“GOD IS WAITING”

“Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations.

God on His own prompting had given a promise to Abraham earlier on but just like you or me, Sarah and Abraham may have thought, “God doesn’t understand our circumstances; his commandments are good guidelines, but they simply don’t work when it comes to the nitty-gritty of life.” And so the couple decided to ‘fulfil the promise’ by their method. And so Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

 

Yet the promise had been that Sarah would be the one to deliver a son for Abraham; and in the agenda nothing has been fulfilled and so the wait continued, long after reaching the point of desperate frustration, the place where you say, “God, I can’t go on any longer!”

 

Have you been there like the widow knocking on the judge’s door?

You pray day and night but it’s like heaven upon you is closed and the door remains shut (Luke 18). Sarah and Abraham knocked on that door for another fourteen years! (Genesis 16:16; Genesis 21:5).
While Abraham and Sarah waited, God made a covenant with Abram, changing his name to Abraham, which means “father of many.” And he changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, saying she would be the mother of nations and among her off-spring would be kings (Genesis 17: 15-16).

 

Then God sent three mysterious visitors to tell Abraham that Sarah would provide him a son within the year. Sarah laughed, not believing God was about to give birth to his promise (Genesis 18). This time around, they were totally and wholly dependent upon God to fulfill his promise. Not dependent because they’d obediently submitted everything to God, but totally dependent because they’d exhausted every other possibility.

 

And that’s often why God delays. He’s waiting on us to be ready for him. God opened Sarah’s womb so she could bear Abraham a son in his old age, at the time appointed by God (Genesis 21:2).

 

There is nothing you need that God can’t provide. You don’t know what you’re going to need the rest of this year and the rest of your days. But whatever it is, God has the power to supply it. The Bible says this in Philippians 4:19: “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

God has unlimited resources, He is waiting for you to ask Him.

 

GOD KEEPS RECORDS.

You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your Book? (Psalm 56.8 NKJV)
God is represented as having records of men, of their works, and of God’s dealings with them.
The infinite and eternal God is a personal God and He relates to everyone individually. He knows all things, and has a record of all human conduct, including thoughts, words, acts, and motives. In the above passage, David referenced a book belonging to God: Book of Remembrance meant for every believer. Malachi informs us that “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. (Malachi 3:16 NKJV). This book holds every act of faithful service done for the Lord. This book is directly connected with another very important book called the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5; 20:15). If a name is removed from the Book of Life, that person’s good deeds will also be removed from the Book of Remembrance.
These two books will become handy during the time of the judgment, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Satan will stand to accuse us before God that we are not worthy of eternal life. He will point to all of our sins and lay our faults in the worst possible light, declaring that we don’t deserve any more than he does to be saved. Revelation 12:10 calls Satan the “accuser of the brethren…which accused them before our God day and night.” Jesus does not excuse our sins, but rather points to the immortalized record of our lives and shows Satan that every one of those sins have been confessed and forgiven by Him, that His blood covers them and only our good deeds remain. This is very good news for us! “……… but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20b).
But as we rejoice, we must also remember not to take the mercy of God and His grace for granted by trying to cover up or ignore our sins. They must be confessed and forsaken. John emphasised that “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” (Rev. 21:27)
Sins that have not been repented of and forsaken will not be pardoned and blotted out of the record, but will stand as a witness against us in the judgment.
May we search our hearts sincerely and make things right with God so that our life’s story may be shared throughout the endless ages.

 

“The Deep Riches of God’s Wisdom”

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:33-36
Beyond human’s exploration is what Paul refers to as God’s inscrutable wisdom and his ways. There is no way man can fathom the greatness of God. Our minds are limited to grasp His greatness, ways and His unsearchable judgements. Even when we can understand what he tells us about himself, but even beyond that, there is much more that we cannot know. There are depths of riches of His wisdom and unsearchable judgments.
With this at back of Paul’s mind, he contrasts it with the impotence of man. He asks three very searching questions:
* His first one is, Who has known the mind of the Lord? What he is asking is Who has ever anticipated what God is going to do? Have you? Have you ever been able to figure out how God is going to handle the situations you get into? We all try, but it never turns out quite the way we think it will.
* The second question: who has been his adviser? or Who has ever suggested something that God has never thought of? Or has He ever been deficient of ideas and he desperately needed help? Never,
* Paul’s last question is, Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? That is, Who  has ever given God something that he didn’t already have? Paul says, Everything we are and have comes from him. He gives to us; we don’t give to him.
Paul concludes,

