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Standing Firm in the Face of Temptation

Shumi Mararike
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Standing Firm in the Face of Temptation

Facing tests and temptations is part of being human. When confronted with temptation, we can either submit or resist. Which of these will you choose? As a Christians, we are called to do the latter. God has given us the means by which we may conquer rather than fold. So how do we overcome them?

Temptation Will Come

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.

1 Corinthians 10:13a

As surely as the sun will rise today, you will be tempted before it sets. The same word is used for ‘temptation’ and ‘test’ in the original language; they are used interchangeably (1 Corinthians 10:10 and 1 Corinthians 10:13). Therefore, they take various forms such as the desire to exercise greed, pride, lust and the like (1 John 2:16). They also entail trials and suffering that may cause you to doubt God’s provision, uncertain that He can or will meet your needs (1 Corinthians 10:1—10; Exodus 17:2-7). These are not unique to you, but are experienced by all human beings. The bottom line is this: temptation and tests will come. By anticipating them, you can be on guard and refuse to give in. You can refuse to allow them to make you doubt God and draw you away from Him.

God is Faithful

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear

1 Corinthians 10:13b

God’s faithfulness is the grounds for confidence that you can overcome temptation. He is sovereign over what comes into your life. Hence, the tests He may allow you to face are not beyond your ability to deal with. This is not because of your own strength, but because of the grace and strength He supplies to you in His devotion toward you. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10; 1 Pet 5:10; Philippians 4:13). God is not just committed to saving you, but to sanctifying you completely (1 Thessalonians 5:23), making you more like Jesus by the power of His Spirit (Romans 8:29; 2 Thessalonians 2:13) and preserving you to the end (Philippians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 1:8-9; Romans 8:30). Because He is faithful, He will sustain you in and through all tests and temptations. You will not be tempted beyond what you can bear. Even if you fall into sin, temptation will not be the end of you.

God provides a way of escape

But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13c

Remember, temptation will come. It is inevitable. Therefore, the ‘escape’ or ‘the way out’ does not mean exemption. But it does mean endurance. Consider what God is doing in you and through you as you are being tested. From the tests, endurance is birthed and maturity is developed (James 1:2-4). He is working inside you as you put your faith into practice (Philippians 2:12-13). God is supplying you with all the nutrients you need to stand strong amidst temptation so that you may praise God when tested like Job, rather than curse Him and sin (Job 1: 20-22; 2:9-10). God is enabling you to trust Him in times of lack unlike the Israelites who hungered, thirsted and grumbled in the wilderness (Exodus 15:22-24; 16:1-3). He gives grace and the strength available in Christ (Philippians 4:13).

Very soon, you will meet again with your old foes – tests and temptations. Before you do, anticipate them so that you can stand your ground. Decide to resist it and submit to God, knowing that He is faithful to preserve as you fight. Lastly, remember that there is a way out – endurance through the grace and strength He supplies.

Sharing The Gospel In The Age of Apathy

Chude Obuaya
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Sharing The Gospel In The Age of Apathy

When was the last time you evangelised? What comes into your mind when evangelism is suggested by your church? Do you feel the urge to evangelise? To rephrase a popular statement made by A.W. Tozer, what comes into your mind when evangelism is discussed? In a world where sensitivity is at an all time high, evangelism is considered to be an intrusion on a person’s freedom to believe what they choose. In the West it’s becoming increasingly unpopular to proselytise and Christians are having to find innovative ways to share their faith, lest their accused of being intolerant. There are appears to be many obstacles to evangelism, how do we overcome them so the world may know that Jesus was sent for them (John 3:16; 17:23).

Disciples, Not Decisions


Before Jesus ascended, He commissioned his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptise them and teach them to observe all that God has commanded (Matthew 28:19-20). Whilst evangelism is at least preaching the gospel, it’s not only preaching the gospel. To avoid the necessary follow-up often required when doing evangelism, we can settle for leaving a track or just shouting in the town square, hoping that the gospel seed lands on fertile ground (Mark 4:1-20). Has this method of evangelism fanned the flames of apathy? How we evangelise should be fueled by why we evangelise. When we proclaim the gospel we aren’t just throwing good news into the atmosphere and hoping it materialises into something useful. Instead we are inviting people to be transformed by the good news that Jesus Christ came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). One the day of Pentecost, Peter declared the gospel t (Acts 2:14-36), called the people to repentance (Acts 2:37-41) and then committed to discipling the saints. Preaching the gospel should not be discouraged, after all how will they know unless they hear? (Romans 10:14). However, we don’t just want people to hear, but to know, believe and obey God.

