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Noynoy Aquino: the unlikely savior of the Philippine republic

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 03:46:22 +0100

I kept silence during the inauguration of Pres. Noynoy Aquino,watching and praying that indeed we have not made a mistake in choosing this unlikely candidate. I have prophesied before in my article, “The birth of a New Philippines” that appeared in May and quickly taken on by the broadcast media and aired that we are living in a new chapter of history.

Indeed, one can hardly recognize when history had come and favoured the most unlikely person to be the president because we were so used to those so-called “eloquent and wise”. Noynoy is not a man that you can be proud of in terms of scholastic brilliance or in terms of deciding quickly who will run the government with him. He is not even a UP graduate or had a post-graduate degree. But we know one thing that others didn´t have either as a legacy imparted in their genes or in their spirits, the man has the iron will of his mother and the humility and integrity necessary to lead a clean government.

He came as a savior of the Philippine republic at an hour when the sanctity of the constitution is being questioned to fit the wiles of the corrupt and the power hungry mobs in the congress. Armed with only the hope of putting up a righteous government the Filipinos can be proud of, he run with doubts and dissimulation if he can make it. Without money, without much influential connections but only a dogged ambition to model and bring about a clean government, he gave in to the importunate pleas of the people. He was a man’s man and the people’s long awaited savior. But even this gentleman can be hindered in reaching his full potential if his eyes will be focused on the problem alone instead of looking above for every help he needs. Persistence, my dear, bears fruit, but even efforts fail to curb the inherent corruption among men and in the bearucracy, simply because this is first an spiritual problem that needs to be dealt with spiritually and then practically. Approach it both and you win.

An unlikely savior

Noynoy, regardless of some hypes or what thoughts you have heard is not a brilliant student or scholastic in leaning unlike Ferdinand Marcos or Gloria Arroyo. The former two presidents are both well educated and knew well the basis of their power, the constitution and the mob.

They can play religious at a religious banquet, friendly at a friend`s party and stern when the situation requires. They embody the political spirit that acts like a chameleon to every situation they are thrown in. True leaders however have the uncanny knock of simply standing for what is right and doing right till they finish their course well. Noynoy is more of this type, and that does not require one to be scholastically brilliant. He however possess a firm heart, that holds to the end to deliver what he promised, righteous governance just like her mother did.

Sometimes, God does save His people by sending servants who are willing to do His bidding, even those whom we might think as unlettered and unlikely people. He did not change; he still does the same by looking at their hearts and not their minds. Governance is simple; people complicate the matter by doing other jobs not called by their office eg unscrupulous deals and hidden agenda. If we only do our job and do it well, we will surpass even the achievements we had in the past. Paul wrote that God did not call many noble and intelligent people into His fold so that none may glory in his flesh but that all things would be of God. “For see your vocation, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise: and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong. And the base things of the world and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen: and things that are not, that he might bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his sight” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29 DRB). As the verses above tell, our weaknesses can become our main qualifications for the job we were called to put up with. It is not even by the gifts and abilities that God call men into their places.Rather, it is their weakness, their helplessness. The Philipines have been weakened for a reason, humiliated and trampled among its neighbors. But there is a destiny so great for this nation that the time table of heaven cannot be delayed anymore to release God’s dreaded champions in this country and take the nations in His name.

The Philipines will become industrialized, that is not a statement to doubt, but ours will not be an empty industrialization, we will send missionaries and emissaries abroad not just to clean and engineer buildings or help families but to demonstrate the power of the Kingdom in the midst of many heathen nations. Let us pray that Nonoy’s administration will kickstart this vision in our nation. It is therefore wisdom for Noynoy to employ the help of others to run the government well. God gives grace to accomplish our callings but we need to ask Him. It is not easy to be the captain of this nation, but we have to help each other to attain our corporate destiny.

It is time to call to God as a nation to place the righteous into a position fit for him. As I was informed, there are about 50,000 rank and file coterminous with the former president, completely changing those people seems irrelevant and expensive, and it seems to require indeed a radical surgery if it happens. An alternative would be to reduce the number of duplicate offices that is not really needed and to change those people in leadership who did not produce any productive output as measured by the mandated goals of the office.

The power of integrity

Integrity is a strong belief in your word that it is true and you can deliver the goods you´ve promised. It is actually standing for what is right and what is true no matter what others may think about us. The apostle Peter stood condemned by a maid on the night that Jesus was about to be crucified because he denied the truth. “I saw you have been with the Man,” the maid asked as he was warming himself with the bystanders waiting for the words of the High Priest about what to do with Jesus. Three times, he was asked, but he denied he knew Him. Denial of truth or the lack of admission of our faults is just a tell tale sign that we are actually living in a crisis of integrity. Many do, especially those who have cheapened the value of their words by making promises that has no fulfilment.

No one has the authority to lead any organization or corporation who quickly is taken down by either the sickness of immorality or filthy lucre by whatever necessity of reason that he might think. As Solomon once wrote, “For the bewitching of vanity obscureth (every) good things, and the wandering of concupiscence overturneth the innocent mind” (Wisdom of Solomon 4:12 DRB). Vanity spoken in this verse does not only refer to excessive show of one´s mane, it is a show, brutal as it may seem, of pomp and grandure at the expense of others. This can truly obscure or overthrow right reason and an otherwise expense of wisdom. This overturns what is truth because indulgence of the flesh results to death. This is the main reason King David has to battle all his life, even those near of kin to him because he, being at the highest level of authority presumptuously used his office to commit crime by taking another man´s wife and murdering that woman´s husband.

Death is the result of concupiscence, and every lack thereof of self-control produces death or malice. When Lee Kwan Yew visited the Philippines during the reign of Marcos, he did not only wonder about the pomp and glory he saw, but astonished at what rate Marcos actually is dissipating our money. Corruption in the heart of man has overturned an otherwise progressive nation to the status of a beggar. It took more than four presidents, Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Erap Estrada, Gloria Arroyo and now the fifth one, to make amends to our past mistake.

It was a costly rebuilding effort that we have gone through, and always, it is easier to destroy a good work, than to start or continue a good one. We have to become vanguards to our freedom, whether this is primarily of economic interest or spiritual in reason, no one has been created to deprive another being of his freedom so long as this is under the law. Whenever people refuse to give up power, they become corrupted by it. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and that is the main reason why we have a constitution to follow so that men will live according to the rule of law and the freedom that it espouses.

The rule of law

The rule of law builds and provides the necessary track for freedom to reign in a just society. The lack of law precipitates all kinds of evil from slavery to dictatorship and to mob rule or chaos. This law was based on the sanctity of life and the freedom that is inherent to it way back to the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law given by the Lord to the Israelites. Whenever men have tried to discard the constitution and made it obsolete by framing another one under the guise of service, they paid the dearest price. To trample the constitution and change it to fit the wiles of the few power hungry mobs, we are endangered of going to the days of a dictator or to an oligarch.

We have to standby and defend our constitution as we deem it righteous and fit because this was framed for the purpose of restoring true freedom and democracy in the country. As the new president will soon get enough nod in the congress and the senate, he must learn not to be conformist or a manpleaser in both houses but express his praise enough for the job done right to those deserving.

But he must resist the inclination to change the present constitution only to make amends to special interest groups. Every righteous constitution was based on the sanctity of man´s life and the freedom that he has. Everything that we actually need to do and can accomplish to do is based on it. It has worked before and it will also work in the future because it was not crafted to suit only a particular interest group or class of society but was done to ensure every man their liberty and happiness in a just and humane society.

We don´t really need to change the constitution as much as to apply it in our lives and to our communities. Noynoy Aquino must be firm on this. It also behoves the president to only pick those co-workers who will work according to this platform of righteous governance.

Change begins with us

There are so many things that need changing, but we have to do these one at a time. It will completely dazzle us off our feet if everything goes overnight. However, there are some things Noynoy can´t do for you, and that is obeying the law for us. Each one of us needs to follow the rules imposed by the law; because there is no law that has been crafted for evil or malicious intent. Only the lack of law or the compromise of law does dictators arise or listless mobs rule. Because the Germans were depressed at the result of World War I and the imposed conditions by the Allies were severe, the hardship of life that followed quickly dissipated all hopes to recover again. But Hitler´s eloquence and brilliant reasoning that he could turn around Germany in just 4 years made them blind to other alternatives.

Their hopes may have been dashed to pieces but the shallow hope instilled by Hitler awakened in them the vision for a new and strong Germany. But at what price? The eventual surrender of everyone´s freedom; he dissolved the parliament, bypassed the constitution so that he was made the absolute ruler of Germany. Whenever the checks and balances in the government are removed, this leads to eventual rise of dictators or mob rule.

We are indeed in a new dimension, seeing a president who does not lack the courage to moor the country into a more stable and just foundation even at a great price. He was willing to pay the extra-mile during his campaign and fight for what is right, he did not even go the other way to smear of his enemy. We are seeing a just man, clad in simple uniforms, used to a well to do life, approachable and with a penchant for the simple life, Noynoy, has the potential to bring the country into its greatest economic progress yet since Word War II.

Let us not forget to pray daily that God may give grace for our nation to right its wrong turns and make provisions for it to achieve its potential in Noynoy´s term. Pray, this is the time Lord, for an economic miracle for the birth of a new Philippines.

Break free from evil part 12: Growing in faith and confidence

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:22:29 +0100

There are three keys of success in our Christian life: 1) the faith that overcomes the world, 2) our trust in the Scriptures as His inerrant Word and 3) intimate relationship with the Lord. Let’s discuss how we can grow in faith and develop confidence that can help us grow and do mighty exploits for God. There are teachers that teach self-confidence is a vain thing in this world and therefore we must throw it away. There are also teachers that tell the opposite that we need it and we cannot survive without it. So whom should we believe? Confidence is more fully defined in the way Jesus walked on earth.

He was so confident that every time He was asked who He was, who sent Him and what is His mission, Jesus was always able to answer His critics right away. For instance, when He declared His public ministry before the Orthodox synagogue which He attended, they almost killed Him for saying that the prophecy was already fulfilled in their hearing, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, And freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord”(Isaiah 61:1-2).

When Jesus finished reading this text and declared it was fulfilled TODAY, His entire congregation was astonished and filled with wrath, is this not Jesus the son of Joseph? (See Luke 4:18-31). Rather than asking Him or inquiring where He got His bold declaration, they thought it blasphemy that He declared He was the One sent by God to fulfill these Messianic prophecies. Therefore, they rose up and brought Him outside the city and into a hill that they might throw Him down, but He simply passed away in their midst unscathed. This was the same characteristic that Jesus displayed in His ministry, every time the priests tried to catch His words that they might use it against Him. Where did He get His confidence and boldness? Again if we look back into the launching of His ministry, Jesus just came back from a 40day fasting and prayer, the Word telling us, “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region”(Luke 4:14).

In another scene, after a day’s work of teaching and miracles, Jesus dismissed the people “And after bidding them farewell, He departed to the mountain to pray” (Mark 6:46). All these stories were not concocted, that though Jesus was fully divine, yet He too was human who needed rest and prayer. Prayer was the single greatest weapon He used to drive evil away from the lives of people and bring them healing, wisdom and knowledge. Because He was so intimate with the Father, and confident of His love for the people, He knew whom the Father wants to heal, deliver or give words of encouragements. In fact, this closeness was inseparable so that He even said, “I and the Father are one.” In the same way, if we will draw near to the Lord, keep prayer on our lips, we have the unfathomable riches of God on our side. Whenever we wake up and there is a need, we can always tap to that resource and bring healing when it is needed, food when it is provision, deliverance when it is freedom, vision when it is blindness and life when it is death, comfort when it is anguish. “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Growing in confidence

In 1 Samuel 17:1-11, we are told that the Philistines were all lined up for the battle against the Israelites, and then, as if to display their arrogance, brought their massive weaponry into the thick of the conflict and challenged the Israelites if they could truly fight them. “Bring out your champion and let each of us fight together,” shouted the giant in taunting manner. “If he will win, we will be your slaves, but if I will win, you will be our servants,” rung the words that made all the knees of the army captains buckle with fear.

