because his men were about to stone him to death for the disaster. But David pursued, overtook and recovered all that was stolen from him and was able to mount the throne a few days after.

Jesus was about to go to the cross to pay the price for the redemption of mankind. As He was heading to Jerusalem, Herod sent word to him that he would kill Jesus if he came into Jerusalem in Luke 13:31-32, “At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you. 32 And he said to them, Go and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.” Jesus knew who was behind this ruse and he addressed him as the fox.

Truth is it takes God to help one to identify and sidestep these provocations. That is why in today’s passage we see that David made a very important statement. He said ““For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. 29 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.” We need God to enlighten our darkness and then we need His almighty strength to run against the troops of the enemy and scale the walls of opposition, so we can press on and get to the destination or our purposes.

Beware of the provocation at the door of breakthrough. Try not to react to everything. Try to wait and hear from God. Keep your focus on your goal and remember, by God you will overcome.

 

Let’s Pray: Father God, thank you that you are my present help in times of trouble. Father, I ask for your discernment in every situation. Help me not to react in my flesh and blow the opportunities and chances you give me. Help me to recognise the strategies of Satan and be able to sidestep them on my way to victory. Thank you for the grace to accomplish the vision you have given to me. In the name of Jesus I will not abort or abandon my God given dream for a ruse of the enemy. Amen.

 

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: Psalm 43

 

Key Text: Psalm 43:5 – Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my [sad] countenance, and my God.

 

Sometimes when things don’t go as well as we have planned them, we tend to be disappointed and if we do not check this disappointment in time it can lead to a type of depression. Also, when we feel that things are not working for us or circumstances are against us, we can get depressed and our souls are downcast as the bible says. The bible actually says hope deferred makes the heart sick. This simply means if we have expectations that are not met, it can cause our souls to be sick or depressed.

Whenever I find myself in a moody state and I begin to feel down and unhappy, I have learnt to look deep within me for the reason why. It is not sometimes obvious why one feels down, it may be a combination of things and if one is not careful to isolate these reasons, one could easily become so bound up in sadness and depression, that it becomes rather difficult to come out of it. In my understanding, once I am able to isolate the reason for my downcast feeling, it is then easy to find the light of God’s perspective to lift me up and out of the sinking feeling in my soul.

Today’s passage is quite instructive in dealing with depression and that feeling of lowness that just makes us moody and sad. In verses 3 and 4, we see that the writer of the Psalm, prayed, he said “Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” God’s way out of depression is to send His word and His word brings light and His light brightens up our souls and the dark clouds of depression are expelled. Actually to put it bluntly, a depression has to do with the presence of  the wrong perspective in  person’s soul. It simply means one has allowed another perspective in other than God’s. We all do it, but we all must learn how to resist this temptation to dwell in this state.

The answer and antidote to depression is always getting into God’s presence and getting God’s perspective in. It is a guaranteed way to be free. Psalm 16:11 says that in God’s presence there is fullness of joy. You can’t be depressed and joyful at the same time. One gives way to the other because they are diametrically opposed. Just light light and darkness. Darkness always gives way for light. Joy is the antidote to sadness and depression and it can only be obtained in God’s presence. Joy is heaven’s atmospheric condition, because all is well in heaven and there is no depression there. So as a child of God, we must learn how to run into His presence and allow our spirits and souls  to be infused with God’s joy and our depressive minds will leave.

The writer of today’s Psalm found himself questioning his soul. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” This writer was wise to recognise that the issue was not in his spirit, but his soul. His emotions will and mind. He knew he has the authority to command his soul and order it to get the right perspective.

Lastly some people have described depression as a dark cloud that envelops them. This is quite interesting, because the dark cloud has come to hide the rays of God’s light from shinning upon us. So as every pilot knows that above the dark clouds the sun is still shinning, so all we need to do is go higher than the clouds and we would see that God’s perspective still stands and the dark clouds are not powerful enough to stop God’s light from shinning.

Today you may be under the fog of a dark cloud. Hear me, just get into God’s presence, either by studying His word, or worshipping Him or praying to Him, and I am certain, God will lift you up and out of that depressive thought. God’s plans for you are not of evil but of good to give you a hope and a future. Someone may have disappointed you, but God says I will never leave you nor forsake you. You may be physically ill, God says He is the Lord who heals you. You may have lost a loved one and are saddened by this, God says weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. He promised to give you the oil of joy instead of the spirit of mourning, beauty for ashes AND A GARMENT OF PRAISE INSTEAD OF HEAVINESS.

Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my [sad] countenance, and my God.