Harvest And Labourers

Everyone needs the gospel. The world is under sin due to our parents Adam and Eve (Genesis 3) and as a result all people live in rebellion to God (Romans 3:9-12). The world needs to know that due to sin they are eternally separated from God. There is nothing that they can do to clear the debt that they have accrued (Romans 3:20). They need God. They need God, in the person of Jesus, to live for them, die for them, raise for them and ascend for them (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). They need to know their sins can be forgiven, they can be righteous, they can be changed and they can be loved (2 Corinthians 5:17-19). Jesus states that the problem isn’t the harvest but the labourers (Matthew 9:37-38). In other words, the issue isn’t whether there are people that need to hear but whether there are willing people to proclaim. The temptation for churches may be to spur their congregants up to go out and evangelise within their city, but that’s not the solution that Jesus gives. Jesus says we ought to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into His harvest. God is sovereign over His harvest. Therefore, the most important factor for evangelism is not willing labourers but the Lord of the harvest. Before we embark on proclaiming the gospel, let’s realise that it is the Lord’s efforts not our own that will make disciples out of all nations.

Sharing the Gospel in a Post-Modern Society

Ayo Stephen
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Sharing the Gospel in a Post-Modern Society

Have you ever heard someone say “that rule was only for that time” or “I agree with this verse but not that” or even the famous saying “this is my truth and what I believe is right” in regards to faith. This is post-modernism – simply put it is a worldview with no absolute truth, subjective and dependent on the individual. Jesus came to deliver a singular truth and tasked us with delivering such truth to all nations. So how can we accomplish this task when society prefers otherwise?

How are you presenting yourself?

You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn-bushes or figs from thistles?

Matthew 7:16

Presentation is key in evangelism, not only outwardly but inwardly also. To share the gospel to a post-modern society, you need to show a respect and genuine interest in their viewpoint, their lives and where they are coming from. You may not necessarily agree with what they say, but not disregarding their beliefs and why they believe such “truths” will aid in building a relationship that will help you in sharing the gospel. We must try not to correct their misunderstandings from the get-go, or have any changes in our demeanour when listening to them. We must try to wholeheartedly listen and intake why they believe their truths. Additionally, we must try not to be heated, loud or argumentative – we must learn to show grace because once we were also like them, blind to the truth Christ freely came to offer (Eph 2:3). We must demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit [Gal 5:22-23], including gentleness and patience, because in this way shall people know we are of Christ – and this alone can minister to them [Mt 17:15-20].

Ask thought-provoking questions

After creating a relationship, engage by asking thought provoking questions to understand why they think what they think. This may also force them to think about why their “truth” is what they think it is. This is not to say we should ask questions in a condescending manner, but in one that breeds a civil conversation. Questions could include:

  • Where are you on your spiritual journey
  • What do you understand about Christianity?
  • Do you ever think about life after death?

These questions are effective in continuing to build a relationship without seeming overcritical. Furthermore, look for areas of agreement. This can aid you in being less critical of their viewpoint and more interested. It can also make one feel like they are not being looked down upon. All these things will help in creating a space where both parties are calm and open to a conversation that can often come with hostility.

Using the Living Word

Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth

John 17:17

Ultimately, our truth comes from the Word of God, the Bible. Therefore, we can not proclaim truth without directing people to the Bible. As much as we should be respectful of their views, we must also show that we do not necessarily agree with all of them. We do not have to water-down the truth (Jn 17:17) nor do we have to talk in eloquent words disguised as the Word of God (1 Cor 2:4-5), however the truth must be displayed. We must try not to be caught in the trap of purely listening and not providing anything fruitful to the conversation. With respect, we should strive to speak our beliefs, even if it may disregard theirs, providing our foundation as the Word of God. Furthermore, we should encourage them in reading or researching about the Bible, offering up to them the Word of God. It is vital that they understand that Christianity is based on absolute truth that cannot be shaken and this is the difference between simply being ‘spiritual’ and being a Christian.

