Category Archives: Undying Love

CHILDREN:SO DEAR TO GOD

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Children are so dear to God that Jesus had to invite them to him to the surprise of the Priests, rulers of the synagogue, and even the disciples. The feeling that they ought not to come near Jesus was faulted by not only inviting them to himself, He also carried them and divinely blessed them. Matthew 19:13-15 captured the essence of their worth to Christ Jesus:  “Then were there brought unto Him little children, that He should put his hand on them, and pray, and the disciples rebuked them, But Jesus said suffer and forbad them not,to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven, And He laid His hand on them, and departed thence.”

Fresh lilies and daffodils are good to look at. They are acceptable gift of love as well as fresh roses. If we read through Psalm 127: 3-5 we will appreciate God’s expression of love and ownership. HE only granted them to their parents as precious gift from Him to them. By this, parents should know that they are merely custodians for the children and therefore, are expected to take good care of them. To families, especially believers, the onus of training children in the way of the Lord is incumbent on them. Under our statutory laws,when a parent  is granted custody of a biological child or by court award, the child’s character will be expeted to be moulded by the parents or foster parents.

Do you know that children do enjoy worshipping God and are usually a delight unto Him; Psalm 8: 2. They never feel too big or small to sing, shout, jump or clap for the Lord. This is why in Matthew 21: 15-16. Jesus did not despise the children as they shouted “Hosannah to the son of David” even though the Chief Priest and the Scribes were very uncomfortable. They asked whether Jesus heard the children and he confirmed that He indeed heard them, he further said; “Ye have never read, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise?”

As great and pius as king David was, he sinned and did fast and prayed fervently to prevent the death of the child. The child died but David showed fatherly love for the child as recorded in 2 Samuel 12:18-23. Another angle to appreciating children is found in Psalm 127: 3-5. It says “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate”.

Now I say, were it not for the grace of God on King David, chances are that Jesse would probably have remained irrelevant in the Jewish history. David still mourn the child of his loin in the person of Absalom who exiled him and was later killed in battle. He even pleaded with his warlord to treat his son gently in battle. That is the way in which God loves us and especially children who are innocent of adults’ sinful mind. It was Jesus Christ that raised the horn of Virgin Mary, otherwise, she would have blossomed and florished in the vast desert of life without any mention of her in the Jewish tradition. Therefore, parents train your dhildren in the way of the Lord so that when they grow old they will not caause you (parents) any trouble. Proverb 22: 6 is very relevant. Love begets love.

 

 

 

 

Great But Dented Series # 6

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Anyone God does not condemn no one should stand in judgement against the person. So it remains with Miriam, the senior sister of Moses, the Great. The grace of God came upon her at a very early age. She performed the role of vessel of honor unto to the Lord. She it was that carefully carried baby Moses to the riverside and hid him in the bush.  She waited and watched until Pharoah’s daughter came to swim for relaxation in the river with her female palace aids. As soon as ‘the baby’ in the basket was handed over to the princess, the young Miriam came out from hiding. She with great intellect talked the princess into accepting a Hebrew caregiver who was in reality the biological mother. To this end, Miriam was a divine broker that God used as saving grace for Moses’ life in preparation for the ultimate release of the children of Israel from over four hundred years of bondage in Egypt.

Miriam and Aaron were expected to realize that they owed their divine duties to God and their brother who they were anointed to assist for the successful achievement of Moses’s mission of liberating his kith and kin. At such even from human angle, they ought to respect and not envy Moses as their leader. Even though, their brother did what was, contrary to their Hebrew tradition but, as servants God they ought to seek the face of the Lord first before judging him on their own.They both had access to divine knowledge but out of jealousy they complained against the anointed of God of their Fathers. Num. 12:1-16 captured the run of events: “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he has married an Ethiopian woman”. So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” The Lord heard them without Moses complaining about their jealousy.

The consequence was that the Lord struck Miriam with leprosy. Aaron did apologize for their sin and begged for forgiveness. Moses had to cry to the Lord in her behalf. Number 12: 13. “Please heal her Oh! God I pray.” God honored Moses’s prayer and Miriam spent seven days outside the camp before God cleansed her and enabled further continuation of their journey. God’s compassion came to play consequent upon repentance and his saving grace. From age to age deadly sins continue to cause great men and women of God to act  against the decorum expected of them. There is an antedote in II Peter 5:18 “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour”

Answered Prayer Series # 1

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Going to the Lord in prayer has divine reward

