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Heavenly Adoption: The beginning of our spiritual childhood

Maressa Mortimer
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Heavenly Adoption: The beginning of our spiritual childhood
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“Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

Ephesians 1:5

Do you find that certain phrases in the Bible are so familiar, you don’t even read them properly anymore? As an adoptive mum, I realised I took a verse like Ephesians 1:5 for granted, not really thinking about it when reading until we adopted our children. To be adopted into God’s family, having the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Such an encouraging, positive word, right?

As with all Scripture, there is a lot more to this word then we think at first glance. Looking at my gorgeous kids, I learned so much more about the depths behind that word, as well as the other verses in Ephesians 1. Please allow me to share some of the things I found out, and I pray it will fill you anew with wonder at the Saviour, who is the Living Word.

God blesses His children

It starts to speak about our adoption in verse 3, telling us how God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings. Are you aware of those blessings? My youngest was 5 months, my oldest 5 years when they arrived, the other two somewhere in between. Were they aware of the blessings we were giving them? Not always, or probably more accurately, hardly ever. We gave them healthy, nutritious dinners, but they cried, for we denied them chocolate at dinner time. We gave them a warm, comfortable bed at night time, but they shrieked because they wanted to play outside in the dark, rainy night. We held their little hands when crossing dangerous roads, and they pulled and wriggled, for they wanted to run ahead.

Aren’t we like that with our Heavenly Father? He gives us what we need, and we feel let down, because we’re pointing at our wants, without realising the implications. He gives us spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, and we grumble because the shop was closed. We spend time comparing prices on the gadget we feel we need, thinking it will make our life so much better, whereas God is offering us spiritual blessings, not just at our desk or living room, but in heavenly places.

God has chosen you

So why does God offer us spiritual blessings? Because he has chosen us (vs3). We bless our children because we have chosen them. They didn’t apply to us to become their parents. We picked them, out of 200 sibling groups. As we were only one out of four adopters approved for larger sibling groups, this meant that we were free to choose any children, and we would probably receive them. Only four of those 200 groups of children was going to get a family, and there was nothing the other 196 groups could do about that. It was beyond their control. They could not assign more parents to the adoption world. They could not even make themselves more ‘adoptable’.

Our children are a great blessing to us, and we love them dearly. They are happy and content, feeling blessed (most of the time!) and they love us. But they did not choose us. We chose them, and before we met them, we were already determined to love them. We saw them as our children, we wanted to bless them, care for them and protect them.

We didn’t know what they were like. We didn’t know if they would be obedient, funny, kind and sweet. We determined to love them regardless. It was a case of two sinners loving four young sinners. Our love is imperfect, our blessings are limited, and we had no idea how our love would be accepted. We never know beforehand how our blessings will be regarded.

We cook a delicious meal, and our children might wrinkle up their noses, and make derogatory remarks. They might also declare this meal the best meal ever, their mother the best chef in all of Christendom. We don’t know, but God knows. He knew us before we were formed in our mother’s womb. He knows we are dust, He knows our going out and our coming in. He knows what’s in our hearts. But still, he calls us a chosen people, a royal priesthood. He chooses to pour out His blessings on us. He redeems us, He leads us, He draws us with cords of love.

Next time when you read the word adoption, think of the blessings God has shown you. Think how amazing it is that an Almighty God has chosen you, set you apart, called you by name, bestowed on you all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. We are so blessed, and often we don’t realise it. I challenge us all to be more aware of God’s blessings in the coming days and weeks.

26 Lessons You Must Learn Before You Are 26

M.T. Omoniyi
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26 Lessons You Must Learn Before You Are 26
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I recently celebrated my 26th Birthday all to the glory of God. The moment was marked by an outpouring of messages from strangers and family alike. I read every message and savoured the kindness.

What is the point of life? I know it sounds dramatic, but I often find myself asking this question every year around the November mark. Maybe it’s my training in philosophy, maybe it’s my natural curiosity or maybe it’s a deeper thing in me, never satisfied, always looking for more.

In prayer this week, a slightly obscure scripture came to mind. Philippians 2 :17. First, some context, Paul in this passage is writing from a Philippian jail. From all secular accounts, his campaign to make Jesus known was not going well. It had landed him in jail. The natural response would be to assume him as being downcast, sad or even disillusioned. However, in Philippians 2:17 Paul says;

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and the service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you

Philippians 2:17

There it hit me. The meaning of life is to find a cause greater than yourself that you don’t mind being poured out like a drink offering for. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying this year has been difficult! I’ve often felt like Paul in that jail, however I know God is up to something. I’m blessed to because I’ve found something I will gladly expire doing!