For from him (God) and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. God is the originator of all things; all things come from him. He is the sustainer of all things; they all depend on him. As C. S. Lewis puts it, To argue with God is to argue with the very power that makes it possible to argue at all! He is the end purpose. All things will find their culmination in God including you and me. He is why all things exist. Therefore, to him be the glory forever! Amen.

GOD’S PRECEPTS AND PRINCIPLES

 

“My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-22 AMPC)

 

God’s precepts and principles is a two edged sword, put them into practice, you’ll see it come to pass and if violated, you will receive the repercussions. For every action, there is an equal consequence or reaction to that action. Many lives have   been so messed up that it is easy to think death might be a mercy. I have seen lives so flawed that it is easy to wonder why they were ever born. Many lives have been distressed and troubled that it is easy to describe their lives as hell on earth. The only panacea that can save man’s life from being wasted is the discovery of wisdom embedded in the word of God. It is life to those that find it, for it teaches a person how to live purposefully and successfully.

 

People who think the God’s principles are archaic, onerous and restrictive to been successful and having pleasure are not only fooling themselves, they are digging a grave of discomfort. Nothing works around them both within and without. They would not know how to treat parents, spouses, children, employers and neighbours. They would not know how to make marriage, family, business, church, or society work at all. Profane activities breed nothing but disease, death, dysfunction, poverty, misery, and ignorance. Light and progress are by the Word of God alone, and the people that follow it are blessed indeed (Proverbs 8:12-21; Psalms 33:12; 144:15). Nothing works outside of the divine guidance in the form of commandments!

Moses reminds us of the import of following God’s command, ” …… For it is not an empty and worthless trifle for you; it is your [very] life. By it you shall live long in the land which you are going over the Jordan to possess. (Deuteronomy 32:46-47 AMPC). Joshua was told, he could achieve success and prosperity by remembering, meditating upon, and obeying God’s law (Joshua 1:8). Jesus came bringing even greater light and He promised life and life more abundant for keeping His sayings (John 10:10).

 

To live your life without God’s words is insanity. They are life and health for body and soul. Neglect His words to your own peril and pain. Read and remember it for your great pleasure and profit.

SUSTAINING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

 

“And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil” (Deut. 11:13-14 NKJV). 

 

As I set to write this, I am still overwhelmed with what God did in our Thanksgiving Service – June Edition. The Lord moved mightily right from the beginning of the service, there was no room for sermon, no format, the testimonies were unprecedented and everyone was bathed in the power of God. No doubt God is opening heaven to bring to us floods of His goodness and mercy. He is bringing increase to His people in every dimension of life. 

 

However, to sustain this experience, there are clear directives that we must adhere strictly to. The above passage stipulate conditions for the blessing and outpouring of the Spirit – that people must walk in obedience to the instructions God had given them. The instructions were clear. They centered on a familiar but sometimes still uncomfortable word: obedience. To obey God’s Word, we must make it the first priority and final authority in our lives. Obedience is going where the Lord says to go and doing what He says to do. Isaiah 1:19 says, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land”(NKJV). 

 

The Word of God emphasis over and over that there are blessings that come with obedience, but there are also penalties for disobedience. Although many people want the blessings, they do not want to obey. If we are to be full of God’s presence and experiencing His blessing, we must cultivate an attitude of obedience and a yielded heart toward God and His Word.

 

Andrew Murray in his book, “The Blessing of Obedience” says, “Without obedience there cannot be the spiritual power to enter into the knowledge of God’s Word and will. Without obedience there cannot be the confidence, boldness, and liberty that knows that prayer is heard. Obedience is fellowship with God in His will. Without it there is no capacity for seeing, claiming, and holding the blessing He has for us.” 