Going to the Lord in prayer has divine reward

Our all-knowing God has the true knowledge of mankind from creation, and thus placed before the chosen people of God the Ten Commandments to guide them, who are the children of Israel, whose frailties HE knew very well. In Exodus 20: 3 HE said: “You shall have no other Gods before me.”  Believing in Christ is derived from the requirement of having no other Gods but HIM. Evidences abound in the bible in many areas where knowing and worshipping God for who HE is was the potent weapon for overcoming life’s difficulties. In 1Kings 18: 37 Elijah showed how absolute faith in God that he demonstrated publicly helped him to invoke fire from heaven that burnt his sacrifice. Prophets of baal could not. He had to adjudge the prophets of baal by executing up to 400 of them. He had to run away for dear life because of Jezebel’s hot desire to kill him. God knew his plight and sent a raven to supply food and drink that lasted him for forty days and forty nights

All these were the fall out from his prayers for drought and eventual rainfall James 5: 17. Elijah’s raising the son of the widow of Zarephath to life in 1Kings 17: 20-23 (NKJV) was a clear example of answered prayer. Being a tax collector signified the status of a sinner because of the sharp practices in the execution of their duty. Once one realizes that one is a sinner and has the conviction to ask for mercy, God does not close his eyes against such individuals Luke 18: 13 (NKJV). By the same token Jacob, known to have supplanted his twin-brother Esau, did pray to be delivered from his brother’s wrath. His prayer was granted Genesis 2: 9-12. (NKJV)

All these instances of answered prayers point to the fact that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercy has never come to an end, they are new every morning,  great is the faithfulness of the Lord. A believer has the grace for praying for self and others and answers shall always be manifest. The prayer of the saint avails much. This is a period of dispensation of grace. It is therefore incumbent on us to help ourselves by depositing our problems at the feet of Christ who is always ready to solve our problems handed over to Him. Praise the Lord!

No Place for Despondency

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Be strong in the Lord to be able to achieve your avowed intention.

Be strong in the Lord to be able to achieve your avowed intention.

For all believers, our Lord Jesus is our spiritual looking-glass self concerning the way he had to undergo many-a-lot of harrowing experiences from conception to birth, post birth situations up to how he went to the cross, the grave and eventually to the sky. In spite of all odds, He accomplished his mission on earth. His immaculate conception was hard for Joseph the carpenter, the would be earthly father, to accept his betrothed Mary. King Herod out of jealousy sought to kill him. Matthew 1: 18-25. The devil tempted Him after His baptism Matt. 4:1-11; 27: 24 to the end; Luke 23. The most painful of the ordeals was Judas Iscariot’s betrayal to the High Priest and the Elders. The case of Brutus to Caesar was a child’s play concerning the person of our Lord and Savior. Jesus was not discouraged and did not chicken out of the divine race He ran and won by being able to return to sit at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.

Failures and near successes did not make Abraham Lincoln despondent . He eventually became one of the most revered presidents of the United States. Nelson Mandela remained uncompromising in his demand for freedom and abolition of apartheid. He endured twenty-seven years of incarceration but lastly went from prison to the Presidency of free South Africa. Steve Biko died in prison but succeeded in winning a place in the history of South Africa.The German heroic recovery from the ruins of the second World War showed that they buried despondency along with the losses Nazi German rulers inflicted on the good people of Germany. Today the German currency, indeed the economy, has been described as the strongest within the European Union economy. Over half a century ago, the Rapid Result College had this quotation on her correspondence tutorial booklets: “Do not for one repulse forego the purpose you resolve to effect”. It was a powerful inspiration to those aspirants in pursuit of quality education for better life.

Non-Carnal Love Series # 35

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Waiting upon God's love

Waiting upon God’s love

It is those who have a knack for appreciating good things done to them or experienced from the hands of others that find it easy to give thanks in cash or kind. It is in the form of offering, tithe, seed sowing, rendering free services in the house of God or doing community service selflessly. Even ones time in addition to financial sacrifice constitute thanksgiving borne out of love. We see a perfect example of what man’s love should involve in Habakkuk 3: 17-18 “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruits be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, Though the flock may be caught off from the fold; And there be no herds in the stalls; Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation”.

The behavior and life’s work of Abraham with unwavering faith coupled with unalloyed obedience were counted as righteousness Heb.11: 8. There is no wonder the Psalmist  had to write in Psalm 37: 25 “I have been young and now I am old,  Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken; Nor his descendants begging bread”. God cannot be treated as a fair weather friend for while we think he is not paying attention, HIS whole plan for our life is being guarded to prevent derailment of any kind. The bottom line is that we must cultivate the habit of waiting upon the Lord. He neither sleeps nor slumbers. He will surely attend to our needs. Though help may tarry but it will surely come at His own time.