Here are 26 lessons I’ve learned in the last 26 years.

1) Self-care is everything. If you are going to be a world shaker, change agent, trailblazer and anything else, you cannot do it running on empty. It’s imperative that you take time to check on yourself and invest in your self-care. Find what brings you peace, what relaxes you etc.

2) Discipleship. You need to order and categorize all the different voices you hear in your life. If everyone’s voice is worth the same you will end up being confused and frustrated. Find people that can take intentional care of you and who’s thoughts and ideas you value highly.

3) Humble yourself. Do not get carried away, you don’t know anything yet. Always be a student. There is so much information you do not know and to acquire it often means walking in humility. God says he gives grace (empowerment) to the humble but resists the proud.

4) Clean up your house. Before you go out and change the world, put your house in order. Practice what you preach and be the best living example of all your wisdom. If this is really hard, then you probably need to preach less. Focus more energy on living it.

5) Go together. If you want to go fast, go alone If you want to go far, go together. Learn to ask for help from people. There are so many benefits from hearing the thoughts and opinions of other people. Even if you think you know what you are doing. Link arms and build consensus.

6) Social media is not real life. So many people are constantly making claims and it can feel as though you are behind. You’re probably not. Everyone here puts their best foot forward and you are far more aware of your shortcomings than theirs. It’s an unfair comparison.

7) Cherish Support. No one owes you anything. Always be happy and show appreciation for those that support you with nothing to gain. It is one of the most amazing things in the world to have the support of strangers.

8) Come offline. In this increasingly digital world, it can be tempting to live vicariously through your online avatar. Resist that temptation. Come offline and invest in real and meaningful interactions. Go out for food, coffee, holidays, see people in real life and engage.

9) Don’t do, be. Being is far more important than doing. Who you are is far more important than what you do. Do not let the world squeeze you into a box defined by your job title or your startup. You are first and foremost a child of God, made in his image.

10) Deal with it. Whatever you don’t deal with, will deal with you. It is important you confront personal issues otherwise they are simply a ticking time bomb. It can be hard to do because you need courage and strength. Pray for it, draw it from friends and family, but don’t ignore it.

11) Never waste a good crisis. When things are not going well, grab a notebook, you are about to learn things you will not learn through any other period in your life. Do not let this moment pass without you taking some key principles that will change your life.

12) Share Happiness. Happiness does not diminish from being shared. You lose nothing from making other people smile and brightening up their day. A single candle can light up ten thousand without losing anything, SHARE Happiness.

13) Never admire quietly. If you admire someone, tell them, reach out and tell people what you think. They probably need to hear it. Let’s create a culture where we openly say who inspires us and motivates us! It’s healthy for both parties.

14) There is enough space. The stars in the sky don’t compete to shine. There is enough space for everyone to make their dreams come true without robbing other people. You shouldn’t feel bad when other people are getting their own. There is space for you too, be patient.

15) Be patient. Patience is not simply waiting. Instead, patience is your disposition whilst you wait. Are you restless or are you confident that His word will come to pass? When you are impatient you are saying two things. My timing is better/God doesn’t always keep his promises.

16) Forgive. When you don’t forgive, it’s like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Unforgiveness slows you down and is unfair treatment of yourself. Why punish yourself with bitterness because someone else hurt you.

17) Don’t lie. Truth is amazing because it creates order out of chaos. It brings light out of the darkness. When we tell the truth, it shatters pretence, illusions and brings much-needed order and clarity. Being an ambassador of truth will enrich your life and those around you.

18) Friends. Don’t subject yourself to a friendship group that is unhealthy. It’s crucial to your journey that you are with sound people that can help you grow and that you can share memories with. You need people that can give you sound challenge embedded in love.

19) Let go. Don’t be afraid to let go of toxic people and toxic relationships. The difficulty often comes because you are too focused on what you are loosing. Think instead of what you are gaining. Freedom and more edifying relationships. It is a good trade-off.

20) Never Shrink. Never think you have to make yourself small to make other people feel comfortable. Their perception problems are not your problems and you are not to blame for their insecurities. Be the most authentic version of yourself and stop feeling guilty for being gifted.

21) What room are you in? If you are the smartest in a room, you are in the wrong room. Always look for rooms where you are small fish. It can be uncomfortable for your pride but it will enrich your life. You need an image of the future and these rooms can provide that.