 

If we will choose to follow the instructions in God’s Word regarding our time, attitudes, giving, priorities, and willingness to yield to His influence, we will create an atmosphere around us in which God can move, bless and be glorified in our lives. 

The Place Prayer and Action

“But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat (Nehemiah 4:9).

 

The enemy got upset about the determination and the seeming success of Nehemiah and marshals it’s forces, intensifying the attack, and begins to plan direct violence. Nehemiah reacted by relying on prayer lazed with action. He prayed, he took action by posting guards to square up with the threats of the enemies. He knows that, for prayer to be effective, it requires action.

 

When you begin to move with God to change things in your life for the better, you will find that you are met first with derision, and if you keep persisting, someone is going to get very upset with you and attack you in a vicious, perhaps physical, way. This combination of the resources of the spiritual force of heaven with those of the material world is a marvelous picture of how believers ought to face threats and challenges recognising that we need action on both levels.

 

Have you ever faced something like that? Were you ever unjustifiably threatened at workplace?  Nehemiah’s approach is a lesson to us. He did not lazily spiritualise it and waited folding arms expecting God to show up. Rather,

  • He evaluated the situation, assessed what is needed, where it is needed and how.

If we are going to succeed and improve our own lives, we must be able to honestly and objectively. When we do, we must ‘post a guard’ at that point.

  • Reviewed the spiritual resources available to them.

They had a power at work in their lives that their enemies knew nothing about. The great and awesome God who was with them would stand with them in their peril. When they remembered this, they became reassured and renewed in courage. The enemy saw that they could achieve nothing with their attacks.

 

How do you respond to your life issues? When your spirit is down and there wars within, what spiritual resources are available to be victorious? Do you see yourself as not being alone? Are you always conscious of the  presence of the risen Jesus? He is awesome. He is strong. He is powerful. Reckon upon Him, and you will be able to stand against the wiles of the enemy.

 

BLESS AND CURSE NOT

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” (Romans 12:14)

This cannot be the natural reaction of an average man.

It is indeed humanly impossible to bless those who are persecuting one or wishing one evil. Man naturally, will go around badmouthing people who are not nice to him. He will want to run them down, speak harshly about them and possibly persecute back. But this is what the Word tells us we don’t need to do and we should not do. Paul here, describes the kind of love we should show to people particularly those who are unfriendly, mean, maltreat or oppress us. Paul gives some very practical help on this.
In verse 17 Paul says, Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Later, in verse 19 he adds, Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, It is mine to avenge, I will repay, says the Lord. Revenge is one of the most natural of human responses to hurt, injury or bad attitudes. We always feel that, if we treat others according to the way they have treated us, we are only giving them justice. We can justify this so easily. “I’m only teaching them a lesson. I’m only showing them how I feel.” But have forgotten the many times you have injured others without getting caught yourself. But God hasn’t forgotten. This always puts us in the place of those Pharisees who, when the woman was taken in adultery, were ready to cast stones and stone her to death. Jesus came by and said to them, He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone, (John 8:7). None could for obvious reasons.
Paul’s admonition is, Don’t try to avenge yourself. First, because God knows it and he is already doing something about it. Leave room for God’s wrath. Second, God alone claims the right to vengeance because he alone can work it without injury to all concerned. He will do it in a way that will be redemptive. We don’t give God a chance when we take the matter into our own hands. May the Lord teach you this hard lesson of blessing and loving those who have done us wrong.

 

SET FREE TO DO BATTLE

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11).    

 

Life is basically a struggle. It is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan and that people themselves are the battlefield. The battle is manifested in the inner tensions and fears of individual lives, in the physiological and mental illnesses, in family fights and church struggles. It is even seen in nature, where all of life competes in a ruthless, deadly struggle to survive. The whole race has fallen under the control of satanic forces, which Paul calls, “the world rulers of this present darkness” (Eph. 6:12)

 

But the good news is that some have been set free through the coming of that “stronger one,” Jesus Himself, who came, as John tells us, “to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8b). Through the amazing mystery of the cross and the resurrection, Jesus has broken the power and bondage of Satan over human lives. Those who individually receive and acknowledge this are set free to live in the freedom and liberty of the children of God.