 

LET’S PRAY: Father God, I thank you for this day. I choose to look up to you and trust you and believe your perspective in my current situation. I command my soul to trust in God and hope in His goodness. Father, I draw on the atmosphere of heaven and receive joy in my spirit that is able to drive out the foreboding depressive darkness I feel. Father thank you for your light and the lightness of heart you have given me. I rejoice in you and know that it is well with my soul. I praise you and glorify you in Jesus name. Amen. 

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: Psalm 95

 

Key Text – Psalm 95:6 – “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”

 

Have you ever caught yourself majoring on the minor and completely relegating what is paramount to the background. Sometimes we forget the reason why we are involved in an activity and simply focus on the peripherals. I once had to minister to a couple, who had become tired of their relationship and were actually on the verge of breaking up. That day as I listened to them I understood that the issues they both were complaining about so vehemently were side issues or what we can call trivialities and they really had forgotten what the real purpose of their marriage was about. God gave me the wisdom to share with them the truth about their marriage and remind them of the real reason why they came together and fell in love. By the end of the two week session, they had rediscovered the love they had and the purpose of their marriage and life together.

Recently, God has been leading us to rediscover the joys and pleasures of worshipping Him. We have been created to worship God and God alone. Today’s passage is a call to worship. It gives us the reason we are to worship God. It also indicates that obeying God flows from a heart of worship. We worship God, because He is worthy of our worship. We worship God because He is our maker, our creator and he owns us. We worship God because He is our life, mainstay and rock. We worship God because we are His sheep.

The singular most important function of man is to worship God. Man was not designed to be worshipped, but man was designed to worship God and God alone. So whenever you see men worshipping other men or other created beings or things, it always results in confusion and chaos and man is derailed. Man is designed to flourish as we worship God, much like plants flourish when their leaves are turned towards the sun. We are not designed to recieve worship, but we are designed to give worship. But give it to God alone! We always wonder what we can give to God. Worship is the best thing we can give to God. True worship of God is pure and undefiled. In its purest form, it is totally about God. It is not about us. But it ends up fulfilling us like nothing else can or will ever. If anyone asks you what is your purpose in life, consider this answer. I was made to worship God.

When we worship God, we receive guidance from Him; we are blessed; we are filled with His joy; and we get chains broken off our lives. These are but some of the fringe benefits of worshipping God, but not why we worship Him. The truth is it is what we were designed to do. If you want your life to function fully, put the priority on worship and make it the major reason for your life. Make the worship of God your topmost priority and watch God make everything in your life harmonise for your good.

When Paul and Silas were locked up in the Philippian jail, they did not complain or grumble. They simply started to worship. They didn’t even pray. The just started singing psalms and hymns and making melody to God. God heard in heaven and sent an earthquake into that jail to free them and all the prisoners bound up with them. Such is the power of worship. If you ever had to choose between prayer and worship, please choose worship.

Come let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our Rock and we are the sheep of His pasture.

Let’s pray: Father God, we thank you for creating us as worshipping beings. We are grateful for calling us back to worship. Please help us all to rediscover the joys, pleasure and power of worship in our lives. Father gives us the grace to truly worship you without restraint. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Morning Dew

Key Passage: Romans 12:1-2

Key Text: Romans 12:1 – “…present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

 

 

Before kings and queens are crowned, they go through a time of preparation and consecration. The process is quite elaborate and intense, so the king is really prepared to carry the responsibilities of royalty. So also, it is obvious that before the priests in the Old Testament were installed and commissioned, God gave specific instructions on how they are to be prepared and consecrated. If you read the book Exodus and Leviticus you would find many references to the consecration of Aaron and his sons into the priestly ministry. It involves washing, purifying, purging and anointing. So also are the vessels to be used in the temple or tabernacle, the pans, pots, shovels etc all need to be consecrated and prepared. These acts are not to be ignored or trivialised in these days, because we are New Testament believers. Consecration is still a prerequisite for power and service. If God is to anoint one for His purpose, there will be a time of consecration and preparation.

The act of consecration is being lost today. Most people don’t recognise the need to be set apart for God’s holy purpose and will. But let us understand, that God uses consecrated people and if your desire is for God to use you then please understand that you must consecrate yourself to Him.

Let us look at another biblical story to let you know the power of consecration. Esther and the virgins had to go through a whole year of consecration before they were brought before the king for just one night. They were purged with myrrh for six months and beautified for another six months with perfumes. This elaborate process for just one night with the king! So imagine what it means to appear before God.

In the New Testament, we see that when Jesus called Peter, James and John, he challenged them to come and follow him and he would make them fishers of men. They left their boats and nets and followed him. This is a type of consecration, in that they set themselves apart for the service of God.

Today, Jesus has shed his blood for our cleansing. He has paid the price for us to appear before the King. He has made it possible for us to be separate and serve Him. But we still have to respond to the call and separate ourselves to him. We are washed by His word and cleansed by His blood, so whenever we hear the word of God and it convicts us, we are expected to react and amend our ways. The blood is applied by faith to cleanse us from our sins.