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 4:6

At the end of the day, we are not the ones who soften the hearts of the people, for God in His all-knowing might chooses whose heart He wants (Romans 9:14). We merely are to deliver the Word of God, to sow the seed and water the plant whilst God enables it to flourish (1 Cor 3:6-9). We must pray for the help of the Holy Spirit in this situation, to guide and help us to be able to deliver God’s Word fruitfully, because it is not by our power, nor our might, but only by the Spirit can mountains fade (Zechariah 4:6). Trust Him to do just that.

Is Your Faith Fickle?

Emmanuel Oganla
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Is Your Faith Fickle?

Faith is something that the biblical authors urge believers to base their lives upon. Romans1:17, Habakkuk 2:4, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10 all have this phrase in common ‘the just shall live by faith’. The multiplicity of this phrase within Scripture highlights its importance. Therefore, deciphering between fickle and authentic faith which the bible illustrates through the examples of Children of Israel in the First Testament and disciples in the second is vital. This article will help with deciphering the different types of faith exhibited by followers of God throughout history.

Children of Israel vs Moses

A common theme with the Children of Israel is they often forgot about God after experiencing His works. Psalm 106:10-13 ‘He saved them from the hand of him who hated them and redeemed them from the hand of their enemy. The waters covered their enemies; there was none left of them. Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. They soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel’ The 23rd verse records ‘Therefore he said that he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen one stood before them in the breach, to turn his wrath against them.’ The major contrast between Moses’ and the Israelites faith is ‘He made known His ways to Moses, his acts to the children of Israel’ (Psalm 103:7). ‘Knowing God’s acts’ is having a knowledge of God that’s based only on what he does. Whilst ‘knowing God’s ways’ is a knowledge of God that is rooted in His nature. Hold that thought, whilst we make another contrast of faith.

John vs the rest of the disciples

In john’s gospel, Jesus was given his final words to his disciples before his arrest, he said to his disciples “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my father is with me. This played out during his crucifixion as all were absent except John. I present two clues as two why this was the case: The first is John knew he was loved by Jesus, and the second is he rested his head on Jesus’ Chest. I will ask you again to hold that thought, whilst I aim to bring all the examples of faith together.

Fickle faith  

The children of Israel and the rest of the disciples alike showcased fickle faith. The children of Israel only knew His acts; therefore, their faith was circumstantial, hence why they often forgot God. If our faith in God is only based on His acts, our faith may fail when we are waiting for Him to act again. The disciple’s faith was also circumstantial and therefore fickle because it couldn’t stand against persecution. They all scattered and departed from Christ and it even took Peter to the point of denying Christ. God is redemptive, so don’t lose heart if you’ve mirrored their faith in any way.

Authentic Faith

I previously presented two clues as to why John remained with Christ, to the point I suggest that his faith was synonymous with Moses’ in that He also knew God’s way. Placing his head on Jesus’ side represents intimacy, which is how we know God. If we draw close to Christ, we will grow in intimacy with Him. This intimacy assured John of God’s love for him, which served him whilst others ran in the face of persecution. He knew God’s ways which is Love. Faith built on the intimate knowledge of God’s ways and nature is authentic and will keep and sustain us through tough times. Hence why our faith ought to be based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it is the ultimate expression of God’s love (John 3:16).

The Basis of Authentic Faith

Fickle faith is one that isn’t built on the intimate knowledge of God’s ways and nature namely Love. It is based on God’s acts alone or circumstances and can often lead us to forget God. But Authentic faith isn’t circumstantial. It is built on the intimate knowledge of God’s ways and nature as presented to us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

How Can I Experience Joy In My Christian Life?

Emmanuel Oganla
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How Can I Experience Joy In My Christian Life?