22) Defend your friends. When you are in places where people talk bad about people you know. Defend them. Don’t sit by idly whilst lies are told about people you care about. Defend their honour and their character.

23) Pray for your leaders. It’s important that you support and pray for your leaders and mentors. They are going ahead of you to go through things so you don’t have to. They are fighting for you and it’s important you ALWAYS show appreciation. Support them and bless them.

24) Love GOD will all your heart. He wants to be glorified and you have this desire to be satisfied. When your desire to be satisfied meets His desire to be glorified, you have a beautiful thing. God is most glorified when you are most satisfied in him.

25) Find A Cause. Find a cause to pour your life out like a drink offering for. The quicker you find this, the sooner you will start living.

26) Be Kind.

What is the Goal of Christian Living?

Shumi Mararike
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What is the Goal of Christian Living?

Have you ever felt as though your walk with God has become monotonous? The same old repetitious routine which stirs up minimal enthusiasm to continue pursuing Jesus. Or maybe you’re someone who’s facing trials which have discouraged you and caused you to lose your bearings, now uncertain whether you will finish the Christian race. But no matter who you are or where you’re at, you need to know that there is a goal toward which you should be heading. God has provided us with the direction and means by which you may confidently live the Christian life, maturing in the faith with full assurance that you will endure to the end.

The Goal

First things first, we have to know where we are going. The goal must be clearly identified as Paul has done for us in his letter to the Philippians.

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians 3:10-11

Paul had acknowledged that all the spiritual privileges of his Jewish heritage were worthless in comparison to having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Awakened to the fact that his own works and credentials were of no merit before God, He trusted in the righteousness of God which he received through Christ by faith (Philippians 3:4-9). It was upon this realization that Paul was able to define the goal for us. The goal is to know Jesus in the most intimate way. To have a greater depth of knowledge of Christ and fellowship with Him. Paul tells us three ways that we can do this:

  • Knowing the power of His resurrection. The power which triumphs over death and gives us new resurrection life which transcends this present world.
  • Sharing in Christ’s sufferings. We cannot grow in knowledge and relationship with Christ without partaking in suffering (Romans 8:16-17). For it was His suffering on the cross which reconciled us unto God and brought us into fellowship with all three members of the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). To know Christ intimately is to suffer with Him. This can range from physical or mental illness, rejection from our friends and families, persecution from the State and perhaps even death as was the case for Paul and the apostles. These sufferings cause us to lean wholly on God, developing in us a childlike faith and trust in Him.
  • Resurrection from the dead. Sharing in Christ’s sufferings is the means by which we too will eventually be resurrected unto eternal life with Him.

The goal may be summarised as this: complete Christ-likeness (Romans 8:29).

Not there yet, but on your way

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal…

Philippians 3:12

We must be humble and honest in our assessment of where we find ourselves in the pursuit of our goal. Complete Christ-likeness and all it encompasses is perfection. You’re not there yet (nor will you arrive at it on this side of eternity), but you have to keep striving toward it, making use of all the aid God has given to us; immersing ourselves in His Word, seeking wise counsel from spiritual mentors and the ministry of the Holy Spirit within us.

Press on toward the goal

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14

We arrive at our goal by pressing on. In this context, the original Greek word for “press on” (Diōkō) suggests the relentless pursuit of something with a single-minded focus. It was the same word used to describe the former relentlessness with which Paul persecuted the early Christians as Saul of Tarsus, the zealous Pharisee determined to bring the Jesus movement of the first century to an end (1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; Philippians 3:6). We are to press on so that we may we possess for ourselves the prize which Jesus won for us – the ultimate reward of faithful service for God.

To run with this kind of tenacity, we must strip ourselves off everything which slows us down – that includes your past sins and mistakes (Hebrews 12:1). Every single one of them. Dispose of them by confessing to God, repenting and leaving them behind as you dash toward the goal.

Called, kept and pressing on

Believe me, I know it’s easier said than done. At times I’ve felt tired. At times I’ve felt that the goal is too great and demands far more than I can do to attain it. However, there are two truths which energize us to press on:

  • We can press on because God has called us. If you had called yourself, then you’d have good reason to doubt that you could keep on going. But our call comes from above (v.14), from God Himself through Christ Jesus who persistently sought us while we were lost in our sin (Luke 15:3-10).
  • We can press on because we are kept by Christ. Christ has us in the palm of His hand, and by virtue of being in Christ’s hand, we are in the Father’s hand too. (John 10:27-30). He’ll never lose His hold on us because the Father’s power to keep us is greater than Satan’s power to snatch you away, let alone any power you have to wriggle out of His grip.