Jesus said in Luke 14: 26-27 – “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” And verse 33 says “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

Following Jesus requires a clear understanding that our lives are no longer ours and He has the right to use the way He chooses. So only a consecrated person can be truly anointed by Him for his service.

The consecration of a person is one of the ways to receive the anointing and power of God for service. Many people have a calling from God, but are yet to be endued with the power to fulfil the commission, because they have not yet understood the need to be separate and consecrate themselves so God can anoint them and empower them. Remember Jesus asked His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they are endued with power from on high.

But perhaps most importantly is that before we get to our coronation and wedding in heaven as the bride of Christ, we would first consecrate ourselves here on earth. Let the following verses of scripture minister to you. “

Revelations 19:6-9 – “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great. 6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

Today’s key text is a simple injunction and admonition to consecrate your life to His service.

Is God calling you for a holy purpose? Consecrate your life to Him.

Let’s pray: Father God, today I rededicate my heart and life to you and to your heavenly purpose. Father God, please forgive me for not giving my heart fully to you and for allowing other things to come and take my attention away from you. Father in the name of Jesus I ask for the grace to be consecrated to you and to always recognise that you have the pre-eminence in my life. Use me now for your glory, in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: Hebrews 11

 

Key Text: Hebrews 11:4 – “And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.”

 

Sometimes we never truly appreciate a person until they have departed this world. Honestly I think a person’s true worth is never fully appreciated whilst they are alive. Look at all the great art masters. Van Gough, Picasso, Matisse, Davinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Botticelli, Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt etc etc, most of them died poor and unappreciated whilst they were alive, but today their works command millions of dollars at auctions all around the world.  I think Van Gough would have appreciated a few millions whilst he was alive. Why is this important and why should we learn from their lives. I am convinced that how one lives ones life has an impact on ones mortality. Life is a stage and how we play our part in it determines whether our roles are remembered. How many movies have you seen and after a few hours you cannot even remember some of the people in the lesser roles.

Recently, I began to think of a friend who departed this life two years ago, and I began to truly appreciate the impact he had on me and on countless thousands of us that he came in contact with. I began to reflect on the enormous heart he had and the unusual grace he had on his life to be able to accomplish such great feats in such a relatively short life. He is dead, yet there is hardly a day I don’t think of him or have reason to think about him, even if it just for a cursory, fleeting moment. He is dead but his deeds are still waxing eloquently in the annals of time.

The bible tells us that God should teach us how to number our days that we may gain a heart of understanding. What are you doing with your life? What are you going to be remembered for? What will speak of you after you have left these shores? I am convinced that God’s plan is for us to leave an indelible impression in the sands of time. Actually in hearts of other human beings. Whilst some devote their energies to making incredible sums of money, so they can buy the respect of men, others dedicate their lives to helping others become better and great, yet one dies and is never remembered and all his wealth squandered, and the other dies, but lives on in the lives of those he has touched. Gain a heart of understanding.  Today’s passage talks of the heroes of faith and the exploits they carried out whilst they were here. The defied the status quo and brought about a new order. They believed God and changed their world. They eventually died, but really never died, because everyday people still speak of their exploits thousands of years after they have left this world.

A Christian has the power of eternity in them and we have the power of the age to come. We can change our world. We can influence people for good. We can be a blessing beyond this world. Why do we cower and hide behind our trees of excuses and our fig leaves of religiosity and watch the world around crumble and decay? Why don’t we use what we have to change our world?

Life is short but you can make it long by making a great impact with your life. Jesus only spent 33 years on this earth physically and the impact He made still speaks ever so eloquently. I know you would say He is the Son of God and no one can ever replicate what He did. I would have said yes you are right, but you are a son or daughter of God too, if you are a believer and Jesus himself said, in John 14:12 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”

There will never be another Jesus Christ, His position is unique in eternity, but he has given all of us the right to rise up and change our world for His glory.

What will be said of you when you leave the stage?

 

Let’s pray: Father God, thank you for the grace to live is such a way that we still speak long after we have left this world. Father, help me to number my days so I can gain a heart of understanding. Help me to leave an indelible print in the hearts of people for good and for your kingdom in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

 

 

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: John 4: 23-24 

 

Key Text: John 4: 24 – “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

 

Being an African, one is privileged to observe certain things and gain understanding.  Royalty in Africa is close to reality as one can see. The kings are like demi-gods and they command a lot of respect and awe from their subjects. In my tribe, kings are referred to as Kabiyesi. Which when translated means “Who can question you?’ So kings are held in real high esteem and are seen as direct representatives of God on earth. When a true king gets up from his chamber, it is with great fanfare. The musicians begin to play and sing and praise him. Every step he takes is accompanied by great praise. People roll on the floor, fall on their faces and literarily worship the king. (I have to say as a believer in Christ, I sometimes shudder at such worship going to mere mortals, and often pray that the kings will learn how to transfer all this worship to God and teach their subjects that Jesus Christ is Lord.) I have met a few godly African kings, who have learnt how to worship God in the presence of their subjects and it is really a wonder to behold the effect on the people as they see their king worshipping THE KING!