A Scottish philosopher named David Hume had a theory called hedonism. The belief that all pleasure is intrinsically valuable. Whilst Hume’s theory registers all pleasures as valuable, ‘Christian Hedonism’ places the greatest value on the pleasure that is derived from God alone and beckons Christians to be not so easily pleased by lower pleasures. John Piper coined the phrase ‘Christian hedonism’, which is the idea that the goal of Christianity is to maximise pleasure in God for the purpose of God’s glory. One of Piper’s most famous quotes within the context of Christin hedonism is ‘God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him’. This article is a biblical introduction towards that Ideology.

The Path To True Joy

‘We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink, sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased’ -C S LEWIS

Hume’s theory claims that anything goes. If it brings you pleasure, it is good. But we know this is contrary to what the bible teaches. Peter admonishes the church to ‘…beware of fleshly pleasures which wage war against the soul’ (1 peter2:11). It’s important to distinguish between low destructive pleasure and high life-giving ones, which the bible helps us to do.

‘You make known to me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy and at your right-hand pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11). The psalmist asserts that joy in its fullness (depth) and enduring pleasures (length) are in the presence of God. He connects this to knowing the path of life. We can conclude that the true path of life is experiencing the depths of joy and the lengths of pleasures that are in God. But how does it affect God’s glory?

God’s Glory In Our Pleasure And Satisfaction

God had two qualms with his people as fleshed out in the book of Jeremiah: “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:11). As human beings we can relate to the pleasure and satisfaction water gives when we thirst. We also know that it keeps us alive. God’s presence is to our soul what water is to our body. Essentially, God is saying they forsook, the one who pleasures and satisfies with life for things that cannot. God saw the ‘forsaking’ and ‘hewing’ as two sins and we understand that to sin is to fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well in John’s gospel illustrates this further.

In John 4 we are introduced to a Samaritan woman who was fetching water at Jacob’s well. Jesus told her that if she drinks from that well she will thirst again (the equivalence of a broken cistern that holds no water). He also said in the 14th verse that his water will cause her to thirst no more and be a spring that wells up to eternal life.

The encounter with Christ caused her to see Him For who he is. In the 28th verse we are told that she left her waterpot, the instrument she would use to fetch the water. She had no need for the broken cistern because she encountered the flowing river of life. She went on to share Jesus because Christ fills to the point of overflow: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38). She glorified him by testifying about Him. Christ pleasures us and empowers us to praise and make him known.

Like the woman at the well we too have ‘worldly waters’. Things that fall short at their promise to satisfy and in turn cause us to fall short in glorifying God. Seeking the depths of joy and lengths of pleasure in the presence of God is the true path of life for the believer and our empowerment to glorify Him.

Jesus told the woman that he thirsts, but we know he didn’t really require water. His thirst was greater. When his disciples returned and urged him to eat, he said “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). The will of God is that Christ will be our pleasure and satisfaction. Christ had his food and drink when he met the need of the woman at the well. It’s the same when he meets our need.

Building An Appetite For God

Jesus and the Holy Spirit are often likened to food and water in the bible. We as human being can relate to having an appetite for food and water as previously established. Hence why we are encouraged to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’ (Psalm 34:8). The key here is that our experience of God shapes our perception of Him. Like we experience a well-cooked meal, and we enjoy its goodness, we can experience God and enjoy His goodness as well.  One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to reveal Christ and make Him real to us so that we can experience Him. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  (John 16:13). This makes fellowship with the Holy Spirit crucial; it is Him our experience and enjoyment of God hinges on.

How Do We Fellowship With The Spirit?

We actively fellowship with the Spirit through prayer, worship and the book he authored, The Bible. We know the writers were moved by Him when they wrote it. We also know that He is the breath of God that inspired it (2 timothy 3:17-17). This understanding is vital because it stops Bible reading and prayer from being a mundane activity we do because we know we should as believers. It helps us to understand the power our spiritual discipline carries. No longer should we only see them as spiritual disciplines but also privileges. It’s either a burden or a privilege depending on your perspective. With this understanding, we see that we give ourselves to prayer and study of the word because it allows us to fellowship with the Holy Spirt who empowers us to experience and enjoy God’s goodness. We also experience and enjoy Jesus through fellowshipping with saints as He said, ‘where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am with them’ (Matthew 18:20)

The Holy Spirit is the presence of God with us on the earth, and His fruit is joy (Galatians 5:22), therefore joy is a hallmark of our fellowship with Him. A tree bears fruit after its own kind. Apple trees produce apples, The Holy Spirit produces joy. Therefore, true fellowship with Him should produce joy. The Holy Spirit is the deepest joy and lasting pleasure we receive from Christ to the point of overflow.

