What I Learned In Church – 29th July, 2018

Prepare to Meet Christ – Truth Missionary Baptist Church

So today was another Sunday and as always it was a blessed time to be with other believers in Church to give glory to our God and to hear His timeless word preached by Pastor Ferguson Kcofie. The title of his sermon was ‘Prepare to Meet Christ’ and it was taken from Matthew 25:1-13 also known as the ‘Parable of the Ten Virgins’. Let us take a look at it below and then we shall consider the lessons that we took from this:

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom [a]is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [b]in which the Son of Man is coming.

 

Context

Before the key lessons, it would be helpful to understand the cultural context behind this parable as the original hearers would have understood clearly what Jesus was teaching. In those days, marriages were in 4 stages:

a. Betrothal – A short and simple ceremony in the bride’s home (think today’s engagement). However, this was a binding agreement in that culture showing the importance placed upon marriage.

b. Period of Preparation – Typically lasted 1-3 years and required the man to prepare a place where he will come and live with his bride.

c. Procession – A date was set when the groom would come from out of town and would be welcomed by selected bridesmaids (virgins) as we can see in our parable to take him to the bride.

d. Marriage – Vows were made and the marriage was finalized with the groom taking his bride to their new home.

Our parable therefore takes place between the second and the third stages of the marriage. Christ represents the Groom and the Virgins represent mankind and it is all about how one will enter the kingdom of heaven as verse 1 clearly outlines.

Lessons

  1. There are 2 Classes of People (v 1-5)– We see 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins compared and contrasted in this parable. This is similar language from Jesus as He used earlier in Matt 7:24-27 when He talks about the wise and the foolish builders. This is exactly how it is in the real world. There are basically only 2 kinds of people. Wise or Foolish in the sight of God depending on their standing with God. Men may make much fuss about people of different races and abilities and personalities etc and all these are important in their own place but in the grand scheme of things, there are only 2.

Wise

  • The ‘Wise’ were those who possessed spiritual life.
  • They had a reverence for God. They knew to be alert and ensured they had oil.
  • Realized the privilege they had to be selected and granted grace. Not everyone got to be a bridesmaid during this ceremony.

Foolish

  • Hebrew word stands for ‘moron’ or one who is thoughtless and cannot reason.
  • Many are like that today and are very careless with their souls. They live without regard to their eternal state.
  • They assumed they would go to heaven based on the externals of life and had no inward reality of salvation (represented by the extra oil).

2. Time will soon end (v 6) – We notice the groom arrived at midnight. Basically, it was at an unannounced time. We do not know the day nor the hour that Christ will come. We also do not know the time of our own departure from this earth so we must be ready at all times. It is an act of grace that God has waited so long before Christ coming and we know it is so as many as will may come in.

However, the delay is also a test. True Christians will be proved through many trials and will endure to the end 1 Peter 1:6&7.

3. Grace can not be shared (v 7-9) – No one can share their spiritual life with another. That is why the wise virgins told the foolish ones to go and buy their own oil. Salvation is a personal thing. Your parent cannot believe for you, your spouse cannot believe for you and no man can confer it upon you during infant baptism or any other such religious ceremony. Every person must individually be born again by repenting and putting their faith in Christ.

4. The Door of Grace will be shut (v 10) – The time and space to repent will not go on forever. God has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in Christ Jesus. Never put off coming to Christ till tomorrow or till a more opportune time. That may never come for you. Remember the story of Noah’s Ark and the Flood. Eventually, the flood came and we are told that God Himself closed up the door of the ark and no one could enter in afterwards. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.

5. Foolish Virgins Disowned and Rejected (v 11 & 12) – Finally, the most fearful saying that any person could every imagine is Christ saying on that day that “I do not know you.” Can you imagine the terror of that statement when you swing out into eternity?  In Matt 7:21-23, Jesus says this again. On the last day, many will come to Him with all kinds of activities claimed to have been done for Him and He is going to tell them He never knew them. Please do not think this is talking about someone who was saved and lost His salvation (The Bible does not even teach that but that is for another day). He says He never knew them. Not, He knew them and then the relationship got broken along the way. HE NEVER KNEW THEM! How many people sit in churches today are making these very assumptions without having true life in them?

To conclude, let us all seek the Lord while He may be found. What is the priority in your life? What consumes your affections and desires? Can you in all honesty say Christ is the centrepiece of your life and not an accessory you call upon when you are in some need?