You are called by God and kept by Christ. Therefore, you can press on toward the goal of complete Christ-likeness one step at a time, yielding to the Holy Spirit’s life-changing work day by day.

Dear struggling Christian, don’t give up on God

Deborah Asamoah
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Dear struggling Christian, don’t give up on God
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Winter is coming. I find that this time of the season is always tough for me. Temperature dips and often I find that my mood falls with it. I wake up often with the despair of having to fight through another tough day of facing the daily stresses of life. Finding the motivation to do even the small things like reply to messages is often like trying to find a needle in a haystack – it is often buried under the weight of anxiety of having to respond to the message – ‘how are you?’, because you’re not quite sure what the answer to that is.

The familiar feeling of joylessness

Adulting does not get any easier, instead, it gets harder. It was not long ago that you were a carefree student, enjoying the luxuries of having someone else load your account with cash. Now the burden of carrying a financial responsibility that you feel unprepared for is beginning to dig into your shoulders, and you grimace as the pain of doing so sears deeper. You allow the busyness of life to run you over because it’s easier to just ‘get on with it’ than to slow down, face your worries and realize that perhaps ‘you’re not doing okay.’ Maybe when you open your Bible, you feel numb to the power of the words you read. When you finally pluck up the strength to pray, you find yourself distracted by the same fears you are trying to pray about. You feel as though you’ve let yourself down. Your ambition is falling at an alarming rate and this rut is not what you planned out for your life. Does it feel familiar?

I think I’ve read James 1:1-3 hundreds, if not thousands of times over during the course of my lifetime. It’s familiarity made the words feel slightly redundant to me because I had heard the rhetoric repeated to me so many times. I couldn’t wrap my simple mind around the questions of how you could be happy about hardship? What did James know about suffering that I didn’t? Why would you even want to remain in hardship let alone rejoice about it?

Tough times don’t last, only tough people last

The process of coinage – both refining (or in more exact terms, purifying) and testing gold and silver in Ancient history often involves the process of heating it in a furnace. The Greek noun ‘dokímion’ refers to the process of proving that sterling coinage was genuine as opposed to counterfeit. It involves the refining process of exposing the coinage’s imperfections and lifting the impurities from the genuine gold or silver coin.

James uses the same noun when offering counsel on how to deal with hardship. The reason for the use of the noun ‘dokímion’ (testing) in this verse is because similar to coinage testing, God’s will for putting us through tough periods in our life, is to demonstrate what is good in us. When He saved us by grace through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the regeneration that took place in our hearts once we believed in Him, meant that we were approved of by God, and as a result sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13);

And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth the gospel of your salvation you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 1:13

Therefore, similar to the gold coin, your faith as well as mine is undergoing the test of the fiery furnace so that Christ can examine what He already knows about you, that you are yet to find out. That is, the faith that you possess is acceptable, real and genuine. It is the rough, hump days, (months, or even years) that must let the record show that such is the case. The beautiful thing about trials is no matter how ugly it gets, the end is always a positive result. This is because the focus of this testing is not to disprove or discredit us, though we may feel bad during the process. Instead, it is for Christ to hold us against His light and affirm that we are approved of by God and acceptable according to his righteousness. That is to say that, once our present suffering in Christ reaches its end, and is complete, we are met with future glory of eternal life with Christ because of the authenticity of our faith in Him. An authenticity proved by the road of tribulation paved before us. It is the very reason Job could say :

‘Yet he knows the way I have taken when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold’

Job 23:10

That being said, we should rest in the fact that God knows the way we must take in order for us to reach the destination of our future glory. This includes the battles and struggles that we must face along the way. I believe the reason why James invites us to ‘count it [our tough times] joy’, is because this joy is a natural response to knowing everything is being taken care of by a sovereign God. The term joy that he uses in verse 1 is ‘xará’; meaning to have an awareness of divine grace and implicit assurance which ignites a cheerful peaceful heart. Knowing that our present struggles are in fact positive testing and confirmation of genuine faith in Christ, who will not only keep us from falling but joyfully present us faultless before the presence of his glory, gives us not only the ability to endure suffering, but to ‘count it as joy’ while we do so.

Do we still believe in a Radical Church?

On Mission
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Do we still believe in a Radical Church?

For many people, unity within the body of Christ is an outdated concept. Whilst on our mission trip to Tenerife, Our Director, Mike Omoniyi teaches why we need to go back to the biblical blueprint for the Church.