Non-Carnal Love Series # 34

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Non-canal loveObedience and love of God for who He is accentuated the hand of God in ensuring that the children of Israel under the leadership of Joshua rose literally from behind to win the war at Ai. Our sin or acting on our impulse rather than on God’s guidance is disliked by God. Such shows that one has taken Him out of ones life equation. Consider the situation of the Israelites, they depended on God to destroy the city of Jericho. Avarice and love of material things made Israel to incur the wrath of God. They felt it was going to be an easy run-over of Ai because they believed Ai was not populated enough as to be able to give them a tough time. They underrated Ai while unknown to the whole of Israel that Achan had “taken the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel”. This made God to turn aside from Israel. Joshua 7: 1-5 (NKJV)

Joshua inquired and found out the cause of the defeat. He took punitive measure against Achan and his household. God forgave them with a promise of affirmed defeat over Ai. Joshua 7: 10-26 (NKJV). God loves the penitent heart. Israel’s supremacy in battle was restored. Ai fell following Israel’s compliance with the will of God of Israel. To all believers, let it be known that the Lord God Almighty does not accept partial compliance with His divine instructions. He enjoys our total obedience and makes us conquerors in the battle of life. Joshua 8: 1-21 (NKJV). Our obedience is a demonstration of loving God which brings joy to humanity.

 

Non-Carnal Love Series # 33

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Non-canal loveThe spirit of adoption is a component part of agape love of God for the Lord God is Love, The context meaning of God’s love cannot be  adequately fathomed as it encompasses all created living and non-living things. What one cannot love and cherish may not in the affirmative be adopted. An adopted child  by law has become heir to the father’s inheritance. By adoption we have become  joint heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord. For being in God’s presence to be assured, one needs to be an unsevered branch of the vine – Jesus. Other attributes include humility, and maintaining close relationship with God. As a sinner one needs to be broken and be ready to confess ones sins to ensure forgiveness and ultimate redemption.

Let us remember that Adam and Eve were the first culprit of sinfulness and were consequently driven out of the Garden of Eden – a place of eternal joy. It was that sin that brought us separation from God, Genesis 3: 14-19. (NKJV)  Sin and death came through the first Adam. redemption, salvation and everlasting life  came by faith and believe in the second Adam – our Lord Jesus Christ. By the agape love of God, He sent us HIS only begotten Son (our Lord Jesus) as propitiating lamb of God to remain a means of cleansing man’s iniquity. It was for those the bible tells us are believers in Christ Jesus Romans 6: 23. (NKJV) It states, “For wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NKJV)

 

Non-Carnal Love Series # 23

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Non-canal loveSimon was his name before Jesus Christ re-named him Peter (meaning Cephas or Stone). He was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. He wasn’t a city dweller neither was he as educated as the Pharisees or did ever belong to the Priestly lineage. No doubt he was a Jew and was expecting the prophesied Messiah. Matthew 4:18-20; Mark 1:16-18; John 1:35-41 The moment his brother Andrew introduced him to Jesus, he caught the intense fire of divine love for God, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He was bold to the extent that what others cannot say he would boldly say it. He was able to identify Jesus as the Son of God. He belonged to the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus was the spiritual leader or Rabbi, Peter was the undisputed human leader of the disciples. He had periods of showing the human angle in his life as a disciple. For instance, while walking on the sea fear gripped him and forgot that he was under the anointing of Jesus but quickly asked for the master’s help.

At another time, he became belligerent and drew his sword in defense of Jesus when the High Priest asked soldiers to go and arrest him at the beginning of the passion of Christ. Jesus prevailed on him. Faced with the trial of Jesus he denied him. Immediately he realised that he has been untrue to his savior, he wept bitterly to atone for his failure. No wonder he emerged the leader of the first Church of Christ. In conclusion, divine love dictated his boldness to accept leadership of the fledging church in spite of severe persecution. Matt 26: 69-120;  Mark 14: 66-72; Luke 22: 54-62. Peter possessed divine love that most human being do not have.

Non-Carnal Love Series # 21

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Non-canal loveIn Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, we learnt about the immeasurable love of father to his son. What makes the love stand out as unique and inimitable is the way the prodigal second son depleted his father’s prosperity while still alive. Rather than investing it for higher returns to his investment, he squandered it all. By the way, only dead person’s property is subject to being inherited. For the father to release part of his wealth is always in the sense of drawing up the will to prevent dying intestate. By implication, the father has limitless resources. On the part of the love the son had for the father, it was just the riches or a non-divine love of the father for who he was.

Let us substitute the “certain man” being the father of the two sons with the Almighty God and see how we have been enjoying His benefits without genuine love for our benefactor. Taking back the lost and found son is God’s act of forgiveness once we show evidence of a broken and contrite heart. In other words, a sinner must show a sense of remorse. However sinful we are, HE (God) is ready to accept us just as we are. Luke 15: 11 – 32.