THE RADICAL NETWORK OF LOVE

   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-5).

            If you were to summarize the entire Bible upon one verse of Scripture, which verse would you have epitomized it? On what solid foundational ground can such bold declaration be situated? Given its level of difficulty, this very scripture keeps resonating in my spirit: “For God so loved the world (mankind) that He gave”(John 3:16a). The Apostle John in his epistle gives us a sneak peek into God’s divine nature and characteristic. He tells us: “God is love” (I John 4:8,16). John didn’t say that God “has” love but rather that He “is” love. If God is love, then His actions would naturally or supernaturally be revealed by the nature of love. One obvious qualities of love that we can attest to is that it “gives and shares itself.” Giving and sharing of itself means it cannot dwell in a vacuum. Therefore, the very nature of God Almighty would be to desire to share His sovereignty and power. In essence, love is fulfilled when it gives and shares itself—the reason and totality of Christ’s passion for the cross.

            Our world is mourning and wailing, searching for that precious gem of love. Just look around, pick up a newspaper or turn on your television set. The unveiling of history everyday is as a shattered beautiful mosaic. With all of our great universities, cyber-space technology, World Wide Web, media psychology, G-8 meetings, immigration reform and policies, medical revolution, religious conferences, democracy, cease-fire and peace marches, mankind is still his “own worst enemy.”[1] The undeniable facts of blood-shed, rape, poverty, starvation, violence, genocide, bombings, corporate corruption, moral decay, sexual revolution, human trafficking, terrorism, theft, substance abuse, divorce, racism, and so forth are evidences etched on the archives of history, evident that the human soul is still in mourning. There is a hunger in the human spirit that food cannot satisfy; it is a thirst that mere water cannot quench. This desire emanates from a “vacuum created by a loss of something man use to possess.”[2] Driven to pursue answers, “generations [from yester years up-to-date] have attempted to [fulfill this desire by means of] superstitions, sophisticated [religious] rituals, customs and practices that seem to defy logic and reason;”[3] however, all have come to no avail. If anything, they’ve actually escalated and intensified the problem(s).

            Just look at our world as we continue to make progress. We’ve actually become “smarter but not wiser, healthier but weaker, [we save] whales [and dolphins] yet kill our own children”[4], our public schools once a place of prayer and moral values has become a haven for demons.[5] The United States expenditure on drugs annually has exceeded that of oil. How did this happen? How did the land of the free and home of the brave become the world’s number one addict? We have money and class, but are losing our children to drugs and gang violence. We have the best security systems in the world yet, our schools are under serious scrutiny as mass murders and killings continue to ravage our campuses. “The average 12-year-old girl is sexually active;”[6] and a mother’s womb, once a place of safety and comfort has now become a holocaust for innocence. And with marriages ending in tragic divorce, children have become the innocent casualties of a war within the home. While television has become the official day care system, video games are deceitfully applauded as the new childhood drug.[7] We have more baby-daddies and babe-mamas than we have fathers and mothers. We can live with our pets longer than with spouses, our cars last longer than our marriages, our children shoot their teachers, and our kids murder their friends. What kind of world are we living in? The 21^st century man is nothing more than a sophisticated caveman. He doesn’t carry a club he carries an automatic weapon. And though he can change his environment, he cannot change his nature. He is still the same since Genesis chapter three.[8] The search for knowledge and understanding without God has left him (man) with a spiritual cancer—frustration.   

            To solve this bull of a problem, we need to grab it by its horns. We are made in God’s image and if that image is love, then I believe we’ve just found the solution to our problem(s). Upon accepting Christ, the Spirit of love (that nature of God in man that was lost due to sin) comes back to have residence in our abode. And “because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5) we are chosen to go forth and radically dress the wounds of a hurting world with the antidote of God’s infectious love. Jesus said, “By this [network of love within the cluster of believers] everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). For three straight years Jesus sowed in their hearts the seed of love. When the seed germinated and came to fruition on Pentecost, it wasn’t a surprise that three thousand plus hungry souls were fed. The Bible went on saying that they were so fulfilled that, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2: 42-47). When the world sees the love network among us (believers) in how we reach out to one another, encouraging and supporting each with care and compassion, the bridge of hope will be extended to give others a new way of life. As we continue to fan the flames of this magnetic love of God, many would be sucked in by its attractive power. We are God’s network of love; therefore, be radical.    

           

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       [1] Munroe, Myles. Kingdom Principles: Preparing for Kingdom Experience and Expansion. (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2006), 11.

            [2] Ibid., 13.