At Our God Given Mission, we take Jesus’s call for mission work in Matthew 28 seriously. Twice a year, we take a group of individuals to Tenerife for a life-changing Mission trip where we partner with local Churches and Charities as well as heading to the party strips to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Prior to the trip, we have a five-week training course in which we equip the attendees with the tools they need to effectively witness whilst on mission, it is also a great opportunity to familiarise yourself with the rest of the team.

Click here if you would like to join us for our next mission trip!

“I just don’t find Christians funny”

On Mission
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“I just don’t find Christians funny”

In this week’s episode of the podcast, we are bringing to the table, entertainment. We discuss how Christians should navigate the world of entertainment and what principles we should consider when choosing what to consume.

Guests: Toye Akinoso, Raphael Olu-Jide, Sonja Lee Barnett, Susanna Clapcott

Join the discussion online by using the hashtag #onthetable.

We Need More Zeal For God

On Mission
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We Need More Zeal For God

Joke: Why couldn’t Jonah trust the ocean? – Because he knew there was something fishy about it.

A disciple can be forgiven if he does not have great mental ability. He can be forgiven also if he does not display outstanding physical prowess. But no disciple can be excused if he does not have zeal. If his heart is not aflame with a red-hot passion for the Saviour, he stands condemned.

After all, Christians are followers of the One Who said, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up” (John 2:17). Their Savior was consumed with a passion for God and for His interests. There is no room in His train for half-hearted followers.

Discuss

  • What does this scripture mean to us?
  • What does mean to be eaten up?
  • Do we have any examples in our lives of people who are eaten up?

Where is the Zeal in the bible?

The Lord Jesus lived in a state of spiritual tension. This is indicated by His words, “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished” (Luke 12:50). And again by His memorable utterance, “I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).

The zeal of John the Baptist was attested by the Lord when He said, “He was a burning and a shining light” (John 5:35)

The apostle Paul was a zealot. Someone has tried to capture the fervency of his life in the following sketch:

He is a man without the care of making friends, without the hope or desire of worldly good, without the apprehension of worldly loss, without the care of life, without the fear of death. He is a man of no rank, country or condition. A man of one thought—the Gospel of Christ. A man of one purpose—the glory of God. A fool, and content to be reckoned a fool for Christ. Let him be called enthusiast, fanatic, babbler or any other outlandish nondescript the world may choose to denominate him. But still let him be nondescript. As soon as they call him trader, householder, citizen, man of wealth, man of the world, man of learning, or even man of common sense, it is all over with his character. He must speak or he must die, and though he should die, he will speak. He has no rest but hastens over land and sea, over rocks and trackless deserts. He cries aloud and spares not, and will not be hindered. In the prisons, he lifts up his voice, and in the tempests of the ocean, he is not silent. Before awful councils and throned kings, he witnesses in behalf of the truth. Nothing can quench his voice but death, and even in the article of death, before the knife has severed his head from his body, he speaks, he prays, he testifies, he confesses, he beseeches, he wars, and at length he blesses the cruel people.

Discuss

  • Is this description achievable?
  • Is this extreem?
  • Can this be realistic in the 21st century

Other men of God have shown this same burning desire to please God.

C. T. Studd once wrote:

Some want to live within the sound

Of church or chapel bell.

I want to run a rescue shop

Within a metre of hell.


And, incidentally, it was an article written by an atheist that spurred Studd to all-out dedication to Christ. The article was as follows:

If I firmly believed, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, then religion would mean to me everything. I would cast away earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Religion would be my first waking thought, and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness. I should labor in its cause alone. I would take thought for the morrow of Eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained for heaven worth a life of suffering. Earthly consequences would never stay my hand, or seal my lips. Earth, its joys and its griefs, would occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look upon Eternity alone, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly happy or everlastingly miserable. I would go forth to the world and preach to it in seasnon and out of season, and my text would be, WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN IF HE GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL

John Wesley was a man of zeal. He said, “Give me a hundred men who love God with all their hearts, and fear nothing but sin, and I will move the world.”

For many Christians today, if friends and family had to speak about our passions, what would they say. Are we more passionate about Football, Tennis, careers? What is our song?

The disgrace of the church in the twentieth century is that more zeal is evident among Communists and cultists than among Christians.