 

They are however set free to engage in the fight, to overcome in their own lives, and to become the channels by which others are set free. How do you do this? Paul’s answer is in one phrase: “Put on the whole armor of God.” Full provision has been made that you might win in this battle. This is the amazing thing we must learn. God has made full provision for us to fight these forces that hold the world in their grip. May the Lord tear away the delusive veils by which we have allowed ourselves to be rendered powerless in this great battle. 

 

‘Ranti Orioke

“GOD THE HELPER”

God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble. (Psalms 46:1 AMP)
This psalm encourages us to hope and trust in God; in his power and providence, and his gracious presence with His own in the worst of times. David in Psalm 54:4a declares “Behold God is mine helper…..”, his only help when he was confronted with the arrays of Saul’s hit men and the betrayal of the Ziphites in divulging to Saul where he was hiding. He had known disappointments both from within and without and came to realization  that only God is the dependable Helper. There are three attributes of God’s  help:
It is sufficient and enough because it is divine. “The Lord is my helper.” When we are in need of friends to come to our aid, but often they cannot help us because their resources are inadequate. The Lord’s resources are never inadequate. His name is El-Shaddai (Genesis 17:1), which means that He is “the Enough God”.
The help of God because of His immotability, is always there to be accessed, so easily obtainable. The help can never be too early to become unnecessary or too late to be of no relevance again. Mary and Martha said, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32) But was He late?, not at all; He is always here – Psalm 46:1.
The help of God is bespoke, proper and fitting to individual’s need and it is personally dispensed to each according to each needs.
Are we in danger from visible or invisible enemies? God is our refuge, to whom we may flee, and in whom we may be safe. We have work to do, a warfare to accomplish, and sufferings to endure?. God is our strength to bear us up under our burdens, and to fit us for all our services and sufferings. Are we oppressed with troubles and distresses? He is a help in trouble: yea a present and adequate help. He had manifested himself to be so in the course of His providence in time past, and He has engaged to be so in time to come, and will not fail to fulfil His engagement.

 

A CALL TO FAITHFUL SERVICE
“I set treasurers over the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites; assisting them was Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, for they were counted faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.” Nehemiah 13:13

The high point of this passage is that all the men put in place regardless of their titles had one thing in common, the men were considered trustworthy(Nehemiah 13:13b). They were faithful men. Today faithfulness as a quality is very rare. All we do is pay lip service to it. It is disheartening to me at times to see how few people take seriously the responsibility to carry through faithfully what they have undertaken.
Faithfulness is a quality that God admires. Paul says of those who minister in the church: “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). That is the primary thing God looks for: the ability to hang in with an assignment until you are through; the willingness to fulfil responsibility year after year, not needing to be praised or thanked or publicly encouraged in order to do so; to work unto the Lord; to show up on time and to not leave until the work is done.
To be considered faithful has no relationship with age or gender, it is not a function of how long you have been in the church. A faithful believer is a man with:
  • Humble Heart: someone whose ego is not on the line all the time, who must be praised and honoured and encouraged in order to get him to do anything at all; who gets disgruntled and turned off if she does not get recognised. I look for someone who understands that service is a privilege; that power is not conferred upon a person by an office but by serving people.
  • Right Attitude: Someone who sees her work as a ministry of service to the Lord Himself; he sees it as a privilege to serve and undertakes the it out of gratitude in his own life and heart, and no matter how tough it gets, will not quit. He possesses a teachable spirit who wants to learn all the time, always listening and tries to consult and reason out with others.
God is looking for these kind of people in 2017, to change the age in which they live. That is what we are called to do today. We are all included in this calling, not just the pastor or visible leaders. There is no single believer that has not been equipped by the Holy Spirit with a special ability to do something. in the service of the Lord. Do you make your gifting available in His service? If you have, are you faithful? Will you answer the call in 2017?. The body of Christ requires faithful men and women who are willing to carry this through to the end.

A CALL TO FAITHFUL SERVICE
 
Do you have questions regarding this week’s issue of “In His Presence”? Please contact me via the email address below.
pastor@rccggoldenarena.org
Ranti Orioke