Yet at the same time as this was happening, a young boy happened to passed by them, and in a seemingly innocent haughtiness, he asked, “who is this uncircumcised that chances to defy the armies of God? Let me get his head off.” So the epic battle that brought David into the throne of Israel begun. Confidence is an essential leadership trait that we all need in order to live a fulfilling life. If we lack confidence, we will not take any risk even if it is better to do so.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Evidently, if we want to succeed in this life, we have to take risks for every decision that we make. Just as David took the risk to bring down the giant with just a slingshot of stone, confidence tell us that we must take chances. Although Saul’s armor and sword could be more powerful than the slingshot and stone, David’s lack of experience and practice in using them caused him to choose what he could handle well (1 Samuel 17:39).

The first principle in warfare is to know your enemy and the second one is to know your weapons well. A good weapon is next to nothing unless tested. Because David’s hand is more skilled in pulling the stone than the sword at this point, he chose well to get his well worn slingshot. Sometimes, we are placed in a position that demands us to be alert, smart and decisive for the good of all. In David’s success of conquering the giant, we are given three insights that we can use to conquer any lingering doubts that we have in our lives, abilities and decision-making.

Confidence demands leadership in times of crisis
Confidence grows from former exploits
Confidence takes action

As the young shepherd boy tells us, true leadership demands action and there cannot be action if fear freezes us to our feet. In order to move and decide, one has to take action; one has to see the cause. So when the young boy saw that the giant pinned down the army of Saul, he took action. He found comfort that he killed the lion and the bear, so God will also give the head of the giant into his hands (1 Samuel 17:36). In fact, he who was a mere boy challenged the giant and said, “This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head” (1 Samuel 17:46 NIV). Like David, the Apostle Paul also reminds us that we can do all things through Him who empowers us. God can do more and is able to do “immeasurably more than all that we could ask, or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). Is there any lack, fear, doubt or misery in your life that you want removed? You can overcome it through Him who gives us the power and strength (see Philippians 4:13-14) because God can do exceedingly, abundantly and mightily “above all that we could ask” from Him (Ephesians 3:20). Our resolve is to never walk in fear but in peace, joy, love and sound mind because our confidence is in God’s ability to meet every need, including those that we think are just natural events. Read the following scriptures, memorize them, meditate on them and pray them for your comfort and strength.

“Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”Acts 4:13

“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:15-17

“And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.” Philippians 1:28 KJV

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:6-7

“Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

“Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29

Pursue God then chaste your enemies away

Just as David was first a worshipper of God in the fields before cutting off the head of the giant, do not attempt to engage in warfare where you do not understand anything. It is always better to fight those things that we understand or know than to engage a principality or world ruler which we do not even understand one bit about. God is light, and if we are walking with Him, He will enlighten us. He is the truth that can set us free from darkness and ignorance. Therefore, in areas that you have bondage, seek the truth from the Lord who can also set you free. Become a worshipper, a lover of Jesus.

Just as light pierces the darkness at night when we open our window, truth enlightens us, removes our ignorance and sets us free from deception. The Lord once told me that fasting is good, but what is better is to live a fasted life. To live a fasted life does not mean to fast for 60 years although Brother Klaus, the patron saint of Switzerland is reputed to have fasted for 19 years, what He meant is to live with the Lord always before our face. This also does not mean that I should never fast because He already told me to live the fasted life. By no means, sometimes we engage in fasting in order to humble ourselves or to seek a particular direction for our lives. His teaching however remains valid that we should seek to live the fasted life, which is no other than putting the Lord first in everything and in every way in our lives.

Sometimes, the ministry itself has become an idol that we need to seek to do things right by bringing this idol into the altar of God. By this, the Lord is helping us and setting us free from our delusions. There is no true freedom therefore apart from the Lord. Even His blessings will corrupt us if we do not live for Him and seek to do things with Him. This is the way it happened to the Israelites who went astray in their hearts in the Promised Land. God’s blessing was corrupted because they forget the Lord who gave them all the blessings they have. Seek therefore not just the blessings but also the giver of the blessings. It is not biblical to seek only one, but we have to seek both the Giver and the gifts.

The enemy can seek to re-enter your life

Once we have been freed, let us endeavor to live a life that is pleasing to God. There is no better way to do that than seeking to grow closer with the Lord each day. Set aside a time to seek Him, pray to Him about your daily needs, about your neighbor’s needs and about your country’s needs. We have to learn to pray for ourselves right and then to pray also for others. Just as the Apostle Paul warned the Galatians about being bewitched by the works of the devil, and becoming enslaved again, let us take heed not to fall into the same pit. Because they listened to the wrong messengers and allowed them to preach to their churches, these were so carried away by the false brethren who came in to sneak and spy about their freedom in Christ. When we attempt to go back to where we have been, to where we were previously slaves of, we are starting to wallow in the mire. Freedom was given for service and not for licentiousness.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. Galatians 5:13-17

The Lord Jesus Himself taught that “when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ “And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. “Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first” (Luke 11:24-26). When the enemy seeks to re-enter your life, resist him steadfast in your faith and bind him in the name of Jesus. Do not allow yourself to fall into an occasion with sin. This way we do not allow the devil to get any foothold in us or to gain any entrance in our lives. To do this, it is better to fight the enemy outside the city gates, that is when we have not fallen yet into sin and we are still being tempted by it. Think of it this way, that it is always better that a vessel has never been soiled than to wash it or for someone to get wounded and then to heal it or for a kingdom to be set on fire than to dose it off with water.

But once we fall into sin, let us repent immediately and flee away from that which made us to stumble. For it is always easier to resist an enemy outside the city gates than when it has been allowed to enter the city and laid waste a lifetime of work. He who therefore knowingly commit sins, has allowed the devil to take him captive, bound his hands and feet without any resistance. Be steadfast in your fight, resolve to fortify the mind of the Word of God so that you can resist the devil and cast him out while trying to build a nest on your head. Resolve to never allow your garments soiled by even the thought of sinning because those who spontaneously do these things are prone to be left by the Spirit of God. Their conscience can become seared by continual and deliberate sinning so that He left them to their minds to become depraved. This is a fearful thing to happen.

For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. Hebrews 12:17

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:24-25

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

Break free from evil part 11: Shake your fears away

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:31:02 +0100

Fear binds the soul of man like no other just as faith strengthens us and promotes well-being in our souls. In addition, just as faith is the vehicle that releases power in our midst so that the forces of heaven works with us, fear attracts the powers of hell to bind us and destroy us. It is written that Jesus came to set the captives free, that He was sent in order to “render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews 2:14-15). This fear causes everyone to be either successful all their lives or become cowards, unable to shake their fears and move forward to become what they are.

Jesus came so that everyone who believes and have faith will not need to be slaves of the devil. Just as faith starts as a seed, as small as the mustard seed, even fear starts the same and when allowed to work its way through our hearts, it will bind us. Predatory animals exploit the fear of their prey when they anxiously run away and chase them to death. Likewise fear gives power to the “dogs” of our souls.

David wrote, “For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me” (Psalm 22:16), attesting to the demonic powers of hell to “bark” and impart paralyzing fear to every man on earth. But take heart, because Jesus has come and rendered the devil powerless, “He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him” (Colossians 2:15). He was specifically sent to destroy the works of the devil, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Just as there are different levels of faith and authorities in the Kingdom of God, there are also different levels in the realm of the demonic. At personal levels, demons are spirit beings sent from hell to bring oppression and complete possession of the soul of man until it is indistinguishable in nature and characteristic from the devil. Because the realm of the spirit works either through faith or fear, believers in the Lord had the greatest power in their hands to either impart faith and peace in their midst or fear to others.

Studies on doctors who speak life and peace to their patients find substantial healing and a greater number of sick patients healed of cancer, mental disease and emotional disturbance. Hope through faith brings great stability just as the Word of God says that it is the “anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19), that is “steadfast and sure that enters the veil” or in other words pierces the veil of darkness and brings breakthrough. Paul speaks of the different realms of the demonic, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). There are principalities or demonic princes that rule over a province or region, there are also demonic rulers that rule over entire countries or continents while there are personal demons that try to completely control the lives of people and bring them to obey the devil. Even so, it is written that we will be victorious to the degree that we abide to the One who has conquered all and prevailed over the devil.

How great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, before the sons of men! Psalm 31:19

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:18-19

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them. Psalm 34:7

O fear the LORD, you His saints; for to those who fear Him, there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing. Psalm 34:9-10

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. Psalm 103:11

Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. Psalm 103:13

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. Psalm 145:19

The LORD favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness. Psalm 147:11

The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened. Proverbs 10:27

In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and his children will have refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death. Proverbs 14:26-27

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17

“Whatever is not from faith is sin.”Romans 14:23

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” I John 4:18

The foundation of victory

As we have been discussing previously, fear binds the soul of man much like the jaws of a predatory animal clasps the flesh of its prey. Previously, we said that there is nothing to fear, except to fear God Himself because He is the Lord Almighty who holds the hearts of kings like water and turns it wherever He wants (Proverb 21:1). We also said that faith is counter to fear and this is held by the peace of God in our hearts. I want us to take a closer look on this fruit of the Spirit that keeps everyone of the fruit of the Spirit intact. Because the Kingdom of darkness works through the principles of ignorance, envy, hatred, and murder, the faith of man in God is the greatest measure of his success of abiding in peace and love. One cannot really love His neighbor without peace between them because the Kingdom of God is built on the foundations of righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14) and love is its bond.

When one walks in fear, fear keeps us anxious about everything from future insecurity to present incompatibility. This too is the reason why Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy, and My load is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

At the time, John the Baptist was imprisoned and about to be beheaded, yet the Lord gave this comfort to his disciples, that they who are suffering, depressed, lonely and downtrodden should not give in to fear, but take heart, and bring this yoke of bondage to the Lord so that He will carry this for you. Again, we are told by Peter who echoed the same words to us, ^“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you”(1 Peter 5:6-7). There are many people in this world who are hurting and yet they want to carry their burdens more than giving it to Christ who wants to carry it for them.

Cast your cares away

This is pride of the greatest measure, that we think we can do it alone without needing God all the way. This is why Peter exhorts us that we must humble ourselves so that He may deliver us at the proper time, and the first step to do this is to cast our anxieties to Him. Have you encountered any debilitating illness in the past weeks? Or have you had arguments with your spouse that continue to beset you? Or did you fail to obey God in one area in your life that continues to bear on your conscience? All these are just examples of problems, troubles and sins that we must learn to bring to Christ because He can carry them for us. The Lord cares for us. He cares for even the most mundane things that we desire, because He is our Father who looks to us as His children.

As a father myself, it won’t do me any good to see my children in bondage to any form of irrational fears or illicit relationships or on vices. I would even exchange all that I have for them to be set free. The Lord tells us the same, “Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent? If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!” (Matthew 7:9-11 AMP). Be free! Yield to God and employ the help of others in areas you are failing continuously. Deliverance from bondage can happen overnight or even at the blink of an eye but some sinful habits that have been entrenched for years can only be done away layer by layer.

At times you will still stumble on it. To be free, our vision is to be set on Jesus, the perfect and victorious One. Just as we have this vision of Him, one does not become like Jesus instantly, there is a narrow path to follow with ditches on its side that only the humble and the contrite will follow. We will be victorious to the extent that we continue to draw nearer and come before His throne of grace everyday to receive help for the things we need to do.