In 1903, one man with seventeen followers began his attack on the world. His name was Lenin. By 1918, the number had increased to forty thousand, and with that forty thousand, he gained control of the one hundred sixty million people of Russia. And the movement has gone on and now controls over one-third of the world’s population. However much one might be opposed to their principles, one cannot help admiring their zeal.

Many Christians felt strongly rebuked when Billy Graham first read the following letter, written by an American college student who had been converted to communism in Mexico. The purpose of the letter was to explain to his fiancé why he must break off their engagement:

We Communists have a high casualty rate. We’re the ones who get shot and hung and lynched and tarred and feathered and jailed and slandered, and ridiculed and fired from our jobs, and in every other way made as uncomfortable as possible. A certain percentage of us get killed or imprisoned. We live in virtual poverty. We turn back to the party every penny we make above what is absolutely necessary to keep us alive. We Communists don’t have the time or the money for many movies, or concerts, or T-bone steaks, or decent homes and new cars. We’ve been described as fanatics. We are fanatics. Our lives are dominated by one great overshadowing factor, THE STRUGGLE FOR WORLD COMMUNISM.

We Communists have a philosophy of life which no amount of money could buy. We have a cause to fight for, a definite purpose in life. We subordinate our petty, personal selves into a great movement of humanity, and if our personal lives seem hard, or our egos appear to suffer through subordination to the party, then we are adequately compensated by the thought that each of us in his small way is contributing to something new and true and better for mankind. There is one thing in which I am in dead earnest and that is the Communist cause. It is my life, my business, my religion, my hobby, my sweetheart, my wife and mistress, my bread and meat. I work at it in the daytime and dream of it at night. Its hold on me grows, not lessens as time goes on. Therefore, I cannot carry on a friendship, a love affair, or even a conversation without relating it to this force which both drives and guides my life. I evaluate people, books, ideas, and actions according to how they affect the Communist cause and by their attitude toward it. I’ve already been in jail because of my ideas and if necessary, I’m ready to go before a firing squad.

If Communists can be as dedicated as this for their cause, how much more should Christians pour themselves out in loving, glad devotion for their glorious Lord. Surely if the Lord Jesus is worth anything, He is worth everything. “If the Christian faith is worth believing in at all, it is worth believing in heroically”—Findlay.

If God has really done something in Christ on which the salvation of the world depends, and if He has made it known, then it is a Christian duty to be intolerant of everything which ignores, denies, or explains it away—James Denney.

Our Zeal Must Increase

 Psalm 63 – The cry of early church fathers

A zealous man in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing.

It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees one thing, he cares for one things, he lives, for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God.

 Whether he lives, or whether he dies—whether he has health, or whether he has sickness, —whether he rich or whether he is poor,—whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offence, —whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish—whether he gets the blame, or whether he gets praise—whether he gets honour, or whether he gets shame—for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing, and that one thing is to please God and to advance God’s glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it—he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, and work, and give money, he will cry, and sigh, and pray. Yes: if he is only a pauper, on a perpetual bed of sickness, he will make the wheels of sin around him drive heavily, by continually interceding against it

How to share the Gospel at work

Tumininu Olaoshun
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How to share the Gospel at work
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After nearly six months off work, I found myself back in the familiar settings of my staffroom. Whilst the fixtures looked the same, everything else had become so different. It was arranged and organised to be ‘COVID-19 compliant’ and staff members danced around each other, keeping two metres apart like awkward teenagers on their first date. It took a few days to adjust seeing everyone again and actually having conversations that did not require us to ‘unmute’ or turn the camera on, and I have to say, I thanked God daily that I was able to work at work, see my class students again and be able to have some normality in the most abnormal year yet. 

However, after a few weeks of getting back to our ‘new normal’, I noticed an uncomfortable feeling, and it definitely wasn’t due to the rushed lunches whilst simultaneously replying emails I realised; it was conviction. I kept asking myself, ‘how am I sharing the light of God at work?’ I remember, pre-lockdown, being ‘salt and light’ was a prayer I regularly prayed. But working from home, that prayer was being prayed less and less. And now I had found myself, feeling uncomfortable. Had I blended in too well with the culture and language of my work environment? Had I been using the world’s vocabulary instead of the Word to describe our current state of affairs? I soon felt very uncomfortable and immediately, I asked the Lord, “how does my life, speech and conduct look different to those who don’t believe?”  I was led to Romans 12, a chapter that convicts, corrects and teaches me often about comparison and my mind. And as always, the living Word came alive in a different way.

Show them the Gospel

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!”