The Pleasure In Giving Yourself For Others

Sharing Jesus as well as our resources also has an hedonistic motivation. Paul, in admonishing the church to work hard to help those in need or ‘the weak’ echoed Jesus’ words in saying ‘it is more blessed to give that to receive’ (Acts 20:35). The root word of ‘blessed’ in this verse connotes happiness. Think on a time you bought a gift that meant a lot to a loved one and how good giving made you feel. Christian hedonism teaches that the believer derives great joy by giving himself for the needs of others, which is the essence of love which is what our entire faith is centred upon. Love for God and our neighbour.

Praise Is The Consummation Of Joy

We previously saw how the woman at the well, praised and glorified Jesus after her encounter with him. This is because ‘authentic joy in God will overflow with praise’ -John Piper.

We praise the restaurants, pieces of art and literature we enjoy and share it with people because of the genuineness of our enjoyment of it. In the same way our willingness to share Jesus can be an indication of the genuineness of our joy in him.

In conclusion, We must seek to experience and enjoy God, which we do by fellowship with the Holy Spirit and giving ourselves for the needs of people. We fellowship with the Holy Spirit through the bible, prayer, worship and believers. This fellowship should produce in us deep joy and lasting pleasure. This in turn should lead us to praise, share and glorify God. This is the pursuit of the Christian Hedonist.

Restore Your Joy in the Resurrection

Oluwaseyi Sobogun
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Restore Your Joy in the Resurrection

Easter is a very important day to mark in the life of a Christian. More than a bank holiday weekend or an easter egg hunt for the children, we celebrate Easter as Christians to mark the death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. And these are remarkable moments to behold. Here we will look at the two of the key days that make up the Easter holiday and how significant they are to our faith as Christians  – Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

Why is the day Jesus died called good?

On Good Friday we commemorate the day of the crucifixion when Jesus went up to the cross and died, taking on the sins of all mankind (1 John 2:2). This was a demonstration of God’s love for us, for while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Roman s 5:8). Good Friday is the day that the death of Jesus which was meant to be a sad thing turned out to be the greatest moment for us.

Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever

1 Thessalonians 5:10

Through His death, we are saved from the consequences of our sin, which is death, (Romans 6:23) and reconciled with God through faith. When Jesus said “it is finished”, it was not the end but the conclusion of our separation from God. This is the victory we declare, of our salvation, that we are reconciled to God through the death and we are born to new life through the resurrection.

A cross on a hill during a sunrise

What does it mean to rise again?

Three days after Jesus declared this word in John 19:30 and breathed his last, He rose from the burial tomb, showing Himself to many witnesses and fulfilling the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:4). Resurrection Sunday is all about how Christ rose from the dead and defeated the power of death (Romans 6:9). How we are free from sin, how it has no dominion over us, and how we are living freely under grace. The resurrection of Christ is principal to Christianity.

If Christ is not raised, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins

1 Corinthians 15:17

Mere man cannot rise from the dead. We are unable with our own willpower to resurrect ourselves from the dead but Christ, being fully God and man, has the power. The power that raised Christ from the dead dwells inside of us through faith (Romans 8:11). It takes faith to accept the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Yet if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9).

What happens next Sunday?

While we may enjoy the break from our daily routines and the lovely weather this week, may we remember the foundation of our faith. That Christ died and was resurrected. During this beautiful week, we quieten our hearts and sit with sombre thoughts but ultimately we rejoice because death is defeated and our King is alive. He has risen!

We celebrate this Easter but every day in our life is a celebration of the finished works of Jesus Christ on the cross. Easter should be a reminder to bring us back to remembrance of Him and mark the momentous moment that changed our present and future but it shouldn’t be different from every other Sunday/ Easter. Each Sunday we can remember what was done on the cross and our freedom in Christ.