Let us prepare to meet Christ!

Psalm For the Week – 29th July, 2018

Psalm 32 (NKJV)

The Joy of Forgiveness

A Psalm of David. A Contemplation.

32 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not [b]impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
7 You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.

10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

 

This is where I just pretend there has been no break since the last Psalm post 🙂

This week, we consider Psalm 32 which I must confess is one of my favourite psalms and I am sure you can understand why as you read through it. A friend asked me in the past week how one becomes a true Christian and I could not help but remember this Psalm as I believe it captures succinctly and accurately the message of the gospel.

What/Who is a Christian apart from one who has found reconciliation and peace with God?

The first 2 verses start with such joy and blessing and you can immediately feel David’s jubilation at having his sins forgiven and indeed that is true blessedness and joy. The one who has had his sin covered and to whom God does not impute iniquity. One whose spirit has been cleansed and is no longer duplicitous.

However, David did not always feel this way as verses 3 & 4 make very clear. On the other hand, he was weighed down heavily by his sins and he knew that the very hand of God was upon him. Oh! How this is true about any and all of us prior to redemption. All men know this and many seek relief from this real and gnawing sense of guilt by turning to many varying devices.

Some try to find peace by burying themselves in work. Others try a deadly cocktail of sinful pleasures. Some also attempt to perform good works in order to assuage their conscience and become a bit appealing to God. Still others decide to do away with the knowledge of God altogether in the thinking that if there is no God then there is nothing to give an account for.

All these are futile! They may promise some comfort initially but ultimately will disappoint all who attempt this.

In Verse 5, David discovers the real answer to man’s dilemma (sin). He no longer keeps silent about the main issue and acknowledges his sin to God and confesses and the Lord true to His character forgives the guilt of his sin.

Remember dear reader, God desires to forgive our sins. We see this in 2 Peter 3:8,9

“8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

This is the exact reason Jesus Christ came upon this earth. To pay for the sins that we have committed in order to bring us to God. What we have to do is turn from our sins and put our faith in Him for the forgiveness of our sins.

Do note also that there is a warning here as well from David. As we continue in verse 6 of our psalm, we see that there is a time in which the Lord may be found. Do not tarry and presume upon the grace of God for none of us know for certain how many days the Lord will grant us upon this earth or how long it will take for Christ to return.

The rest of the psalm from verse 8 is the Lord Himself giving all who would truly hear the exhortation of this psalm with encouraging words of how He himself will uphold us. Indeed all those in the Lord can rejoice knowing for certain that the Lord will preserve us come what may. He will guide us and He will keep us.

May the Lord bless us all as we go through this week and may we seek Him daily in His word and in prayer!!!

The Christian woman’s role in the family (part 1 of 2)

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. – Titus 2:3-5

November 2018 will mark 8 years since I became a Christian. In that time I’ve been privileged to sit under a lot of godly teaching in Ghana, but no pastor in my memory ever covered Titus 2:3-5. Nor do they seem likely to given how the current Ghanaian culture glorifies women working outside the home and vilifies anyone who suggests otherwise. Time to rectify that today with two pertinent articles on the subject.

Today’s corporate women and the curse of ‘maidservanthood’

This opinion piece by Daniel Ofosu-Asamoah appeared on Ghanaweb on 17th May 2018. While it is not written from a Christian perspective, it is interesting for the unflinching look it takes at the various challenges faced by Ghanaian women in balancing working outside the home with their God-given mandate to care first for their husbands and children (Titus 2:5).

However the article contains a lot of flawed examples. Here’s one telling sentence: “The present economic situation of today does not allow one man to be the breadwinner of a family of three or four and above and reduce the woman of the house to a housekeeper.” First off, does the present economic situation really not allow men to be breadwinners? Where are the figures to back that assumption up? As Wikipedia would say, “Citation needed.” I would be genuinely interested in a comparison of the costs of living, say, 30 years ago and now to see if it’s as impossible as the writer declares.

More glaring, however, is the phrase “reduce the woman of the house to a housekeeper.” Reduce? You see the way feminism diminishes the role of a woman at home and makes homemakers feel inadequate? Why must a woman’s self-worth only come from discarding her own role and taking over a man’s? What is demeaning about caring for your own children, raising them to be godly and spiritual people, loving your own husband, managing the health, finances and food of your own home?