Romans 12:9-16

When pondering over sharing the Gospel at work, Romans 12:9-16 really spoke to me, and I hope it does for you as you read it. Verse 9 tells us to love others, to really love others. As with all relationships, it takes effort and care to love. We can all share common courtesy and be polite, but to love our colleagues, even the challenging ones, requires us to go above and beyond. Not just sending an email about the deadline due, but also checking in with them, taking note of the things they mention and being bold to ask about the things they don’t mention. Being thoughtful, like making a note of the birthdays in your team for example. These things cannot be grown out of a stale and cold existence, it comes out of a relationship. It means taking time, staying a little longer in the office to have that chat, or sending that text after working hours. How else can we rejoice and weep with others, if we don’t know what is even going on with them? Perhaps, through the connections we are intentional to make, the Holy Spirit can minister directly to that person through us. 

Preach to them the Gospel

As believers, we are called to verbally share our belief in Christ Jesus (Mark 16:15-16, Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19). Romans 10:9-10, tells us that, “faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God”. Yes, the Bible is clear that our conduct needs to speak of Christ, however, we must not use that as a way to absolve ourselves of the responsibility to preach the Gospel to them.

In being faithful to live out what the Bible says, I believe we are sowing seeds, watering the ground to make the gospel easier to receive. But that doesn’t always mean that it will be. At the end of the day, being the nicest person in the world isn’t going to convict someone of their sin. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. And the gospel is offensive and being a ‘nice’ person doesn’t soften the message of the gospel. but our hope and prayer is that, by us being in their environment, physically and spiritually, God will cause their hearts to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ and perhaps even use us to lead them to repentance. 

Quick Tips:

  • Pray and challenge yourself to connect with one new person in your workplace, remotely or face to face and establish some common ground
  • Write their name down and commit to praying for them weekly, you can even add your whole work place too.
  • Challenge yourself to speak about Jesus to your colleagues.

I hope these tips are challenging, they are supposed to be, to keep us dependent on the Holy Spirit. I will be right there with you, trying to complete them also. It is essential we do the job we are paid for and do it well, that in itself is part of our witness. But even at work, let us not forgot about our Kingdom work. 

God Will Give You Strength

Shumi Mararike
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God Will Give You Strength
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Those of us on Twitter may have come across “secure the bag twitter” – a community which esteems the self-made person. Their resounding message seems to be that you determine your own success. Everything you are and all that you obtain is down to yourself. Your efforts, your abilities, your talents, your money – YOU YOU YOU. But what about when despite all your skills and resources, you find yourself at ground zero? All that you supposedly built yourself comes crashing down and there seems to be no way back. You’ve crumbled under the pressure of trying to have everything figured out by your own power as you’ve exhausted all your resources. Thankfully, God doesn’t leave us without aid in this helpless state. You don’t need to be strong. In our lowest points, God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Humbled when we’re self-sufficient

God humbles the self-sufficient, that’s a given. It’s just a matter of when He chooses to do so which is not made known to us. It may be in a year’s time, it may be decades later. He may do so in this lifetime, or perhaps in the next. For King Uzziah, God humbled him as soon as his head became inflated.

Uzziah was one of the commendable kings of Judah who enjoyed a prosperous fifty-two-year reign, marked by instruction in the fear of God through the prophet Zechariah (2 Chronicles 26:1-4). Despite all this, God struck him with leprosy which plagued him to the point of his death (2 Chronicles 26:21). So what went wrong?

In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skilful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.

But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.

2 Chronicles 26:15-16

The acclaim and success which came Uzziah’s way puffed up his head. His success was founded upon divine aid. God had strengthened Him throughout his reign but withdrew His power from Uzziah the moment he became strong from which came pride. Pride is rooted in self-sufficiency. This caused Uzziah to think too highly of himself, his skill, power and authority to the point where he took it upon himself to carry out priestly duties instituted by God for those from the tribe of Levi who were consecrated to the priesthood (2 Chronicles 24:16-19). As he lost sight of the God who was the means of his success, he pridefully transgressed the limits of his authority and God gave him his dues.

Acknowledging our weakness

The demise of Uzziah should be a solemn warning to us all not to fall into the trap of self-sufficiency. We can start by acknowledging our weakness. God often brings us to our lowest point to magnify our weakness and bring us to total dependence on Him. This was evident in the ministry of the apostle Paul. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he tells us about the “super-apostles” at Corinth, a group of false teachers at Corinth who were rapidly gaining popularity. They undermined the gospel through their false teachings and set out to malign Paul’s character. Rather than choosing to confront them by boasting about the magnificent supernatural things God had shown him (2 Corinthians 12:1-4), he acknowledged his own weakness in which he boasted (2 Corinthians 12:5-6).