Break free from evil part 10: The cross--the remedy for sin and bondage

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:28:50 +0100

I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. Isaiah 63:3

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

The old rugged cross was a symbol of the Roman empire’s prestige, power and position. It is shameful to be crucified as the Scriptures say that cursed be the man that hangs on a tree. The cross was a human invention of the most wicked scheme of punishment to his fellow; yet just as the human mind intended it for evil, Jesus took it over and changed the very meaning of the cross so that to this day we look at it as the means of redemption, deliverance and restoration instead of consternation, contempt and shame. This redemption did not come at an easy price. It was not taken from the blood of bulls or lambs, goats or pigeons. The blood used to purchase our freedom was from the King of glory, the owner of the whole universe! Even just one drop of His blood is much more precious than all the riches of this world combined together.

The world’s gold and silver will not be enough to purchase even a drop of the blood of Jesus. This was the price of our restoration so that we can be reconnected to our precious Lord and Savior. No wonder the writer of Hebrews warns, “Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:28-29). This means that a much sorer punishment awaits those who have rejected the offer of grace to them. To reject God’s offering of grace means to willfully sin in spite of the knowledge that we have known. Another form of rejection is unbelief of what Jesus did on the cross for us. Even if Jesus died for every one of us, He requires one thing from us, and that is to believe in Him as the Father has sent Him.

There is a great difference between believing with our minds and believing with our hearts. Paul therefore strongly emphasized to the Romans, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). The mouth of confession brings possession of the very core of our beings to that which we believe for whatever we confess will ultimately be formed in our hearts. The product of true faith is no doubt, righteousness and when one believes in the Lord, it opens the door for the Kingdom to come upon his life. Once the door is open, the King enters in so that we can have fellowship with Him, this is what it means to “dine and sup with Him” (John 21:12; Rev. 3:20). We will walk in such intimacy as we partake of Him so that He indwells us. This radical transformation in the believer’s life is so new and so true that it can only be described as being “born again.” This is how the Kingdom of God comes, not by sight or by observation but by faith.

Those who have faith can change their land, their destiny and bring heaven on earth. They are now fully connected to the greatest resource and power this earth will ever see and experience, the Holy Spirit of God. There is however constant danger to these radicals of faith, they are often repelled, persecuted and repudiated by those who have become diseased with lukewarmness. Many of these were also partakers of the divine revelation of intimacy with God but left their first estate by having focused on the people instead of the Lord who would rather have all of us focused on Him as the greatest work we will ever do than doing something for Him. Many of these have forgotten their first love and need to repent but some justifies their hardness of heart by comparing themselves to one another rather than imitating Christ, the fullness of the revelation of man in the image of God. When we do likewise, the Scriptures tell us that we are fools who compare themselves with one another.

The measuring rod is not our neighbor, it will always be His image because we were created for the purpose of bearing Christ’s image. Jesus is the rod of God to afflict those who are disobedient and He also is the flower that bud in Aaron’s staff to shower with grace and blessings those who are obedient. Let us therefore labor with God until Christ be formed in us and in others (Galatians 4:19). When one humble believer stands for all that God has for him, we will all be changed and affected. When there were just handful men who withstood against the greatest empire on earth, they changed the course of history by not retreating but kept on advancing the cause of Christ on earth. When one man believed that he could prove the world to be round, by faith, he charted the harsh and treacherous seas to find new routes and establish the world as round. When a humble monk stood against the greatest powers of his day by nailing a simple scrap of paper, he sent the greatest shockwaves that reformed, reformulated and restructured the ages to come. This is the power of the ordinary believer because Jesus has come to indwell and empower us so that we can continue His work today.

The power of the cross

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

Though the cross became the symbol of Christianity, it has no power by itself without the shedding of the blood of Jesus. It was because Jesus bled to death that there is power in the cross. What the cross ultimately accomplished for us is the atonement of Christ to bring complete sacrifice and redemption for humanity. Because without the shedding of the blood there is no forgiveness of sins, His cross accomplished much to bring us nearer to God. Let us take a brief look on each of the accomplishments of Jesus by His death on the cross. Indeed the blood of Jesus speaks better things than that of Abel because of the following:

1. Atonement

The death of Jesus on the cross was prophesied long before it took place through foreshadows of things to come like the Jewish practice of atonement for sins. In Leviticus 16:3-10 it says, “Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. “He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on. “He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. “Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. “He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting.“Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. “Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a sin offering.“But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.”

These two goats spoken here is symbolic of the life of Christ and the life of the believer. The first time that Christ came to earth, he was made an atonement or a sacrifice for our sin, therefore giving life and mercy to the sinner which is symbolized by the scapegoat that was allowed to live. It is through this practice of atonement that the sins of many are forgiven by the sprinkling of the blood of bulls and goats in the holy of holies. Aaron takes the blood of the sin sacrifice and sprinkles them in the holy place and on the tent of meeting and on the altar to cleanse and consecrate the people before the Lord because of their defilements.

Because even this foreshadow or a copy of things to come can actually cleanse the conscience and sin of a person, of how much more is the shed blood of Christ do for you? “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13-14). This is only made possible because through the blood, there is atonement for the soul (see Leviticus 17:11).

2. Forgiveness, cleansing and redemption

In effect because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ we were made debt free and sin free. We have been offered new life, new way of living and we are completely made new. The significance of this cannot be emphasized enough but to those who are conscious of their sins, to those who have been burdened by their evil ways, those who have been in bondage, they knew next to none, that the forgiveness of God and a clean slate provided for them transforms their perspective of the world around them. They who have been unworthy were made worthy again and they who have been paupers, they who have been wretched and poor were given eternal salvation and inheritance beyond description. This is what it means when Christ appeared for the salvation of mankind becoming our High Priest and Mediator who brought His own blood and presented it before the Judge, His Father in the high court of heaven, the payment for our treason. The writer of Hebrews speaking of this said,

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” Hebrews 9:11-15

“Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Hebrews 9:22

Because of Adam’s transgression, all men have sinned (see Romans 3:23; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22). The only way to be redeemed from this curse is by the shedding of the blood which is prophetically typified by the sin sacrifice done every year in the Jewish atonement. Now this practice can cleanse men of their sins and defilements that is why the Jews under the Old Covenant were saved through the cleansing of the blood of bulls and goats but this is not good enough just as this is performed yearly because it is not able to completely do away with sin no matter how many blood sacrifice is performed. Therefore, the Lord has planned that until the fullness of time, until the arrival of the Lamb of God, everything will be performed just as was being done under the Law in order to point all men through this yearly practice to the redeemer that is coming. When finally Christ appeared as the author of the Better Covenant, having better things to say, He gave His life as a ransom for many to cleanse our conscience from dead works and serve the living God.

3) Mediatorship and reconciliation

As a result of the death of Christ having become fully the Savior of all men, He also became our mediator for the reason that He died as a man being also fully divine, He understood what it means to be man and at the same time as God. To be a mediator, one must be able to identify on both sides and therefore has the authority to be an arbitrator or umpire. Is this not what was said of Jesus? “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus has torn apart the great divide between God and man and has reconciled us both through the cross. His blood which He brought inside the veil and presented to the Father as a payment, a counter price to our sin has fully realized His right to be our mediator. It was only Jesus in all of history who claimed to be the Son of God and the Son of Man, making Him indeed as the only real mediator between God and man, “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).

These better promises that the author is speaking about is the promise of salvation and restoration to all by the grace of God released through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Just as the Lord died for all, so that any man who is in Christ becomes a new creature and the old things are passed away and behold, new things have come, these were promises only made possible because He “reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (see 2 Corinthians 5:17-19).

4) Covering from curse, sickness and death

It is written that curse is the man that hangs on a tree, and indeed, Jesus has become the curse, the sin for us so that instead of us being hanged on a tree, He gave Himself so that we become the righteousness of God. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” — in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:13-14). Just as Abraham was blessed of God because he obeyed God in all things, by the obedience of one Man, we received also the rewards promised by God to Abraham.

We have access to these promises of the Lord to Abraham through Christ. We who were once afar from God were made near by virtue of the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. What were these promises to Abraham? In Genesis 17:4-7 the Lord talked to Abraham about the promise of a covenant, He said, “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations. “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.”

Here it is promised that Abraham shall receive three promises a) new name b) fruitfulness and c) covenant with God sealed by circumcision. In the New Covenant these were, a changed nature, fruitfulness abounding through the Spirit of Christ, and a new heart. As the prophet wrote, “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them, “declares the Lord. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Rather than always being led astray and coming into bondage, the New Covenant was made possible only because of the provision of Christ’s shed blood.

Within this New Covenant provision is the release of a new nature that is provided by Christ through His Spirit living in man. While this was not only impossible in the Old Covenant but also improbable under the law, it is only realized by writing a better one and superseding the Old Covenant in glory and splendor as a result. Therefore, we should not take lightly so great a salvation and so great an inheritance we have received from the Lord by sealing us with the Holy Spirit of Promise (Ephesians 1:13). He has delivered us from every speakable bondage, curse, sickness and death by becoming our Passover, “For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

5) Transformed life and clean conscience

There could be no transformation possible within man had it not been by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus on the holy place, the tent of meeting and the altar. This has been expressed in Hebrews, “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:11-14). All of these parts of tabernacle typify also the different parts of man that needs to be submitted to the Lord as we are the temple of God.

The outer tabernacle which consists of the tent of meeting is symbolic of the mind of man, his soul while the altar is symbolic of his heart and the most holy place that of his spirit. When man is saved, he is automatically regenerated in his spirit. This spirit of man is reconciled to God or reconnected to God while his heart which is the altar and his soul which primarily is made up of his emotions, will and mind, needs to be continually renewed by the Word of God so that it is washed and cleansed by His Word which can regenerate us (Ephesians 5:25). Therefore we are to “ lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

6) Justification by Faith

As Jesus Christ was being thrown a barrage of accusations and criticisms, the two thieves who were crucified with Him took sides. Notice how the Son of God is shown by the views of these two people. The people then said mockingly, “and the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.” And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” (Luke 23:35-37). If one would have been transported into that scene, the burden of the accusations of the people only added pain and torment to the wounds and sufferings of the Lord. As the skies begun to gather with dark clouds and great darkness looms on the horizon, one of the criminals who hung blasphemed Him, saying, “are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? “And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:39-41).

This act of blasphemy by one of the thieves show us our corrupt nature that is beyond cure, that we are prone to judge others by what we see and what we hear. We easily fall to accusing each other and 2000 years ago it was not any different. We still hang others on the cross not by nails but by our tongues and hatred. These two thieves represent two diametrically opposing attitudes of our time, one is pride and the other is humility. We mask our pride by such things as afflict us, we are high minded unable to come to terms with the view of others without feeling hurt, unable to take a lowly task or bear the burden of others or to even help one in need. We pray “help us do your will” but we refuse our fellows when God directs them to our paths.

We pray, “help me cloth the naked and feed the poor” but when the storms come and the flood rage against our neighbor we give them eyes that stare with suspicion instead of concern and service. But such shallow religious exercises are soon shown to be a farce by those who follow the Lamb of God wherever He goes. They have no other constitution than to serve God and humanity first before they think of themselves. Truly it can be said of them that they have the mind of Christ Jesus. “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant” (Philippians 2:5-7). They emptied themselves by giving all that they have for the work of the gospel and the advancement of the Kingdom, nothing of expense that heaven gave them remains to their account because they used it for the furtherance of the Kingdom.

These are those who prayed, Lord “help me do your will” and when they saw a poor child without cloth running in the streets, they adopted him and put him into school considering such as a valuable soul for the work of the Kingdom. These are those who prayed, “Lord strengthen my faith” and when the storms of life came and great lies and accusation were told them, they remained firm believers of the truth refusing to have a hand on gossips and lies that hurt others. Therefore, only those who walk in humble admission that they need God will also be the ones who would receive the light of His revelation.