Especially in light of the various problems Ofosu-Amponsah raises with the opposite approach:

  • No time for family.
  • Active interference by maids in marriage.
  • Children receiving poor care and training.
  • Children picking up negative values from caregivers.

Just the last one alone will tell you the immense value of a Christian mother in the home overseeing the development of her child. After all, if you just want to put your child through school and feed them food so they grow, anyone can do that. But if you want to counter the direction the world is going in, to raise them to love God and Christ, to believe what you believe then you have a huge task ahead of you. A task too large to outsource to random househelps, school teachers and relatives, as helpful and welcome as such people may be.

It’s almost amusing but also sad how the article lists all the various problems and even adds, “When I was young, one of the momentous periods in my life was when I came home to see my mother in the house,” but never comes to the realization/admission that maybe the solution is a return to the natural order of things.

And with that, I introduce the second article I read today on the subject of Christian women and the family. It’s actually a letter by a 44-year old homemaker to a Christian radio program. The letter itself dates from 1995 but the sentiments expressed are even more relevant in 2018.

The Infiltration of Feminism in the Church

It’s a long but good read, and I urge you to pay special attention to the quote:

“A woman holding down a demanding full-time job cannot also raise her kids. It is the person who is with them all day who decides what they will read and see, how well they handle anger. Caretakers instill, bit by bit, their moral codes, their manners and even their enthusiasms. That doesn’t mean that a mother who works is irrelevant to her children – only that the major task of childrearing has been subcontracted out”.

Emphasis mine. If we don’t stamp our own imprint on our kids in their formative years, someone else will.

The article also deals with the question of guilt and the working mother. Should women feel guilty for working outside the home? That they do is evident just from a quick Google search, but should they?

“Guilt can be good if it brings to the person realization of the fact they have done something wrong.” Indeed. Guilt is bad if it is rehashing sins that have been confessed, repented of and forgiven. But if you are currently outside the will of God and you know it, you should feel bad. It’s the healthy Christian response.

We’ve seen how much the family loses by disregarding Titus 2:3-5. What does the family gain in exchange? Prestige in the world’s eyes. Work experience. Nicer houses and cars and smartphones. Money. “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.

A mother’s role in the family is indispensable. If a worker drops dead today, there’s another person in her role the next week. I know because I saw it happen at my former workplace. “Hii, hii, oh Elizabeth!” A few days later there was an advert in the Graphic. And life went on.
“How long will you love what is worthless and aim after deception?” Psalm 4:2b.

A woman exchanging her immense contributions to her family for titles and money should feel guilty, in the same way someone who trades a gold necklace for plastic beads should feel bad.

I have more to say on this subject, particularly on the effects of these trends on Ghanaian families in particular. And of course the pressing question, “Where are the men in all this?” Join me next time for Part 2 of “The Christian woman’s role in the family” as we tackle this (needlessly) thorny and sensitive subject and look at the way forward.

Sermons on Salvation in Fante

Hi Dear Readers,

We want to take this opportunity to upload a few sermons in Fante. This is in response to one of our readers, who made a special request so she can share the gospel with members of her family. These sermons were preached by Pastor Bentum Ennin of Grace Baptist Church, Cape Coast.

Topics include:

We hope it will be helpful to others as well. Especially for those of you with family members who don’t speak English but desperately want to hear sound Bible teaching in their local language. We hope to be able to add more Fante sermons later as well as other resources in Ewe, Ga, Twi and other languages.

Stay blessed!

Resource: Downtown Bible Class with Scott Gilchrist

All the resources I have posted so far have been online resources. I hope you have found them helpful and educational. Still, there’s no doubt that online resources are a drain on precious bandwidth and credit so this week I bring you an offline resource: Downtown Bible Class on Spring FM 102.7. It’s a radio program that airs every weekday evening at 9pm sharp and features 25 minutes of sound, eye-opening Bible exposition by American pastor and teacher Scott Gilchrist.

Who is Scott Gilchrist? What is Downtown Bible Class?

Scott Gilchrist has been Senior Pastor at Southwest Bible Church in a suburb of Portland, Oregon since 1979. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and has a passion to see God’s Word taught and understood. He is heard daily on the radio broadcast “Downtown Bible Class” and teaches the Bible to the business community in downtown Portland each week at the Portland Art Museum.