Knowing God’s grace is sufficient

Paul’s weakness was made all the more apparent through his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). This was a metaphorical thorn which God allowed a Satanic agent to afflict Paul with. A tool deployed by the Almighty to keep his apostle humble in light of the supernatural wonders he had experienced in the heavenly realm and his ongoing strivings with the false teachers. Paul cried out to God for Him to remove this pain from his life. Our Bibles tell us that Paul pleaded with God “three times”, but some scholars believe that Paul was using a Hebrew figure of speech which communicated the idea of doing something ceaselessly. In other words, he repeatedly asked God to remove it. Continually and desperately crying out to God to alleviate his suffering. Rather than giving Paul what he wanted, God gave him what he needed. God kept the thorn in his flesh for Paul’s own benefit. It enabled the apostle to acknowledge his weakness and open his eyes to the sufficiency of God’s grace to strengthen him when he was most frail.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Depending on God’s grace

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10

When Paul acknowledged his weakness and the sufficiency of God’s grace, he was then able to confront the immense ministerial challenge in which he was engaged. As we live in total dependence on the grace of God in all aspects of our lives, His strength becomes available to us in the eternal power of Christ Jesus and through the Holy Spirit at work within us, making our weakness strong.

This is anti-cultural. Strength is not gained through self-sufficiency. It is worked in us as we realise our self-deficiency and humbly and draw from the ever-flowing reservoir of God’s grace by which Christ’s power which rests upon us.

The Importance of Christian fellowship

On Mission
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The Importance of Christian fellowship

Joke: How does Moses start his morning? – Hebrews a pot of coffee!

The church began on the day of pentecost. The spirit of the lord came, 3000 were converted and the church began. 

What does the word say? 

ACTS 2:42-47 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Discuss

  • What stands out in this definition of church?
  • Do we still think about church this way?
  • How has COVID-19 changed how we think about church?

“Common shared life” “Breaking off bread”“Prayer” “Common trust so they could provide help for each other”

All expressions of fellowship. A community of people committed to one and another. This is the first expression of the life of church. Mutual commitment to each other. 

In 1st Corinthians 12, Paul gives another metaphor for this kind of common life that should be in any “church” community.  12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

This is the defining character of the church. A body with a common life under one leadership which is Jesus Christ. Unity, shared life, commonality, community: FELLOWSHIP. 

Christian fellowship is meaningful

Christianity is not a spectator sport that happens on Sunday, it is a common shared life with other believers.

In a grey dawn of an April day in 1945, in a Nazi camp in Flossenburg, a pastor by the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed. He was executed by special order of Heinrich Himmler, Hitler’s executioner. Hw has been arrested two years before and over that period he had been moved from prison to prison. From Tegal to Berlin to Buchenwald to Schonburg and finally to Flossenburg. Because of the moving, he lost all contact with the outside world. Everyone he knew was severed from him. He lost, according to his own testimony the most precious possession he had and that was Christian fellowship. He wrote a book called “Life Together” based on Psalms 1:33. He wrote in that book about the richness of fellowship which he later lost up until his death.

“The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparably joy and strength to the believer,  a physical sign of the gracious presence of the triune God.  How inexhaustible are the riches that open up for those who by God’s will are privileged to live in the daily fellowship of life with other Christians!
“Let him who until now has had the privilege of living in common Christian life with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank God on his knees and declare: It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.”

We are a living organism dependant on each other. Fellowship is so crucial so to this.

Growing up, fellowship meant going to fellowship hall. Where they served stale cookies and dilute to taste Ribenna. Talk of fellowship there was superficial. But true fellowship is spiritual. It’s about being one.
This is the high priestly prayer of our Lord  Jesus in John 17.

That everyone who would be saved through redemptive history would be one. That we today would be one. The prayer is answered because that is what happens when you believe. You are placed into the union of the body of Christ. You are connected to a long history of other believers and you are part of a long future of believers if the lord tarries

But you see this should work it self out in our conduct with each other.

Questions

  • Why don’t we see this radical togetherness? Why don’t we see a shared life?
  • What is stopping true Christian fellowship?
  • Organisation vs Organism – Do we think organisationally about church rather than embracing the body as an organism.
  • Doing Life together? – To do life together means to journey with each other. Continually sharing and re-sharing. – Do we do this?
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