By putting his faith on the Lord, the other thief received eternal life the moment he believed in Him so that Jesus simply said, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (v.43). Until now the Lord is still in the business of snatching people from the fire just as He did with the thief. To be justified by faith not only means we are forgiven, but also we are clothed by the majesty of Christ as we have been adopted into sonship in the family of God. All because Jesus gave His life as a ransom in our place, therefore we were justified, and declared without sin. Like Paul we can cry out to God and say, “I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 TLB).

Break free from evil part 9: The incubation of evil

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 13:22:25 +0100

Evil does have a life by itself. It cannot be denied that once this life form infects the human being, he becomes its target until he is fully overcome. The devil establishes itself in the believers mind and heart as clearly expounded by Paul, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Thoughts or imaginations are processed in the mind, once these thought patterns are established, they become the habitation of evil if these thoughts tend towards immorality, debauchery and every other thought patterns that rebel against the obedience of a Christ-like life.

The thoughts we perceive does affect our outlook in life and how our actions are released for good or for evil. The Lord knowing what was in man said, “that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Therefore we are called to seize and put stringent measures to guard what we think and what we put in our minds so that we will not be corrupted by it. Solomon reminds us to “guard our hearts” for out of it are the issues of life. What we process with our minds will eventually get lodged in the long run into our hearts, therefore we have to qualify the things that we read, study, hear, see and feel so that these only tend to impart what is life that tends to purity and holiness.

Distinguishing God’s guidance from the devil

In a parable, Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God and the devil. “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. “But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. “But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. “And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ And the slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ “But he said, ‘No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them. ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”‘ “(Matthew 13:24-30). Here we find that whenever God sows a seed, the devil always try to pervert or hinder the purposes of God for that seed. He comes in to sabotage the field of the Lord by planting evil seeds, the tares.

In like manner, you may dream dreams or have visions, any dream or vision or goal that does not lead you closer to God but brings you closer to the devil is not from the Lord. For example, God will not lead you to buy and sell drugs. He will not lead you to sell your body or to kill yourself or to kill somebody. Nor will He give you dreams that patronizes evil like curse your parents or curse your uncles; He will not even give you dreams that has anything to do with evil. In short, the dreams, visions, goals and aspirations that will come from the Lord will always have His signature, the fruit of the Tree of Life which is, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another (Galatians 5:22-26). Now to be more specific of the things that God forbids for a believer to do, take note of these, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Anything that is sensual, demonic and hasty is not from the Lord. But everything that is heavenly, that has love, patience and faith in it, no doubt it comes from the Tree of Life. Now if you are basking underneath this Tree of Life, if you are riding upon its branches and eating its luscious fruits, you will also enjoy and be the same kind of tree as this is. Jesus is that Tree of Life whom Adam and Eve did not choose; always choose to do what is right and shun profane and evil babblings.

Do not go near a friend who only do nothing but engage in flatteries. These people are children of the devil, they gain nothing but wreck havoc on others by hurting them with their words and try to get the attention of the world by their flatteries. Remember, God calls you to be a tree, and a vine of His planting. That means, God will look at what fruit you bear daily and you can check on this by the words coming out from your mouth and by what words you are thinking daily. Now, no sooner is the devil upon a person is, except that person has been infested by his evil words and images. It could have been easier if that person did not engage or came near a fool to hear his words. This the Preacher also says, “Guard your heart for out of it are the wellspring of life.”

How evil is transmitted

Most people do not recognize the devil until he is well entrenched already in their hearts and minds. Just as God can possess a person by filling Him with His Spirit, so the devil can oppress a believer by taking a foothold in his life. The word foothold means legal access, it means it has the right to stay on it because it has an attachment for him.

Like a parasitic fungi that digests away the healthy cells of an infected plant, the devil chokes the life in a person little by little until he has full control of it. The devil is a good lawyer by the way and he defends his turf with all his might. How can you cast out the devil unless you have cleansed your house first? What dust are you hiding from God’s cleansing rays? Do you have any? There can only be real freedom to a person until he has repented of all his sins and forsook them. David cried to the Lord,

“Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalms 19:12-14 (NIV)

We have hidden faults and we ought always to ask God to forgive us and convict us of any hidden sins lurking in our hearts which we cannot remember. I for one had remembered many of them but I did not cover them but exposed my heart to His searching lamp and I asked His blood to wash them away and blot away my transgressions. Sin is the legal access of the devil in any person or group or organization or nation and even this world. Because Adam had disobeyed the Lord, all his riches and his right to rule this earth was taken from him and became satan’s rightfully. Why this? It is written that “you are the slave of the one you obey.”

“Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?” Romans 6:16

Because he instead followed the voice of the devil, Adam became the slave of satan. Sin therefore quickly enveloped the world and all that were under the dominion of Adam also fell into transgression, not willingly but under torment or anguish. Therefore all animals and plants became defensive amongst each other; the beauty of the original creation was marred because instead of the man ruling them, satan now rules them. He is the god of this world that continually veils the understanding of unbelievers so that they cannot know God. When the ruler is evil, all his domains are under the curse, which is sin.

The fall of Adam was the fall of man; and everyone will also fall away who will not heed the voice of God but listen to the voice of the serpent. Therefore how much more should we follow His wise counsel to us, “buy from Me refined gold,” “abide in Me.” Our only chance to fight against the devil is not on his territory but on the mountains of God, that is, on His terms not ours.

When a man fully possesses God, he is His property, and he becomes the stronghold of God to pull down the evil roots in this society. To be the stronghold of God implies an impregnable fortress surrounded by cliffs and unreachable moat. To be one like this is to become clothed with humility. The cloak of humility is the grace of God upon every believer who continually walks to surrounded by His love. Peter says of this, “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 5:5-6). Just as we are told here that we can humble ourselves, the succeeding verse tells us how which is, to “cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” God calls humility as a necessary dependence on God’s provision and wisdom. None of us can resist the devil firm to the faith except by His abundant grace. The way therefore into the secret place is to be humble enough to draw near to Him in supplications and petitions.

This is why a functioning and Spirit filled church will not only be satisfied hearing the Word of God but also doing it and going into all the world to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. Any Kingdom that does not advance will be conquered soon. You are His Kingdom, His temple, His seed, His planting and therefore you must advance in life, in knowledge in wisdom and in all things pertaining to Christ.

To this end, you must have a life that is deeply rooted in Christ growing daily in Him. Avoid therefore persons and places that are suspects of immorality lest you would become infected by them; for no sooner is a fire burning than that it has been allowed a little spark to burn all the woods you have stored. Woods are materials for your building and it will burn down easily if you allow the fire of sin to gobble it up; what will you have then left for God to take? Purity and holiness will not only have use in this life but even in eternity. Therefore discipline yourself and your body that you only present what is holy and just for the use of the Lord.

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:12-14

How evil is incubated

Now as we have said before, evil could not have been found in you unless you have at first resisted it. Because Adam and Eve did not resist the devil but allowed his words to manipulate them by hearing them, they eventually reaped its fruit—disobedience. Whenever we allow parts of our bodies to be used for evil, we will eventually turn away from God. Think for one moment if Adam and Eve simply run away instead of talking with the devil. They could have been spared the hard life and we could have been enjoying the Garden of Eden, right? Joseph knowing this did not allow satan to fool him. When satan came in the form of a seductive and luscious woman, trying to tempt him daily, he resisted the woman but when she daily approached Joseph and found him in a solace, he could no longer resist her but the only thing left is to run away. There are sins that are better cut off by running away such as immorality.

An immoral person will try to seduce you by anyways he can. Because Samson loved a flattering prostitute, God cannot do anything with him until finally his eyes awakened him to his senses. If a person wilfully disobeys God, He cannot do anything to save such person. We have to runaway from places and people who can force us to do evil. We have to throw away any friends, books, magazines, tapes and videos that do not tend to godliness but instead influences us to do evil. Be warned my child, “if sinners entice you, do not consent” (Proverbs 1:10), “do not walk in the way with them and keep your feet from their path, for their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood” Proverbs 1:15-16.”

Note therefore that it would always be easier to drive evil away by resisting it at its very roots. Like a Kingdom, if the invader is allowed inside, then he could easily turn the tides to victory by routing his enemy inside the gates. A poison is fast remedied in the first place by not taking it. Sin must therefore be cut off away from you because of your love for Jesus. Whenever this love is present, you have power within you that no evil can withstand. Love is the conqueror of death.

To overcome therefore, do not allow any parts of your senses to welcome evil by your very doors—resist every evil inclination and do not meditate, think or even do evil. Instead be renewed in your mind by reading and reading the Scriptures and godly books that edify you. Jesus increased in favour with God and men; He did not only read the Scriptures but also the books that are available for Him to read. We have been given many resources including time, money and knowledge for us to expand the Kingdom of God in our lives, in our neighbours and in our communities. Seek to do good.

Abhor what is evil and do not take any grudge on others. Keep your mind pure by sticking it with His Words, think and ponder, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).

Seated in the heavenlies

We are called to sit in the heavenlies. God called us to abide with Him in the heavenlies and not on the earth. Paul wrote, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7). The word seated with Him denotes past tense which means that God has already made us to seat with Him in the heavenlies. To seat in the heavenly places is to be where Christ rules, is to be alive and rule with Him where He is.

And that sums up our goal, which is to abide where Christ is and who Christ is to us. Because Peter knew that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, He was able to entrust His fledgling church to his care. It is the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God and his faith in Him that made the Lord to trust Peter, that later he will indeed strengthen the Church. When he was restored after betraying Him, he was the first one to rise up and give a sermon that won the first 3000 harvests of the church.

Because he understood that he was no longer talking to a mere carpenter and leader but the very Son of God, Peter understood that Jesus is indeed their Big Brother who is always available and who came to rescue men from the bondage of sin and death. Our call is to be the same, to realize that Jesus is our Big Brother, that where our Lord is we will also be there. Think about for one moment, if we all are walking with our minds renewed and our spirit connected with God, do you think there will not be an explosion?

There would be explosion of ideas, explosion of creative power, explosion of the miraculous because when the flesh of man receives a revelation from the heavenlies, it brings down to earth to apply that revelation!

Think for one moment about the process of pasteurization. It is because Louis Pasteur delved deeply into what causes the souring of milk and the unpalatability of milk left on the outside for sometime that he wondered what causes it and how it can be remedied. Do you think that man did not read the Scriptures? Or prayed to God for help? He did! He asked for revelation that He would help him understand the problem and God just burst forth the idea into his mind. He once said that “chance favors the prepared mind” and it was so that God also favors those who are prepared for His revelation.

Break free from evil part 8: The transmission of evil

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 03:52:28 +0100

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. Romans 6:13 (NIV)

Like a virus that needs a host before it can infect an animal or plant, evil is not transmitted without a host. It needs body before being incubated and then shots up to infect others too. The sense organs of the body have been primarily given for the sake of using them as “members for righteousness.” But the same members which God has detailed for the purpose of worship can also be corrupted and used for evil. Take for example the hand that is used for taking that which is not rightly ours; or the feet that runs into the house of whore or a party, or the brain that is used to spread filth in philosophy and pornography; or the eyes and the ears that is used to catch up the next gossip in town and the mouth that is used to spread lies.

What God designed to be used for righteousness can be obliterated when our hearts are not right with Him. Thus we were advised to be careful with what our eyes see and what our ears hear because with what we have, more will be given. If we feed our brain with filth, then that is what we will be growing into. A nation is only good up to the next individual. If the best individual we could present is one that daily feeds his mind with useless chatter and idle babblings, then it does say much what our nation is made of. But if we daily grow in faith, feed it with the Word of God by hearing and hearing taped sermons or songs of praise and adoration, and then it will not be long to see a transformed Philippines. There is no bondage greater than allowing evil to persist in the society. We are only as good as our individual units.