Today, let us understand the priority of worship and the way God views it. Worship is derived from the English word ‘worthy’. So worship has to do with the worthiness of the person being worshipped. In our text today, we see that God is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. The word seeking here masks a much deeper word, which really is like the word yearn or ache. God really is looking for worshippers; those whose hearts are stirred by the Holy Spirit and whose minds are filled with His truth. Worship belongs to God and God alone and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

There are two words that describe biblical worship and studying them can be instructive. 1. In the Old Testament the word for worship is hishahawah, which means falling down and bowing down. This is really not so much as the physical falling down, though it includes it, but more of humbling oneself in the presence of the King. 2. The second word is proskoneo which means ‘kiss towards’ and it gives the sense that we lean forward to kiss. Here we see that there is a love connection and an adoration principle in worship. So loving God would lead you to worshipping God. So worship of God must be led by the Holy Spirit, in humility and awe of God, with a heart that loves and adores Him. This picture is clearly portrayed in Revelations 4: 1-11.

But let us read verses 8-11 – “And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

 Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty- four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

The response of the twenty four elders says it all.

One final thing and this I have seen with the African kings too. Most people who come before the king never come empty handed. They always either send gifts ahead or they come bearing gifts for the king. This is a biblical principle that David exhibited in 2 Samuel 24:24 – But the king said to Araunah, No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. Worship of God must be sacrificial and must cost us something. We must nit come empty handed. We must come offering something in worship. We should offer our bodies as living sacrifices; we should offer our possessions and we should offer our praises, which the bible calls the fruit of our lips.

Worship belongs to God alone, so let’s worship Him and Him alone!

 

LET’S WORSHIP: Song culled from Psalm 95

Come let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord,
Our God and Maker.

For he is our God

And we are the people of his pasture, 

And the sheep of his hand,

Just the sheep of his hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9liBXz1zJk

Morning Dew

 

 

 

Key Text: “The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.”

 

Taking responsibility for one’s life is a not as easy as it sounds. Man has always had a problem with accepting responsibility. Adam blamed Eve for disobeying God and Eve blamed the serpent for falling to the temptation. If we are to believe Adam, he really did not want to eat the fruit but his wife was very persuasive. And if we are to believe the woman, she really never desired the fruit. But the truth is all the way to Adam mankind has struggled with accepting responsibility.

There is a great misconception among believers that because God is sovereign, therefore we have no responsibility. This is actually a great error; God’s sovereignty does not absolve man of responsibility. Even more important is the fact that God expects us to maintain dominion on earth and not abdicate our God given role as His regents on the earth.

I have often heard believers say that they are waiting for God to do some of the most basic things for them. They forget that God has given them the ability to deal with those issues and He would not take over a role He has already given us to do. Let me look a really absurd one; Mr Farmer has a lot of seeds and believes God for a great harvest, but Mr Farmer refuses to go and plough his land and sow his seeds, yet he fully expects to see a harvest on an untilled, unploughed and ‘unsowed’ land. God will make the seeds grow, but it is our role to plant the seeds. This is really what a lot of Christians do with what God has given to them.

The truth is, we all need to understand what God has given us to do and what He would do for us. If you leave you garden untended, it will be overgrown with weeds and there is no amount of prayer and confession that will remove the weeds. You just have to roll up your sleeves get on your knees and do some weeding and tending and your garden will look good.

Today’s scripture tells us that the heavens belong to God, but the earth He has given to the son’s on men. This means God expects man to take control of the earth and yes we are to do this with His grace and strength, but certainly He is not going to come and take over our role on earth. So whatever you see on earth here that is anti God is here because someone refused to accept the responsibility. The devil cannot do anything here, unless the church allows him. Evil cannot prospers and persist if the body of Christ rises up and stops it. I know this may sound simplistic and even fatalistic. But the word of God is absolutely clear about who has the authority on this earth. It is not the devil from what I have read. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20 – “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So I see from this scripture that the Church been given the delegated authority on earth by Jesus Christ, so the devil has zero authority. So by deduction, whatever territory he still controls, he does so because the church is yet to exercise the authority we have in those areas.

 

Let’s pray: Father God thank you that you have given us the dominion on earth and you expect us to exercise this authority. Help me not to abdicate my position and responsibility. Help me to accept responsibility and do what you have empowered me to do and understand clearly the things you would do. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.