Why Are You Running? 3 Lessons on Disobedience

Oluwaseyi Sobogun
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Why Are You Running? 3 Lessons on Disobedience

Running or choosing not to act upon a command, which we believe is from God, is disobedience. So is our unwillingness to submit to the authority of God by surrendering our wants to His will. And this has consequences. Look at Jonah. When we know God is asking us to do something why do we run? Why does our fear cause us to be disobedient to God? Here are three lessons on disobedience we can learn from what happened with Jonah.

Lesson 1: We can’t run from God

Jonah tried to run away in disobedience. In his attempt to escape the consequences, he boarded a ship to Tarshish to flee from the presence of God (Jonah 1:3). But he didn’t make it very far, instead, he was caught in a storm (v.4). The response to our disobedient behaviour is to flee in denial or shame. We choose to avoid communion with God as we know what we have done. We should know this is futile, as the Psalmist writes:

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold You are there

Psalm 139:7-8

There is truly nowhere we can run or hide that God will not find us, even in our disobedience. We may distance ourselves from His presence but God is still there, overseeing everything. Jonah learnt this the hard way when the captain and crew of the ship discovered the storm was from God. We can learn from his choices.

Lesson 2: Disobedience costs, Grace restores

The immediate price Jonah paid was to be thrown from his escape ship into the sea. Eventually, he ended up in the belly of a whale for three days (Jonah 1:10-17). When we run, where does our disobedience lead us? Most times we end up in situations we shouldn’t be in, doing things we shouldn’t be doing which leaves us with regrets about our poor choices. Thankfully, we are graced with a merciful and kind God who offers us forgiveness for our wrongdoings just as He did for the people of Ninevah.

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Jonah 3:10

One may question where the grace would be in this situation for Jonah? Well, although Jonah was stuck in a whale, he wasn’t digested by the whale but thrown out after a few days unto dry land as God instructed (Jonah. 2:10). Despite our disobedience, as with Jonah, God still finds a way to show mercy and deliver us from our mistakes.

Lesson 3: God knows best

In this case, Jonah’s disobedience would have led to the perishing of the people of Nineveh. Jonah had assessed the situation and decided they were not worthy for him to do as God commanded. But how much did Jonah really know about God’s plan? We too can make harsh and quick conclusions about the task God has asked us to complete. The challenge seems too big, the risk seems too much thus we decide it is not worth it and choose to do the opposite of what God wanted from us. We are disobedient.

Yet God has given us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). If God needs us to go talk to that stranger on the street, give money, travel on a mission trip, quit our jobs or anything that may seem out of the norm – our response should be yes, “not my will but Yours be done”. Just as Jesus did when He went unto the cross and died for our sins. We only have to trust.

Whatever God is asking of us today, instead of running in disobedience, turn to him and ask for strength. There are times when it’s just our fear or feelings of inadequacy stopping us from fulfilling God’s request. So instead of running away, run to the source who will surely supply what we need (Phil 4:19).

Dear Burned-Out University Student

Shumi Mararike
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Dear Burned-Out University Student

The time has come once again. You’re halfway through semester two at university. The assignments are rolling in. Before you know it,  your modules will be finished, deadlines met and exams knocking at the door. Your coffee intake increasing, panic is building and you’ve become far too familiar with all-nighters. In your mind, all this is necessary otherwise you risk becoming a failure. The fear of failure can be paralysing, causing you to dread the future. The panic is likely to run you to the ground. Sooner or later you will burn out. However, when consumed by worry, you need to re-calibrate your thoughts and your habits. A good starting point is to dispel a couple of myths. Firstly, failing to achieve your goals does not make you a failure. Secondly, your grades do not decide who you are. Your identity is centred on Christ, not your academic achievements.

Thinking About our Academic Success

Academic success does not determine who you are. I know that may be hard to believe in such a result-oriented world. Everything around you may be screaming otherwise. Your next stage after university may hinge on your exam final results. For example, whether you secure a graduate job may depend on the degree classification you achieve. Alternatively, you may fear disappointing others by failing to attain a certain grade, viewing studies as a waste of time and money.