Let’s identify how evil can be transmitted by the eyes, the ears, the tongue, and the hands and feet and how we can rectify such situation so that all the members of our body can be used to glorify the Lord. We are told that by understanding the Lord established the heavens (Proverbs 3:19) and by understanding we gain wisdom, and find good (Proverbs 1:5; 19:8) and by understanding we can wage a good warfare (Proverbs 20:18). Therefore it is essential that if we be overcomers, we should not be ignorant of the ways of the devil, of how he gains the upper hand against us. Otherwise we will continue to stumble on areas that we do not know he has already controlled us.

The senses and their usage

We have been given five main sensory organs in the body such as the eyes which is for seeing, the nose for smelling, the ears for hearing and the mouth for tasting. While all of these have different feedback mechanisms, the other two, the hands and feet are mainly for performing actions that are then dictated by what the mind decides to do.Struggles against the senses are usually fought better by fleeing rather than by direct conflict. As Joseph fought the seductress by standing for piety and virtue and then by fleeing from her when she tried entice him, we can do no better than this wisdom which he had demonstrated for us.

If we already know that men have fallen away from God by going away into bars, motels, disco pubs and porn houses and harlots, why then should we still go there? This is folly. Just as it is easier to overcome and fight an enemy outside the city gates, lest he disturbed the whole city by the wars he fight, let us not allow Satan to build his nests upon our heads. We are told that we should no longer present the members or parts of our “body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather [to] offer ourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of our body to him as instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13 NIV). Once we allow the entrance of sin through the members of our bodies, it is harder to fight and overcome it. But once we recognize this, we should resist it, and overcome.

Remember that Paul writes we have to ponder things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and those of good repute anything that have excellence in them that is worthy of praise, we have to dwell on these things (see Philippians 4:8). If your conscience blushes before God because of the admission of sin, have recourse with penitence, repent and stay away from all occasions that could cause you to fall into sin again. Stay away from corrupt friends, for the honorable can be easily tainted by the dishonorable. Dare to engage the help of others, your friends who can cover you and correct you when needed including checking about your sexual purity.

Men and women primarily differs in how they interpret the world around them but both use their senses in similar ways, one may not be primarily controlled by his eyes but by what she feels or hears but both are affected by the same temptations placed upon them. As the Lord has sent us to the world, not for licentiousness but to grow in virtue, piety and wisdom, it is His will that we grow thereby in truth and holiness. Therefore, as much as possible, “do not present your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, [but] now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification” (see Romans 6:19).

For no one can be transformed in this world without his mind being renewed through reading and hearing the Word of God and the words of His messengers. Just as we behold ourselves in a mirror daily and check whether there are stains in our dress, the Word of God is a mirror to reflect upon the virtues in this life, to cleanse us from the stains of sin. Living a fruitful and Spirit filled life is not only possible but it is the only Way for those who choose to become His first fruits to righteousness. It is not only important that we understand how sin enters through man and dispossess him of godly virtues but also how to build a strong inner life that can combat all of these ungodly deeds unleashed by hell on many unsuspecting people. One such map that shows us exactly how we can manage our daily affairs with wisdom is found in the book of Proverbs. This book tells us that it was set for the young man to find wisdom and discretion and attain to wise counsels and a means to avoid the enticement of sinners. Let us hear about the matter.

Walking in God’s favor

“There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.” Proverbs 6:16-19

To walk in God’s favor there are some basic things we need to understand, and that is, those who truly love God will seek to do pleasing things in His eyes. In contrast, those who are displeasing to God are those who deliberately act otherwise, not seeking the will of God or the things that would please Him. Just as we are called to walk with Him from the very beginning, it is also God’s will to show us how we can actually achieve this. To simply say ‘I love you Jesus’ but lacks the true deeds of love is hypocritical not just to men but even before heaven. Before we say ‘I love you Jesus’, we need to examine our deeds, we need the search light of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to our hearts and show our falsehoods.

This is why those who seek the Lord must understand His ways or the things which pleases Him and those things which displease Him for God has, “made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him” (Ephesians 1:9). That is, we are to seek to do those things that are pleasing to God, “For though once your heart was full of darkness, now it is full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! Because of this light within you, you should do only what is good and right and true. Learn as you go along what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless pleasures of evil and darkness, but instead, rebuke and expose them” (Ephesians 5:8-11 TLB). In the above verses, Solomon outlines seven things which are not only sins but an abomination before God.

The word abomination is only used in the Scriptures to describe certain sins that are especially repugnant to God. The writer arrests our attention by first telling us that there are six things which God hates, and seven which are an abomination to Him. Let’s examine them one by one so that we can gain a better perspective of walking with the Lord, pleasing to His sight.

1. A proud look

Pride is the sin of man. It starts with the thought that we can do all things without the need for God. It is an exalted eyes, one that looks down condescendingly to others. No own can really do things on his own, even the Prophet Noah needed the help and encouragement of his wife as well as his sons to finish the Ark and carry mankind through the flood. Even Daniel has to enlist his friends in order to seek the will of God concerning the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. Do not think for one moment that you are sufficient in yourself, above the agencies employed by God to touch your heart and guide you into His perfect will. There once was a woman who full of piety, prayerful as Anna the prophetess and even predicted many storms and deluge coming upon her province. When finally a storm surge occurred and flooded her village, all her neighbors were crying out to her to come out and run to the higher ground. She curtly replied that her God would take care of her and the flood will soon stop. As this woman kept kneeling and praying before God to stop the rain and the storm, another woman came to her and her to run with her away into the mountains.

But she refused. The flood by this time had reach her waist deep. Then a rubber boat by the rescue team of the Mayor in the village came out seeking those who are still remaining in their houses. “Lola Maria, Lola Maria, lumabas ka na,” they cried out in vernacular but she again refused. Then the chopper of the journalists covering the fl ash flood in the village came again, and by this time, she is at the roof still kneeling and praying to God. “Come up here,” said they but she again denied them the pleasure of helping her. Finally a loud crackling noise thundered through the village and they knew that the dam was broken. Now Maria entered heaven’s gate, and Jesus met with her. She asked, “Lord, why did you not stop the rain and the storms to save me?” Then with a look of astonishment in His eyes, and a smile in His face, the Lord told her, “As a matter of fact, I did three times.” There are many Christians in this world like Lola Maria, they pray and go to church but they seldom try to hear the voice of God through the agencies He chooses to employ. Let us not harden our hearts but be discerning how our prayers are answered by the Lord. Too much spirituality without discernment can end our lives too soon.

2. A lying tongue

Have you tried speaking lies to others because you hate to see them? Or lied to your parents because you feared their retribution? Lies can start small but no sooner have your started counting and you see them piling up. Lies first started in heaven when Lucifer, a smooth talker, was able to convince a third of the angels of God to rebel against Him. A rebel could not be easily persuaded to join the ranks unless one has been convicted to win the war. How did it happen? The fall of the angels broke the heart of God because those who chose to follow the path of Lucifer did so out of full participation in rebellion against Him. They were so convinced that they can actually defeat God with Lucifer at the helm of this army. But the Bible says, they lost their first estate and fell from heaven like lightning into the earth.

“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit. “Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you, saying,’ is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities, who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’’ Isaiah 14:12-17

It first started with the thought that Lucifer who is also called Satan said, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’” This thought, “I will” have characterized almost every fall since. It was a deliberate act, Satan thought that he can actually defeat God by enlisting the help of his cohorts. Just as he lied to Adam and Eve by telling them that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil will make them like God knowing both good and evil. He spoke to the angels, convinced them of rebellion, spread false report and said, “God does not care for you anymore, He is planning to make human beings who will inhabit the earth and where He will walk with them. If you will make me your king in the assembly of God, I promise you better rewards and position than where you are right now.”

No wonder Jesus spoke of the devil as a father of lies, a murderer from the very beginning. Speaking to the Jews He said, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). A lying tongue bends the truth so be careful with what you speak, whether it is half truth or white lie because this can also lead to the demise of others. As children of light, we are to no longer hold on such practices but speaking the truth from a sincere and pure heart, “Stop lying to each other; tell the truth, for we are parts of each other and when we lie to each other we are hurting ourselves” (Ephesians 4:25 TLB).

3. Hands that shed innocent blood

Hands that shed innocent blood do not only speak of murder or killing others through gang wars or frat wars. More than these, it is also on partaking on acts of wickedness such as ‘preying on other Christians,’ speaking lies, creating and spreading falsehoods about a preacher, pastor or brother or sister. To kill somebody does not have to only mean literal murder but acts like cultivating evil against another person or ministry because of envy is literally trying to murder that person or ministry; staged sabotages like what happened to the dynamic and powerful healing preacher A.A. Alen is one example. If we envy each other because the other person is more anointed, more gifted and shooting up like the stars of heaven, then we indeed will destroy each other. We are aborting the seed that God wants deposited in us, in our generation and in the Church if we continually allow strife and envy to gain the upper hand.

We must stop this folly and not give place to the devil; let us stop heaping empty words upon one another. Paul writes, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” (Galatians 5:13-15 NKJV).True love is proven by service, and if another person comes with greater anointing than us, more gifts and ministries, let us welcome our brother because his fruits will also be our fruits if we support and help him. It is not the donkey that is important, it is Jesus who is riding that donkey that is more important and the message he brings to us.

4. A heart that devises wicked plans

“The heart is wicked above all things,” said the prophet Jeremiah, every vain imagination that our hearts fabricates will only build one upon the another until it completes the superstructure of iniquity. There are people who are given to this kind of work, motivated by survival and the evil that is around them; they continually think how to make others stumble. If you are such a person, then you must stop your evil deeds and repent. Every thought that we sow, every plan that we think to do evil upon our neighbor is like sowing seeds of destruction upon ourselves and our families. Eventually, these seeds of destruction when full will be emptied and poured to us.

It may not come during our time but evil will not depart from the house of a person given to this job. Take Ahab for example, who out of greediness took possession of the vineyard of Naboth; the only possession of the righteous man. Because of this, the Lord promised them destruction until his entire house perished from the throne of Israel.

“Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD has done what He spoke through His servant Elijah.” So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his acquaintances and his priests, until he left him without a survivor.” 2 Kings 10:10-11

Those who participate in wicked schemes shall also fall into diverse traps. Read the following advice and be wise to choose to walk in the path of life, “Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. (Proverbs 4:14-22). Another translation for espousing wicked plans is to become a schemer, one who is crafty.

To be crafty is to be able to bend the rules and get away with the consequences of our action. Craftiness came into the Garden of Eden when the devil poisoned the mind of Eve. He came in the skin of a serpent, and then tricked the woman into disobeying the Lord. Because of disobedience, sin entered the world and gave a legal foothold for the devil to persecute and torment mankind. Our only deliverance from craftiness is to be anchored in love and truth.

Truth is the greatest commodity on earth; we cannot just allow others to trample the truth, bring injustice and propagate lies without us doing anything to defend the truth. If we love the truth, we need to walk above all in the truth, examining everything in the light of the Scriptures whether they are so. Failure to do this could cost us our inheritance just as Esau traded his birthright for the sake of a bowl of stew, esteeming his bodily needs over his spiritual inheritance.

5. Feet that are swift in running to evil

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:11-13). What does it mean to be swift in running to evil? This is no other than resorting to do evil when the opportunity to do so affords us. For example, almost every home and individuals nowadays have their own mobile phones and laptops that are always connected with the internet, the opportunity to use this technology for good is present as well as to abuse it.

Some people are using this technology for piracy; others to cheat your money through frauds and more oft en than not, prostitutes have clandestinely made their own websites too. Almost every individual who fell into sin did not do it in one day. It happened little by little until their defenses have been eroded away. Then the arrows of temptation can no longer be resisted and the person is swept away by his lust.