Downtown Bible Class: We are a non-denominational Christian ministry whose purpose is to bring clear, Christ-centered Bible teaching to the marketplace. We believe the Bible is God’s word, and that it is the only reliable source for truth. Since the spring of 1993, DBC has met each Wednesday in downtown Portland, Oregon. (official website)

Best things about Downtown Bible Class

It’s available for free on Ghana radio, 102.7 FM at 9pm every weekday. If you have a phone, you have a radio. Set an alarm and tune in every day. Radio programs don’t use up any bandwidth, they don’t cost any money and they’re easy to share with your friends, family and anyone in a 10 foot radius.

I’ve been listening to Pastor Gilchrist since 2011 and he has never steered me wrong but has instead provided clarity on a variety of difficult and tricky issues. His teaching is 100% based on the Bible, illustrated with pertinent examples drawn from real life. He has a real passion for the unsaved and for educating Christians about who they are in Christ, and it shows in all his sermons.

There’s also an element of humility and a willingness to admit when he doesn’t have all the answers that is missing in some otherwise excellent Bible teachers (no names will be given) but he doesn’t guess or give up either.

Let me give an example: in Hebrews we are told that Jesus Christ gave up his life once and for all and then sat down at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 10:12). In Acts, on the other hand, Stephen looks up into heaven and sees Jesus standing at the Father’s right hand (Acts 7:55-56). So which is it, is Jesus sitting or standing in heaven right now? Pastor Gilchrist doesn’t brush the question aside or skip over the seeming contradiction but instead examines the issue from all sides and all arguments and gives his (prayerfully-considered) opinion. It’s very helpful.

Hm? You want to know his answer? Well then you’ll have to listen to Downtown Bible Class!

Drawbacks of Downtown Bible Class

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Downtown Bible Class itself. The problem is with Spring FM’s presentation. Gilchrist does verse-by-verse exposition of the New Testament book by book. Spring FM jumps around from sermon to sermon without notice. I tracked them for a week. One day they were in Acts 7. The next day in Hebrew 7. Then in Acts 6. And on and on with no semblance of order. That’s not how the Bible is meant to be read or how Bible exposition is meant to be followed.

It’s also a bit inconvenient that you can’t pause and reflect on the sermons or listen to them right away when they’re on the radio. I like to pause, take notes, check the Bible and think a little sometimes before going on.

More information and further sermons

There used to be a website called essentialchristianity.net where you could get all the past Downtown Bible Class sermons in one place. The radio program still advertises it, probably because it’s an older recorded program. Sadly that site is now down, but all the sermons have been moved to the Southwest Bible Church website (click here) along with Gilchrist’s latest sermons. Now you can listen any time you want!

Until next time, keep growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. As will I.

Resource: I’ll be Honest.com

I’ll Be Honest (illbehonest.com) is a massive collection of audio and video sermons to inform, admonish and enlighten the growing Christian. In their own words:

I’ll Be Honest is a media ministry that is part of Grace Community Church of San Antonio, TX (gccsatx.com). We are seeking to publish Biblical Christian Videos on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Unlike the previous resources I’ve posted, I’ll Be Honest offers material from not one preacher but up to 66 different pastors, teachers and godly men and women of proven character. Some of them have over 50 years of experience in ministry. This allows I’ll Be Honest to cover a much wider variety of topics than any one preacher can cover in a lifetime.

It also means you get access to a bigger variety of accents, approaches and teaching styles. I don’t mean to encourage an “I am of Paul, I am of Apollos” attitude, but it is true that some people are better at explaining certain topics than other people, perhaps because they have a special burden for that issue.

I’ll Be Honest offers hundreds of sermons and recorded teaching services on topics like Christian Living, Church Life, Theology, Salvation, Family, Sin, Outreach and False Teaching. For a new believer, I particularly recommend the various titles under Examining Yourself and Assurance of Salvation to strengthen your hope in the promises of God and enable you to manifest the faith and love of Christ (as explained in Colossians 1:5).

The only disadvantage of I’ll Be Honest is the sheer size of most of the sermons and teachings means it takes a lot of bandwidth. I recommend downloading the mp3 versions instead of watching the videos if data is an issue. Their teachings are also in-depth and involving, which is a good thing but does take time and concentration to get through. It’s not quite suited for quick soundbites throughout the day (I recommend Wretched for that).

Apart from that minor drawback, I’ll Be Honest is a great resource for Christians seeking to grow and deepen their knowledge of various theological, moral and personal issues. Give their website a browse whenever you get the chance.