These are real and understandable concerns. I struggle with these thoughts, and several other worries; I’m fairly certain you do too. Our academic performance is important. We must strive to score as highly as possible in every single piece of work. But we cannot be tempted to believe that if we fail to meet our objectives then we ourselves are failures. Our academic performance, good or bad, does not define who we are. It is not the metric by which God values us. Our value and identity is grounded in who we are in Christ.

As a Christian, your value lies in the person and work of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, you became a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), and now you belong to Him (1 Corinthians 3:23; Galatians 3:29). Through Him, you are forgiven (Colossians 1:14; 1 John 2:12). You are righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:5; Romans 5:19). You are God’s child’s (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:1), loved with a greater love than any human father can give (Matthew 7:9-11; Luke 11:11-13). As a child of God, you are a co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17) and an heir of God’s infinite fortunes. God has an imperishable inheritance reserved for you in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). Whether you pass or fail, God is loyal in His love toward you and your status in Christ is unchanged. All of the above remains true of you. God loves you now and will never cease to love you in spite of your academic performance.

Practical tips as you study

In light of this comforting truth, we can change the way we think and approach our work. Here are some practical tips to help us in our studies as exams and assignments approach.

1. Get enough sleep

It is no secret that we do our best work when we get enough sleep. Experts suggest that adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep a night. All-nighters and a lack of sleep are unsustainable in the long run. Eventually, they will hinder the completion of our daily tasks and final exam performance. Sleep is imperative if we are to make the best use of the time God gives us in the day. Let’s make sure we get plenty of it.

2. Progressive overload

Progressive overload is a principle of training. Put simply, this states that to train effectively, you must gradually increase the workload. The same can be said for our revision and exam preparation. By progressively increasing the work we do, we begin to adjust to the amount. This allows us to steadily increase how much work we do overtime whilst avoiding the disappointment of constantly failing to complete our tasks. This encourages manageable and productive work.

3. Address anxious thoughts through prayer

Anxious thoughts are inevitable. Doubts will creep in. When we find ourselves entertaining them, we need to combat these lies with the truth of Scripture. Acknowledge your need and depend on God. Exercise your privileges as a child of God and bring your worries to Him in prayer and His peace will rule over your anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7).

4. Work to the glory of God

Because our academic performance does not affect our standing before God, we have a new motivation: to bring glory to Him in everything we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). Work in a manner that pleases God. Complete every piece of work to the best possible standard, fitting for the King of Kings. Be fuelled by a desire to please God, and in turn impress your examiners (Colossians 3:23). The motivation is not fear, but a grateful response to His love and kindness expressed in the opportunity He has given us in our studies.

As our work intensifies and the pressure increases, let’s decide to think differently. We should constantly remind ourselves that our academic success does not give us our worth before God: Christ does. Our value comes from Him. We are loved and approved through Jesus, and that is unchanging. Let this give you peace as you complete your studies with excellence by the grace of God.

The Solution To A Boring Christian Life

Chude Obuaya
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The Solution To A Boring Christian Life

Think back to when you first became a Christian. The glee on your face, the fire in your burns, the warmth in your heart. As we journey along with Christ and His people, the Christian life can have seasons of mundanity. Some seasons of mundanity last longer than others and this can leave us disillusioned with whether the joy promised in Scripture can be ours. A boring Christian life could make us long for the days of unrighteousness that seemed littered with fun. But to paraphrase John Piper, what is fun about something that will leave us eternally damned? There must be a better way.

New Tastebuds

On the way to the cross, Jesus stops in the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He takes his three closest disciples with Him to pray. Upon returning to them, He finds them asleep. In response, He says “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). The disciples chose sleep when they were meant to pray. We can often choose sin when righteousness is the better way. When we are regenerated, we are given a new spirit with new affections (Ezekiel 36:26 c.f. 2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ, we have new tastebuds. This doesn’t mean that all the things we did as unbelievers were sins, but it does mean that we had no desire to please Christ (Isaiah 53:6 c.f. Romans 3:10-12). Now that we are in Christ those tastebuds that have been renewed can often yearn for things that just be distasteful to us. Like someone trying to be consistent with their diet, it can just get boring eating the same thing. A little nibble from the cake of this world won’t hurt, will it?