Others who have been involved into drugs, cigars and alcohol thought that just one curious try wouldn’t be bad, after all no one is looking after them. Then when one satchet, one stick and one bottle seem to taste like a sparkling new wine, one good for the eyes and seem good for the body too has not become enough, the door flung wide open for the cycle of bondage to begin. We have to guard our hearts, our lips and our eyes so that we will not be captured by the snares of the devil. As Solomon had once written, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:23-27). If we want purity and holiness to adorn our lives, then we must deliberately act on it.

No one will be holy just by wishing to be so; you need to take action, place the barriers needed and keep your feet away from the house of the harlot, the drug addict, and the parlor or the salon. Run instead into the house of God, the house of prayer where the flesh is crucified and the mind is renewed. There is no way you can be holy if you allow bad company to surround you. Walking in holiness is not a random act, one must commit himself and be ready to sacrifice the things that can impede him to achieving this goal.

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:14-16

6. A false witness who speaks lies

Have you experience covering up the evil deeds of your son or daughter? Did you mislead the law enforcers when they were looking for evidence of your son’s whereabouts? Or have you been hiding the real taxes worth of your properties, groceries and merchandise? The value we give to our words and actions have a proportional effect to how committed we are in our walk with the Lord. God hates falsehood, and so are those who cheat others in their business dealings.

The person who is usually given to speaking lies and falsehoods could in fact be easily bought with money. Our greed for more can also cause us to speak lies and give false testimonies to others that we envy. Obviously this is not the only meaning of a false witness, it is also writing untrue reports about our bank accounts, bank books and book accounts of our stores, groceries, and other types of businesses. Let me illustrate it better, one time while I was attending an educational materials bid at the Department of Education in our province, it stunned me to find out that those bidders who came had all but balanced all their accounts so that they produced a report with a net zero account! That’s insidiously incredulous, given the time that these merchants should have profited in a given year. Nobody can believe such report but the bid went on for lack of other bidders who came for the bidding.

This incredible account does tell us about a lot of things in the islands and the people behind such clandestine activities. If we don’t pay our taxes right, and are reticent to provide official receipts to our customers, it just shows where our hearts are really. We are not only being crafty, we are also found as false witnesses, producing reports that are untrue by the books. This is replicated wherever there are weak leaders, weak tax collectors and influential businessmen. No wonder the GNI coefficient of the Philippines is very high, wealth is not distributed properly because those who profit don’t want to share what they have to those who are in need. This has something to do with transparency, while we throw a lot of fist sized questions and accusations towards our government, we indulge in the comforts of our rooms and villas gained from unreported profits.

Therefore corruption in the government is just a mirror of how corrupt most business deals are in the government. A government or a nation is only as good as its individuals. If you expect this to change, it must begin with us, paying the right taxes and reporting what is true before the tax collectors. Where does this leave us? Begin speaking right to your neighbor and above all, contribute towards the development of your community. Give to those who are in need when it is in your power to do so.

7. One who sows discord among brethren

Dissensions and strifes are produced whenever there is envy among brethren, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing” (James 3:16).One can spread strife or discord without necessarily speaking lies or coveting another thing, it can happen just by telling the truth, the hard truth without love. It can be true that you are always sacrificing for your family, paying for the bills, washing dishes, buying groceries etc but if you use this exalted position to clubber the head of others, won’t you be hurting them? There is a right way of saying the truth, that is speak it out of love and not out of anger or frustration. Most discord, disagreements, disunity and division do not happen by chance but it occurs when we allow anger, frustration, envy and self-seeking to trouble us. Most men’s disposition are calm even when they have problems except if we begin to disturb their peace and malign them through lies and misrepresentations. How do discords occur in our day to day work and in the ministry?

Leadership in a ministry falls to the senior pastor or elder, they give the final decision over everything that is brought to them by the members. Sometimes they delegate this authority when they are absent to the associate pastor or the next elder. It is obvious that if we lack this proper leadership structure, there would be chaos in how the church can properly respond to anything that the members bring before them. Peter and the Apostles recognized this need in the church especially when the Grecian Jews and the Hebrew women were quarrelling about who will take care of their widows (see Acts 6:1-4).

As the number of disciples increased from 120 in the upper room to 3000 during Peter’s sermon to the increasing multitude, the leaders were hard-pressed in meeting all the needs of the diverse array of disciples. To solve this problem, they all agreed to find men of good reputation, Spirit-filled and wise leaders whom they could appoint to serve these various positions or ministries. “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:1-4)

This has the effect of easing out the tension and allowing the Apostles to focus where they are best at, to read and divide the Word of God correctly and lead in prayer meetings. Because this was so successful, soon even the pagan governments tried to employ this type of governance such as employing not just ambassadors to different nations but also ministers in other capacities, e.g. food distribution, agriculture secretary, housing sector and peace and order minister. Here we find that discords started when one need was not being met, that is the Grecian Jews felt discriminated over by the Hebrews during food distribution. If the Apostles remained blind to this need, it is apparent that the church in its infancy could not have survived to our time. Are there needs and requirements in your job that you continue to neglect? Or are there needs in your relationship right now that you continue to ignore? Ponder it for a moment and be ready to repent.

Another instance of discord in the New Covenant happened among the Corinthian believers, they were so good at comparing Peter, Apollos and Paul so that the Apostle had to rebuke them in their folly, saying, “Dear brothers, I beg you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so that there won’t be splits in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some of those who live at Chloe’s house have told me of your arguments and quarrels, dear brothers. Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul”; and others say that they are for Apollos or for Peter; and some that they alone are the true followers of Christ. And so, in effect, you have broken Christ into many pieces. But did I, Paul, die for your sins? Were any of you baptized in my name?” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13 TLB). Comparing leaders and ourselves can start divisions anywhere, some who are so used to the preaching of their senior pastor could easily dislike and reject the Word of God through their associate or other elders.

This is the danger of missing the mark, we become so cozy at the preaching of one preacher or writer that we tend to think God can only speak through this person. If you do, think again, and find others through whom God can speak His words. Do not become comfortable to the style of one writer or to the ways of one pastor. Learn from others too and you will find that God can indeed speak through others apart from your favorite preacher or writer.

As the Apostle Paul had said, we are still carnal when we allow divisions to exists among us by comparing each other. “For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:3). “Everyone keeps telling me about the arguing that goes on in these meetings, and the divisions developing among you, and I can just about believe it” (1 Corinthians 11:18 TLB).

Soledad B. Reyes, Ed.D. the foremost educator of Kalinga-Apayao

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:43:36 +0100

I was greeted by the grim news that Lola Sol, as we fondly call the former chief of the Department of Education Culture and Sports (now Dep Ed) then at Bulanao, passed away. Her husband had just gone to be with the Lord last January and to suddenly realize that she too had been called at the city gates of the New Jerusalem above seems impossible and unexpected. I came to know my lola personally during my kinder and elementary days because my mother who was employed as a clerk at DECS tried to visit her as often as her time permits. I knew more of her compassionate heart every time she has become the nearest kin and refuge of my mother during times of distress.

My mama, would always cuddle us all and bring us to her residence every time they had embittered arguments as husband and wife. Lola Sol never tried to dissuade her but always became a mediator and a source of strength for such embittered souls. During her tenure as the Division chief, I found that every time I joined the poster contests in those days, I believe that she gave me a better than earned points when she was appointed as judge during those usual tour of duties to bring population education to the elementary kids. I won most of the time and I am indebted to her for those academic merits in the elementary days for winning at the division level of poster making contests. Fate had always been kinder to me, though not by means of a better childhood clothing or a luxury driven household; I had relatives who were truly helpful. Somehow, my lola whenever she has time to visit us also hand us with those handsome bills of Apolinario Mabini, Manuel L. Quezon or Manuel Roxas.

When she retired from public service, I rarely saw her except that I noted later that she self-published her books e.g. the pioneering book—Kalinga-Apayao Folklores and Legends and sometime later, Kalinga Practices of Courtship and Marriage where I found my inspiration to later on self-publish my books on Christian discipleship through what she did with these books. I found nowadays that to obtain copies of her books, I might need to make announcements on a broadsheet because of the rarity of the copies. I last had a meaningful conversation to both of them, Mr and Dr. Reyes, free from worries and free from anything that could distract them when I visited them unknowingly and without intention during the birthday celebration of Mr. Reyes. Somewhat I felt that I was disturbing their intimacy together as they were just alone in their house.

Nevertheless they welcomed me, now seemingly a stranger because I passed by them very rarely since stepping in High School and going to College. I visited them because I had a feeling, that somewhat I might not see them for a long time again for we had just a one year furlough for my wife to finish her doctoral thesis in the Philippines. I interviewed both, asking questions such as whether Mr. Reyes felt smaller in his eyes that his wife had accomplished much more and he seems to be only in the background, his answer, surprised me.

He said frankly that she allowed her to pursue her own interest because he trusted her; he doesn’t need to strangle his wife and prevent her from pursuing her own career of choice. For him, it was not the question of whether she becomes greater than him, he saw it as love service to his beloved wife. I also went there at that time because I wanted to get some information about the works of pioneering missionaries in Kalinga-Apayao, quite very much interested to find about how these missionaries tamed the fierce Kalingas and sacrificed so much for what seems to be of so little value as a mere mountainous enclave.

But I found out that these missionaries did so because to them, one native is worth the value of all the world, in fact, Jesus died for one such native and His blood was enough to ransom them from darkness and to bring them to light. I asked them about writing a book about the culture of the Kalingas because it seems that for more than two decades now, there is no worthy book of study that could showcase this turn about of the Kalingas from darkness to light. It is to my personal belief that only books which have relevance to what is truth and the manifestation of this truth in the lives of people will be the ones that will not get burned when Jesus comes and reigns over all the earth.

My mind is focus to that which is eternal and that which can exist not just for millenniums but to eternity. Eternity should be our motivation if we want to remain long on this earth and if we want to reign with Jesus as co-heirs together. Without this motivation, I doubt if someone can accomplish that much for one single lifetime. It was without hesitation that they said I should and even suggested that I should try to write more on secular topics. That one last suggestion is the one I disagreed with them.
I asked Mr. Reyes if he was also ready to die, but I heard no direct answer. I think he did since that question was first ask.

Everyone should prepare to meet their God because the time on earth is not for fun and playing but more so to prepare the soul and be ready to meet the perfect One. If I were to sum up that 30 minute meeting, I think it was the most meaningful conversation we had since being born and meeting them on this side. There was no doubt that she felt fulfilled, four children who had also excelled and did their courses well, relatives who got their degrees and works because of her influence and grandchildren who too are doing just as well.

For one, my lola is not the teacher she is in classrooms or in the office, she was like a helper and friend for those in need. That I think alone is a great epithet to her but to her accomplishments, let us not reduce what she was, for indeed she was the foremost educator of Kalinga-Apayao and the first Kalinga to get an Ed. D. Even the presidency of the fledling Kalinga Community College was first offered to her but she declined in favor of Mr. Alejandrino. She had her own personal reasons and I think it was to fulfill her passion, to spend more time to her Lord’s service. To her, I salute and let all those under the earth, and those in the earth and those in the heavens ring their chimes and bells for a saint has gone to be with her Lord, her final delight and where rest, joy and melody continues to beckon her.

Truly for someone to have touch thousands of lives, it could only be because she believed that her Lord can work through her and do through her His will for the best of the land. She was indeed a burning light whose torch we were willing to sit under and be illuminated to follow the right path. May her memories live in us and may we do even greater works than she did, having clung to her Lord from the first to the last of her breath.

Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

He will spend his days in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.

The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them. Psalm 25: 12-14 (NIV)

Break free from evil part 6: Fear hijacks your destiny

Mon, 24 May 2010 22:55:15 +0100

Apart from afflicting nations and people groups just as we had discussed, fear can also hijack the destiny of a nation or a person. Because Israel allowed the fear of the sons of Anak to conquer them, they were never able to conquer their Promised Land. This generation wasted for 40 years in the wilderness and did not see the fruits of the Promised Land. Where a nation or people group continues to allow fear to control them, they will stop moving forward, that’s the end of a nation. Because the Israelites could not trust the Lord to bring them to the Promised Land, the destroyer was released among them. Their fear and unbelief cost their vision.

“Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tried Me by testing Me, and saw My works for forty years. “Therefore I was angry with this generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they did not know My ways’;
as I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:7-12

The devil uses fear to keep people in bondage and once fear is allowed, he controls them so that they cannot take any step of faith where God calls them. This battle rages in every human soul and the only refuge from fear is to step in faith. We have to choose which will be our master. This message is to help impart courage so that you will continue in your vision and walk in the fullness of God’s calling in your life. Once fear is replaced with faith, you will be irresistibly drawn into your purpose and destiny. You will then help set others free from their bondage and move closer to their callings. Though the basic course of our lives is dictated by our submission to either faith or fear, there are degrees of control to this. To the degree that we allow fear to affect our decisions, that is how our purpose and destiny is affected. This is the main reason why we are also told that, “whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23 NKJV). This should compel us to walk in faith daily including our daily routine tasks in the office, church, business deals, school or even in our sports. If fear controls us, then fear becomes our lord. To walk in obedience means to walk in faith and we are told that “the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:38-39 NKJV).

Thus, it is our basic mandate to grow in faith and to resist every way fear tries to control us in our lives. For example, the woman who is employed by a complaining boss should not allow her boss’ irrational behaviors to affect her performance in the office. She should pray for her boss daily that he will be enlightened and God will touch his heart to see his need to change. Another example for this is the car dealer who should not extort too much from his business deals but only that which is right and fair. If he fears to lose more because of giving the right price, he should pray to God that God will send him customers instead of simply hitting big with intermittent number of customers. This is living by faith.

For us to walk this way, we have to renew our minds and perceive the world around us differently. We are those who will determine that faith in God will control our actions and beliefs, not fear. Another remarkable aspect of faith is its simplicity, we connect to the Source and leave that to Him to work in our behalf. This simplicity of faith is liberating while fear is more complex and have more kinds ranging from fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of man, fear of betrayal, fear of intimidation, fear of embarrassment etc. This multitude of fear seeks to bind many so that they cannot walk into their destiny. This is why the more we grow in our faith in the Lord, the more peace, rest and fulfillment that we receive in our lives. And all our previous paranoias and fears too are gone. It is basic therefore that we should seek to grow daily and abide in faith, and where fear tries to control us, let us reject it and walk in faith that the Lord has something better for us.

Vision of eternity

The greatest insecurity that man has on earth is to find one day that he will perish and had lived a life that is rubbish. This fear of failure is rooted in part to our nature which is completely that of the opposite of faith. Because man failed God, he tried to cover all his failures with his own acts of goodness ranging from productive business deals, fame, honor and other pursuits that have never been sacrificed to the altar of God. When we pursue these things without the Lord, we will be in for a big surprise in our death bed. We will count how much or how many of these will actually continue to exist or had the impact of eternity in it after we die. And if we will find that there will not be many, we will be afflicted in our hearts. It is for this reason that those who have a vision of eternity are also the most secure and the most confident people to take on the world at large. Their faith has enlarged not only their vision but their reach. While vision shows them what to do and what they can do more, their faith is strengthened by their daily resolve to do just as God called them to. Faith therefore is also dependent on our vision for eternity. Those who have negative faith will rarely accomplish anything in this world, except seeing what is negative and evil.

Extraordinary faith

One man who foresaw the Kingdom of God and lived in it through his heart is Abraham. Faith allows the Kingdom of God to work in our lives, because he walked by faith and followed the will of God, Abraham is said to have become the father of faith. He was not looking for an earthly city but for the city whose architect and builder is God. When we think about his extraordinary exploit of leaving his country, his father’s place and his relatives, he truly walked by the eyes of his heart. If we were in Abraham’s place, we might complain to God that He has brought us into a desert country while we could have been living in the ease of city life in New York or Hong Kong. Ponder about this, to be a citizen of Babylon is to be the envy of the world. It has its hanging gardens, water falls, public baths and pools, temples, wide streets, science and education that is the best of its time and a city that is the greatest of its time. Then to merely follow a voice, that is not even familiar to you or to your relatives and then decide to go to a desert place? That is simply ridiculous and crazy. And indeed it was a crazy idea, but God does not call people into a life of ease and logical reason, He calls men to follow Him regardless of the environment because God tests the hearts and faith does not see like the natural eyes does. If we were in Abraham’s place, will we indeed follow the Lord’s voice?

But the Scriptures say of the man, “by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:8-10). Indeed it is unscriptural not to use our minds, there could have been some squabble between Sarah and Abraham about his decision to move to Canaan. But in the end, he prevailed because they trusted in the One who promised to make them a great nation, a blessing to all the families of the earth and a great name (see Genesis 12:2-3). To have true faith, does not mean we have to be perfect, and it does not mean to blank one’s mind. But to use our mind which is renewed in the Word of God and decide according to the leading of the Lord. I don’t trust the discernment of someone who comes to me, and says, thus saith the Lord “you shall do this and do that” when in fact, what they are saying are contrary to the Scriptures and contrary to what is practical, righteous and sensible thing. God’s leading will always be practical, useful for growth, equipping, and training in righteousness which is beneficial for you and your country.

In faith we see what is yet to come, we have hope that God will bring that which is hidden, that which is unknown and bring that to existence. Faith beholds the future as if it already exists, that is why Mary was able to ask Jesus for wine and He gave it! Now, we might not see the church that God may have called us to build, but if we continue to prophesy life to the bones, to the dead around us, even these dead ones will arise and God will give them life. He will give flesh to the bones, sinews to the flesh, blood to the veins and heart to the person and for every individual and army. That was the mandate of Ezekiel, he prophesied life to the bones and these bones became alive, an army of multitude. Extraordinary faith comes when we look to God and He will bring deliverance on our side. Our God really is all powerful; He brings the needed changes when we cry out to Him.

Therefore let us continue to walk in the light which reveals every darkness and downside there are in us. Let us read the Scriptures which are a mirror that will show us who we are and convict us where we made the wrong turn. As we do, we will be growing in increasing faith and the peace of God that will cause us to abide in His love and peace. This will be the most contagious fragrance we can impart on others and they will then begin to ask us of the hope that we have, why in spite of the terrible darkness around us we are still living by faith.

As every man’s heart will fail, filled with anxiety and driven by the madness of the times, we will be ready to combat and secure the Kingdom of God in their lives, all because we first cast away the fear in our lives and replaced it with faith. Since the devil dwells in darkness, he is only able to deceive us in areas where we have no knowledge and where we do not possess the truth. Truth is light.

The more we know and understand, the more we should be walking in faith. We want to replace every fear there are and expose it for what it is and His light will pierce the darkness in our hearts, delivering us. Abraham did not doubt God because His light shone on his path, it was an extraordinary faith because he saw the future with just the faith that he had and walked in complete obedience to the Lord, leaving his place of comfort. This will also be the nature of those who are the sons of Abraham-faith that sees beyond the natural.

Break free from evil part 5: Fear-the door to oppression

Mon, 17 May 2010 09:48:06 +0100

Just as faith is the door for God’s Kingdom in one’s life, fear is the door for Satan to enter into a person’s life and oppress him. He controls people, kingdoms and nations through fear. To the degree that one has allowed fear in his life that is the degree that he is influenced by fear. Every time there is distrust among nations and among friends, it is because one has been affected by fear.

For example the conflict between Christians and Muslims in the south is not merely a politico-economic problem, but also because both Muslims and Christians living in the South and even those in the North are afflicted by fear. Just as the Christians feared and distrust the Muslims in so much that they caricature each one of them with a beard as Osama Bin Laden, so also the Muslims do to the Christians.

They thought that everyone of them is an aggressor and a deceiver as did the Spaniards who first came to these shores. Mistrust is founded on fear of failure and betrayal, that on the way to fulfilling peace, these Muslims could not be trustworthy enough that we should ever trust them. This lack of trust or distrust is the lack of faith of both parties that each would actually perform according to their planned agreements. Essentially this is deciding out of fear that we will be betrayed!

The only solution to this is to build up an army of people, disciples who are taught the Word of God to have strong faith in Him. When God’s people are empowered with faith, even their neighbors will know, because the Lord spreads the fragrance of His knowledge through us. Then His peace will be so strong among His people that even the unbelieving will ask of what hope we have.

Reconciling our differences

Of course I submit to you that this is just one step, but it is bridging this gap that could eventually reconcile our differences with our Muslim neighbors. There is no question about the conflict, it is rather a question of reconciliation, where to start, how to restore and redeem our difficult past. Now the government has been given authority to deal with this matter, they were given the sword to punish evil in whatever forms it will come because injustice cannot be cured by another evil such as rebellion. Let the government do its job of healing the injustice by giving quality investments in Mindanao that would trickle down to the poorest communities. To be practical, when we say it trickles down to the poor that means give us something that we obviously see is for us!

For example, if we simply arm a group of Muslim insurgents and then use them to fight another insurgent group, this is not solving the crisis; it is further dividing an already divided people. But if we bring them commerce, trades, education, roads and bridges to the poorest communities then light comes in to these depressed areas. We will then see that their children will be clothed, given basic education until college so that no one will become empty chatters and busy bodies. We will then employ their parents in factories and provide them decent houses.

The soul of a nation

An aggressive behavior of a person is only a sign of a hurting personality. Just as a person has a soul, so are nations, groups of people, companies, ministries and ethnic groups. The soul of a person is just the composite of his personality taken from his experience, learning, culture, background and influences. To first understand Mindanao, this cannot be reduced to the present situation only. We have to go back as far as the time of the early settlers. Then we will find that most of them stood against the aggression of the Spaniards because they want to preserve their way of living.

Their lives are very simple, they love to roam free in the land, they take the fruit of the trees for food, hunt for a game and a fish and trade with other people such as the Chinese merchants. They trade silk, porcelains, shells, fruit trees and the products of the sea. They love peace and freedom. The datu is their leader and their village is like a protected enclave, an extended family. This cohesiveness of their culture did not dissipate when the Spaniards and the Americans came into our shores, for one thing, the religious persecution and the animosity of the Catholic church of the largely Muslim areas deterred them from communicating together. Because of this lack of communication, these two groups easily succumbed to using carnal means to gaining the upper hand in whatever way they could.

The gospel of reconciliation

This antagonistic behavior and distrust of the Spaniards was further fueled by the Zarzuelas and Moro-Moro plays which depicted the Muslims as devils that deserve to be killed. Such animosity of one people group was easily imparted into the consciousness of the Christian Filipinos that to this day, even among the elites and the poor, when one speaks of a Muslim, they could not even think anything right about them! This is catastrophic in nature and the failure of understanding what a Filipino Muslim is, continually becomes a black box into every consciousness of children of the next generation. But we are not ignorant of the devices of the devil and we do not want this difference to continue until the end of the age; it is our goal that this knowledge and understanding that we have will lead to peace and reconciliation with our brothers.

As Christians, we have been given the gospel of reconciliation which is more powerful than any fear, division and insecurities or hurts that the enemy has tried to hurl between us. The burden is not on the Muslim side as much as we should humble ourselves before them and before our God. Divisions which exist among people groups can only be healed by coming together and humbling ourselves before them, sealing it by the blood of the covenant of Christ to put an end to this division. The practical steps toward this reconciliation is to provide for them, care for them, until they can stand on their own because for centuries, our brothers were defrauded of the resources that they deserve to benefit from. Our call is to repent, humble ourselves by coming together with them, repenting of the caricatures that we painted of them. The only way is to call a solemn assembly, fast and pray, get the imams and the Muslim elders and together let us ask God to forgive us of our differences, that we repent of the evils we have done on our brothers to heal the open wounds and divisions that Satan continue to use to wreck havoc on us.

“Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.” Joel 1:14

“Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber. Let the priests, the LORD’S ministers, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’” Joel 2:16-17

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 (NIV)

Now the Lord is the Spirit who shall set us free, just as He has said, where the Spirit is Lord, He will give freedom (see 2 Corinthians 3:17). He has also committed to us the ministry of reconciliation, saying, “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation”(2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Now let’s get practical, if you have any differences with your friend, relative or father or mother, we should endeavor to patch up any differences that we have them because God in the first place has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. The problem here is many Christians only understood that Paul had the ministry of reconciliation but they were not. This misunderstanding to perform a given ministry has cause Satan to gain the upperhand in many relationships. Therefore I tell you, as the Lord has told me, plow the fields and never look back.

“But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

Break free from evil part 4: Faith—the door to freedom

Fri, 14 May 2010 22:16:27 +0100

How can someone have faith in God? Is it fact or feeling? Or how does one know he already believes in God? I had such questions on my mind when I was just starting up as a disciple. When I found that the Lord’s disciples too had the same questions, I found, I was not in bad shape or in bad company. They too had many questions but Jesus did not answer them by explaining their faith. He pointed them to the Source, who alone can grow such faith. I was always wary whether I am growing up in faith or not, whether I was lacking or inadequate of faith. When I found that Moses too had caused the Lord to burn in indignation because of his false humility, I thought this is not faith to have faith in my abilities or gifts. Rather God through Jesus demonstrating what faith is, said, Faith is this, that you believe in Him whom He has sent! That was not abstract! That was practical and downright simple even for a child.

One time I was teaching a bunch of boys about faith and I was using all the things I have learned about faith. As I was looking at their eyes, they seem to be covered with scales that they did not grasp one word I have said. Taking their attention by changing my tone and topic, I said, you know boys, faith is very simple. Forget all that I have just said, but only do this, believe in Jesus, look to Him for all your needs including daily food and protection from sickness. This I did, because true faith “should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5). Again in the Gospels and to the apostles, faith is not an abstract thing, Jesus worked by faith. He had nothing to start with in His ministry when it was time to conduct His conferences and discipleship ministry. He was penniless! But that does not mean He lacked. There is a difference between having no money but having everything you need and having money but lacking all the things you need. Jesus does not need money in order to fulfill His calling as much as the power of God and His direction in His life.

Faith looks to the Source

We see this at the start of His ministry. He left his family, set aside time to seek the Lord for the direction of His ministry, where to start, who are the twelve to be called with Him, and how to do it. He could have gone to a ministry center and the theological college of the Pharisees but He did not choose that. He first sought what God wants Him to do. Now I am not against those who feel called to ministry and then set-off to go to Bible College or Seminary. That is good. That is where you are being called, then go! Here the writers gave no comments as to what particular questions and directions Jesus asked the Father to show Him, but for 40 days in the wilderness, as Moses did in Mt. Sinai, Jesus received the blue print for His ministry. How wonderful! For thirty years, He had been preparing for the cross, and just for the space of 3 years, all of Israel and the neighboring Kingdoms will see the greatest demonstrations of power that ever happened on earth during that time. They have no advertising agencies, no promos to give to their partners but God was faithful for those few bands of men who for three years shook the foundations of the very society they were in. Rightly did Will Durant say of His life, “Caesar tried to change men by changing institutions but Christ changed institutions by changing men.”

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:4-5

Faith is not really in our faith, or in our abilities that we can perform signs and wonders nor in our knowledge to do things efficiently. It is not also faith to simply have prospered with riches, honor and position. True faith as Christ has demonstrated to us is having faith in God that He alone wields all the power in the universe so that when He says go to Kalinga and preach, there is no one, not even the powers of hell, which could hinder you in accomplishing your mandate. This is the victory that overcomes the world because it is not founded on your wisdom or on your knowledge but established by hearing the Word of God speak to you. Without the Lord having spoken to Jesus that it is time to go and preach, He could still have been churning out furniture, tables, chairs and benches for his neighbors. He did not try to impact the world but from basically living in his local, He caused such an impact that reverberated around the world when He died and arose from His death.

God can live in someone unbeknownst to many until the day it is ripe for them to declare the praises of God in their lips as Jesus did. Therefore do not fear, nor be dismayed that you have not received your specific mandate yet. Wherever you are stationed right now, do as the Lord says. If you are a janitor, why not sweep the streets like Michelangelo painted the Sistine chapel? If you are a carpenter, why not shape the wood and smoothen its surface for the comforts of your customers? If you are a teacher, why not mold the minds of your students to become Christlike? Our present position is not permanent, they are chairs which we are to occupy for sometime in a room, then change chairs again until we reached the position which the Lord has actually meant it for us. Faith looks beside the veil that is not foreseen by the natural eyes, it is taking what is found tomorrow into our time today. It is not subject to circumstances but is subject to the will of God so that whenever it wavers, we need to check on it if it is in line with what God has said. That is why it is called faith, because it “is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval” (Hebrews 11:1-2).

Faith is the only thing that pleases God

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

It is faith that pleases God the most. Without a day to day faith in Him, how can we even trust our salvation to Him? This is the main reason why there are unbelieving believers in the Church, they confess that they are saved but when fear and failure suddenly knocks at their door, they cringe and cry out obscene and foul words instead of going straight through it and overcoming it. Sometimes our very circumstance can seem to kill us, just think about the exploits of Noah, who preached to his neighbors and people that a flood is coming but they deemed him out of his mind. Between the time that Noah was 500 years old till the time that the flood came when He was 600 years old, he was informed by the Lord to do all that he could to prepare for the flood and to warn the people of the judgment of God.

Noah labored with faith having not seen any rains or even flood waters; he did not reject the Word of God as preposterous but strengthened himself in the Lord knowing that He is just and true. Matter of factly the Scriptures clearly testify of his life, that “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; [and] Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). And who could have thought that a liar would be blessed with a promised child from whom the Creator would come and manifest Himself on earth? Abraham, in spite of all his weaknesses became the friend of God and saw the fulfillment of His promises in his life when everything in his power to do ceased. God waited until the time that it was impossible for him to move that He fulfilled His promise of giving them the child, Paul writing,

“In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:18-22

Faith is standing on the Word of God

Faith is the work of God that is why He constantly redeems and restores even that which is useless. Faith is the substance of a being; everyone on earth has some amount of faith within them. You even have a belief that even God’s gravity will continue to exist and not pull you out suddenly. The Greek word for assurance or substance translated in Hebrews 11:1 is hupostasis which actually means “standing under” or to simplify it better, faith is actually standing on God’s Word, or aligning ourselves in accordance to His Word.

This is the reason why verse 3 says “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). We have the proof, the evidence and the substance that everything in this world was prepared by the Word of God, He spoke and out came the creation! Now think about this wonder, God only used His hand when He created man but every part of the creation was done by His spoken Word. It is therefore right that we must take hold of the Word of life, everything written in it and including words of prophecies His servants may have spoken to us because it is His Word that builds us up. His words flow like life, ministering to those who have learned to abide in His Word, because in Him was life and this life was the light of men.

Faith leads to action

Faith is the power of God and there is no one in the Scripture who believed in God and remained oblivious to what was right, true and just. Therefore those who claim to have faith should lead them to action to do as their faith suggest them to. We see this among the saints of old,

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the first-born might not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.” Hebrews 11:17-31

As one can glean from all of these examples, those who have faith are led into action by their faiths. No one can actually profess to have faith and then do nothing about the evil surrounding them. One cannot simply watch as children die of abortion, abuse of drugs, raped by gangsters or kidnapped and made to beg for life. Everyone must have to do something of the faith they have received, they are either moved to action or they bury it altogether even the little light they have. James therefore says, “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” (James 2:14-16).

So when I heard about a woman who spoke up that she is working so that his husband can live by faith. That led me to inevitably distrust this guy who forgot to give covering to his wife. It is the man’s job to work for his family and raise that family! How can one say he lives by faith and yet forces his wife to work for his food? Faith is not a license to be lazy. Working for food is not the lack of faith, rather it is evidence that one has faith in God that through his work, God will provide for his food. Just as a farmer will sow his seeds on a farm and trust God that He will grow the seeds and provide the needed sunlight and rainwater, we must also trust God that for all our needs, He will provide for us. Thus, even our faith in God determines the provisions that we receive. Those who have faith will not be overly conscious over what they have given to God as long as the King receives His due reward, the nations. They will not give in order to get more, but in order to give more for the Kingdom to advance and take on the nations.

“Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Thy possession.” Psalm 2:8

Faith leads to freedom

Who could be a freer people than the people of God? If we profess faith, then our very being has inseparable possession of the promises of God. True faith cannot be overtaken by a more persuasive argument no matter how ridiculous one may look. Faith has its devotion centered on God and its very core being is a living power that moves mountains. It is like an engine to a car. One pervasive delusion among Christians is our inability to separate between what is faith and what is belief. You see, one can say he believes in God just as demons do, but to have faith in God, that becomes a different matter because mental assent can be easily persuaded by a more convincing proof or argument but faith does not.

A person with true faith has an inner conviction, a vision of the place where God wants him to be. Just as Abraham at first almost disbelieved the voice of the Lord, yet he followed Him, and the trials of his faith in the Lord transformed his mental belief of God into a firm force in his life until such that one can truly say, Abraham believed in God in hope against hope until the fulfillment of His promises to him. The purpose of the wilderness experience for Israel is to transform their beliefs into a firm conviction that can move mountains. Few however went out of that generation victorious because these two saw that their enemies were bread in their hands and they could take them anytime. They have stood under God’s Word that He could bring them to the Promised Land and resolutely stood by that promise. The Scriptures tell,

“Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. “If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. “Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” Numbers 14:6-9

While the congregation was grumbling for fear of the sons of Anak, these two can’t wait to take on the giants and even confessed that they will be bread for them! It is just such instances that the Lord tests us. And almost 2 out of 10 of the divine ratio shows people who will inherit their Promised Land; the hope however is that upon learning from these, we can already achieve a greater proportion because they have taught us the way. Every obstacle, every opposition and fear that tries to hijack the purposes of God in your life when approached rightly would enable you to soar higher in your walk with God. Trials are doors to enter freedom. God is allowing every trial in our lives for the purpose of freeing us. No one will be able to attain his spiritual destiny until he has been set free. The wilderness was placed to test our hearts whether we will drive the plow or continue looking back into our old lives. As Paul had said, we are delivered through the tribulations that we suffer because in them, we are comforted by God, afflicted in every way but rejoicing because God has considered as worthy to suffer for His sake.

“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 may 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

“For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor should be in vain.” 1 Thessalonians 3:4-5

Faith releases God to work

Just as faith is not faith in ourselves but in God; it is obvious that true faith is obedience to the One who can do things Himself. Faith is the only thing that pleases God and releases Him to work on our behalf. This is why He exhorted often, “believe Me” if you believe in Moses, you will believe Me (John 5:46) and “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent” (John 6:29). Because Mary believed that Jesus can do all things, she asked Him to make the wine. Although Jesus confessed that it is not yet His time, her faith in Him so stirred the Lord to actually perform the miracle of transforming water into wine. He even said, “why do you involve me?” And then Mary oblivious of His statement simply told the servants to “do whatever He tells them.” Here we find Mary’s faith actually caused Jesus to perform a miracle although it was not time yet. Did you get that? Your faith in Him releases Him to perform wonders in your life, to succor you in your afflictions, to release you from captivity and bondage, to heal you from sickness and diseases and to enlighten you in your darkness. Jesus does not lack anything. He meets you according to your faith. Let us rejoice and ask Him to strengthen us that we may not lack faith but be strong in the Lord.