Psalm for the Week – 22nd October, 2017

Psalm 3 (NKJV)

The Lord Helps His Troubled People

A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.

3 Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
2 Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah

3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
4 I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

5 I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.

7 Arise, O Lord;
Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

 

It has been a couple of weeks since our last ‘Psalm of the Week’ segment. Let me just say life intervened and I was unable to post what I had in mind.

By God’s grace, things are running at a much better pace now and we can get right into it. I trust we will all be blessed by this psalm.

This week, we want to consider and meditate on Psalm 3 which is one that David wrote as he fled from Absalom during his son’s rebellion against him (See 2 Samuel 15 for the full account).

I like to say there is betrayal and there is betrayal. Any one of us who has been let down by a close friend or a loved one can certainly relate with how David is feeling here. It is much worse to be betrayed by your own flesh and blood, your son and one whom his father especially loved and doted on possibly above even the rest. It also was not only Absalom, but as we read the full account, some of David’s most trusted men and counsellors had also sided with Absalom and he had been written off.

He therefore starts the psalm acknowledging the desperation of his situation and how even God, according to the mockers, would not be able to help him. I believe that is a great place to start when we find ourselves in dire circumstances. Acknowledging our helplessness is a great place to be for God to act to help. I do sometimes see a certain pride in some strands of ‘Christianity’ who will never accept any truth about their situation. They will never accept they are weak, or sick or poor or desperate claiming that is negative speech. Some call it faith but all I hear is fear and pride. Rather, it is in our weakness that God perfects strength and in that He might receive all the glory. It is like how when Jesus came, the Pharisees always accused Him of being with tax collectors and sinners. Here is His response:

Luke 5:31 And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.

David quickly moves on and proclaims the truth that he has learned from all the years of walking with God and which is confirmed to us by His word. God is our shield. He is our strength. He is the one who is our glory and who exalts when we humble ourselves before Him. We therefore need to call out to the Lord in our problems. Is it an issue of sin we are battling? Is it one of a cry for salvation? Is it one of need? Is it one of anxiety over the future? The answer is one and the same. Cry out to the Lord for His deliverance and for Him to uphold you.

And O! How he upholds us. Sometimes, I like to jokingly (but seriously) tell people that when it is night I sleep and sleep soundly. This started because I have a good friend who was working tirelessly to convince me years ago that there were attacks of Satan which take place only at certain times of the night so I need to be awake to pray and engage in warfare. This happens when you read too many books apart from the bible or watch too many of these famous ‘pastor’s these days. Why worry needlessly when the King of the universe never sleeps and He sustains us? What really is the worst that could happen? I die and then what? I end up in heaven with Him of course. My family belongs to Him as well and if He chooses not to keep them here any longer or for our circumstances to change somehow, then glory be to His name. Like Job said, “shall we accept good from the Lord and not evil?” God is good and He is wise. Let us learn to trust Him like David.

Now I am not of course saying it is wrong to pray at night or even through the night if we have a certain burden we are carrying. We should pray at all times but always with a sense of assurance as to who is really in charge of things.

Finally, in verse 7-8, David talks about all God has done in destroying his enemies in times past and comes to the good confession we all must make:

Salvation belongs to the Lord. His blessing is upon His people! (my wording)

The question, Dear Reader, is therefore are you part of the people of God? Do you in truth belong to Him? If not, I cannot give you any comfort. God does not offer you comfort in your strife and troubles in this sin-filled world.
He has made provision for you through Jesus Christ. Why not turn to Him today and have your sins forgiven? Then even if you go through the rest of your life surrounded by issues and troubles which we will face in this world, we can have strong assurance in the words of Jesus:

John 16:33 – These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Have a blessed week and let us remember to serve our God!!!

Verses of comfort in times of distress

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

A few days ago I had to go to the hospital in the middle of the night for what I will call a “medical incident.” Don’t worry, I’m fine, and it turned out to be nothing serious in the end, but at the time I felt very, very ill and was very, very worried. But as the verse above says, the God of all comfort comforts us in our affliction, and as I sat in the taxi and then in the hospital waiting room, I found various Bible verses just floating into my mind.

and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20b)

I drew strength from knowing that Christ was with me anywhere I went that night, even as we careened through the streets of Accra at 1am. Certain parts of Accra are surprisingly lively in the middle of the night…

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

It wasn’t directly related to my situation, but somehow this verse kept popping up into my mind repeatedly. I drew two messages from this verse. First, our lives are not our own. As the Bible says, we were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20) and our times are in His hands (Psalm 31:15). It’s up to God to determine whether we live or die according to His love and purpose for us.