Sin Has An Appetite

Unlike, incorporating snacks into your diet, sin cannot be digested in controlled amounts. Paul is clear if you live according to the flesh you will die (Romans 8:13). When the Christian life gets boring, it can be tempting to look at the rearview mirror of life and see how fun things used to be. Walking in obedience, fighting sin, and loving your neighbour can be tiresome. It doesn’t always immediately produce fruit and it can cause you to think “what’s the point of persevering?”. The answer we are given when our spiritual walk plateaus is to just fight the stagnation. But what if there is a better way? What if Jesus doesn’t want us to try harder but to deepen our joy? God doesn’t want us to limp our way to glory, forcing ourselves to like Jesus. Instead, God wants us to know this love that caused His Son to die for sinners, receive this love, delight in this love and tell others about this love. Perhaps the reason we have boring periods in our Christian life is that we simply don’t delight in God enough. Maybe we have adopted a Christianity that seeks God for what He can do rather than who He is. If we want a Christian life that is filled with the joy that can engulf the temptations of life, then we need our eyes fixed our eyes on Jesus who walked the road we travel on (Hebrews 12:2). When we do, we will be able to say with the psalmist “… my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation” (Psalm 35:8).

How to Tackle The Grey Areas in Our Faith?

Oluwaseyi Sobogun
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How to Tackle The Grey Areas in Our Faith?

There are issues we face where we can find clear guidance on how to respond in the bible, the black and white. But there also exist those in-between areas which are less clear, the grey areas. Those are more difficult to tackle. For example, the latest Netflix show has just been released. It seems everyone is talking about it – discussions on Twitter, blog posts, and even your colleagues at work are interested in this new show. Naturally, we want to find out more in case we are missing out. However, a trusted friend has advised us to avoid watching the show as they see the content as sinful. What do we do?

Although this example used a TV show, we can encounter similar dilemmas in relationships, socialising and other personal decisions.  How do we tackle those areas in our faith?

Why do we want to engage?

So, the bible has not explicitly written about this particular issue nor does it instruct us not to watch this TV show or movie. However, it does state that we should think about whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, pure, lovely and so forth in Philippians 4:8. We must consider how that aligns with whatever activity we wish to engage in. A great way to do this, using the example of the TV show, is to read the synopsis. They are helpful, and easily accessible to explain the details of the show. Is watching or participating in this activity going to build us up in our faith or lead us down the path to sin?

All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things builds up.

1 Corinthains 10:23

Although we are free to engage in all activities, within reason, there are those more damaging to our faith. It can be a task to identify what falls under lawful but not helpful or lawful but not edifying. Thankfully, to assist, we have the Holy Spirit, our Helper (John 15:16). We can make more informed choices on the grey areas, as we encounter them, with wisdom and discernment from the Spirit. “If we walk by the Spirit, we will not satisfy the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). When we are in alignment with the Spirit, the things of the flesh will become less appealing.

Additionally, we can seek godly counsel from people with a similar mindset of pursuing holiness and godliness, to discuss and ask further questions. An outside perspective is useful for challenging our worldview. We should also take time to discover the motives behind the choice we are making.

Do we have the right mindset?

For a few, tackling the grey areas in our faith may come with a logical strategy. Whereas some of us struggle to make distinctions on what is categorised as a grey area. That is perfectly normal for the Christian. We are working out our salvation while God is working in us (Phil 2:12). In their best interest, advice can be given which may seem appropriate and could be well-intentioned but how do we ensure it is right for us? Generally, if we think it is wrong, we should avoid it. Until the time we are confident as to our resolve whether in favour or against it. Paul echos this sentiment when he writes to the church in Romans:

But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin

Romans 14:23

If there is even an inkling of doubt that this could be wrong but we proceed anyway, it is sin. We can decide for ourselves with careful guidance through the Word and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Overall, we should be more open to interrogating our choices and understand that the conviction will come from within. We should never pass judgement on another if they do not have the same convictions as us. We are not the standard, Christ is. 

At the end of the day, we are seeking His Kingdom above all else. Whatever we do, [whether we choose to watch the show, drink the alcohol or attend the event], we must decide if we are doing it for the glory of God or self.

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