Secondly, Jesus loved us enough to give His own life up for us. Whatever happens to us in this life, we must remember that someone who loved us enough to go that far will never act in anything other than our best interests, eternally speaking. Even when we don’t understand what’s going on we should trust in that much.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

The love of Christ was the theme of the Accra Reformed Conference in 2016. I thought I appreciated the message at the time, but strangely enough it meant much more to me when I could barely keep my head up than when I was sitting comfortably in a church pew. Or maybe it’s not so strange, because as another verse that came to mind says,

It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. (Psalm 119:71)

Earlier that evening when I was feeling fine (oh, how quickly circumstances can change), my mind was on every other thing but God’s word. On my schedule, on my plans for the weekend, on money, on business… It took disaster striking to focus my mind back on Christ like a sharp knife cutting away unneeded fat.

If God were a human being he would say “Ahaa, so you have remembered me now, eh?” But praise be to God that He is not like us. Instead of letting times of affliction distract and confuse us, I pray we will use them as an opportunity to drive us and our hearts back to God. And I’m praying for myself that this focus on the things of God will remain even now that I am feeling so much better by God’s mercy.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride (Isaac Watts).

Last but not least, this beautiful hymn by Isaac Watts that I hummed to myself once I was feeling well enough to hum. Why that hymn? I don’t know. I like it well enough but it has never been one of my favourites. Perhaps it was my way of reminding myself of what really matters in this world and in our lives.

Conclusion

Don’t wait till you get into trouble to call on the name of the Lord. But trouble can’t be avoided in this world, the Lord Jesus told us as much (John 16:33). That’s why, as the opening verse said, I wanted to share with you the comfort that God gave me. It is my hope that you will be comforted in your own times of distress and will be able in turn to comfort others.

Grace be with you all.

Psalm for the Week – 1st October, 2017

Psalm 2 (NKJV)

1 Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 “Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”

7 “I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break[a] them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”

10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,[b] lest [c] He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

 

I have always found Psalm 2 fascinating in light of Psalm 1. Whereby Psalm 1 gives great blessing to those who have submitted to the word of God, Psalm 2 shows the great opposition in the human heart against the sovereignty of God.

I know of no other psalm which more accurately describes the widespread rejection in the human heart for the authority of God. This is the source of all sin. Right from the garden, we see the point of attack which Satan used. He basically asked, “Has God really said…” and we know the rest of the story.

The human heart is evil and there is rebellion from the onset to any symbol of authority. Consider the heavens and all that is in them. God commands the sun, moon, stars, seas, wind, plants, animals and they all obey Him. It is only in the human heart where there is any form of dissent.

So in the first 3 verses, you see what man has agreed to do and indeed do we now see signs of that in various places physically and in some countries even, public prayer to God is more and more out of favour and even in Ghana, trying to insist that you live for the glory of God can and will attract mockery among co-workers, school mates or even family members.

Even some ‘churches’ have not been spared in this regard and you find many such institutions no longer governed by the word of God but more by majority decision or by what is popular in the culture at the time to make decisions. That is tragic!

However, God is not in the least bit bothered by the futile plans of human beings because they ultimately fall short. Verses 4-6 make this abundantly clear. God has determined what he is going to do and all the counsel and scheming by the kings and rulers and wise men of the earth will come to nothing.

Even more significantly, Psalm 2 is a messianic psalm and points ahead to the true King and Anointed One of God, Jesus Christ. From verse 7, Christ speaks about the declaration the Father has made concerning Him and the promises that He has received after His suffering. The nations belong to Him even though some of them do not realize it yet.

There is a warning of judgment at the end of the psalm for all those who do not make peace with the Son of God. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the day when grace has been extended. Kiss the Son for the time is coming when His wrath will be unleashed upon all the children of wrath and it will be justified.

What about you today? Do you truly know Christ or are you still fighting God at every turn of your life?

Fellow Christian, I leave you with this:

1 John 5:3-4 (ESV)

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

 

Every word He has spoken is designed for His glory, our good and our flourishing. Do not allow the world to influence your thinking that it is oppressive somehow. Rightly divide the word and obey! God bless you this week!