            [3] Ibid.

            [4] Munroe, Myles. Rediscovering the kingdom: Ancient Hope for our 21^st Century World. (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2004), 8.

            [5] Lagerquist, Ron. Foundation to all Freedom: Beyond Self Control. (Ontario: A Renewed Health Publication, 2003), 26.

            [6] Ibid.

            [7] Ibid., 27

            [8] Munroe, Myles. Characteristics of the Church, message on DVD

HE HUMBLED HIMSELF

By Kwaku Gyamfi


              Charles Templeton, a beloved friend of Billy Graham, who abandoned his faith wrestling with doubt, skepticism and uncertainty at questions that objected the Christian faith asked: “Why is Jesus the only way to God? And, how could a loving God exist if there is evil and suffering in the world?” If we venture further, I believe we can find ourselves either to have asked a similar question or have had the opportunity to hear or read of one been asked. A man who lost his son to Cancer held his fist to the heavens in agony, with a grin of hatred toward God yelling, “Where was God when my son suffered and died? Where was He?” On one of the darkest days in American history, I found most Americans asking, “Where was God when terrorist regime flew planes into the towers on September 11, 2001? Similar question have been asked concerning the Jews, “Why did God allow six million Jews to die in the Holocaust?” Is there a God and if so, does He care?   

            These questions resonates with each one of us. However, the reading on the doctrine of God by Alister McGrath, I believe shed some light on the subject as he speaks concerning “a suffering God.” It made me wonder: does God suffer? Does He understand what it means to be weak, poor, destitute and hungry? Does the pain of Cancer, AIDS, and the like touch Him in His soul as it does us? On the subject of the crucified God, Jurgen Moltmann said it so well:

A God who cannot suffer is poorer than any human. For a God who is incapable of suffering is a being who cannot be involved. Suffering and injustice do not affect him. And because he is so completely insensitive, he cannot be affected or shaken by anything. He cannot weep, for he has no tears. But the one who cannot suffer cannot love either. So he is also a loveless being. [1]

Moltmann, I believe nails the subject right on the dot. When I ponder on the subject of association, my mind goes back to Paul’s letter to the Philippians on the humility of Christ. “And being found in a fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8 emphasis mine). Jesus, God incarnate, descended to the hole of the human condition and took upon Himself the form of a servant meaning His glory, majesty, power, fame and wealth were all compromised. He literally stripped off Himself His omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience and became limited and finite. In coming down, He bypassed the castles, mansions, and houses and came to a barn. He was wrapped in milk rugs and laid in a manger. Until He poured out of Himself and took the form of a servant, when we prayed telling Him we were tired and needed sleep, He didn’t feel it—for God has never known fatigue and exhaustion—He never sleeps nor slumbers. When we told Him that we are tempted, He wasn’t touched. He just didn’t understand by experience. But when He became a man and was tested above and beyond even to death on the cross, now He could identify with us—now we could have better conversations. Because He humbled Himself, now He knew what it meant to loose a love one, be tired, hungry, sick, homeless, hated, mocked at, and betrayed. And that’s why he’s a better mediator because He Himself has endured those trials and know by experience how it feels. So when someone asked where is God in all of this? I tell them, “He’s right there in the midst of it.” He has never left nor forsaken us, and by His wisdom what the enemy meant for our demise, He'll use it to bring glory to His name as He ushers us into victory. We have hope, all because He became one of us by humbling Himself.    

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            [1] McGrath, Alister E. Christian Theology: An Introduction. 5th ed. (UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 2011), 206.

FAITH VS. WORKS

By Kwaku Gyamfi

            In the second chapter of his letter, what the Apostle James (the brother of Jesus) brings to the text I believe is the practical pragmatic dynamics of faith. It’s the kind that I believe first Corinthians thirteen was speaking about that, “If I speak with the tongues of men and angels, or have the gift of prophecy, knowing all kinds of mysteries and knowledge, and even have faith to remove mountains, yet, has no love, I am nothing” (I Cor. 13:1-2). In Romans chapter four Paul stated, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God” (Romans 4:2). Our best works before God in our un-regenerated state would be as filthy rugs before Him. When dealing with God the only currency that is accepted is faith—it’s the only thing that pleases him. However, when we read James’ letter it seems we find a contradiction or is he just coming from a different perspective? Let’s take a look at the context in its entirety:

 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone (James 2:14-24 emphasis mine).

What I conclude from these various scriptures is that salvation is not based on our works. What Father God requires of the sons of men to qualify for righteousness is faith (right believing). If an individual believes on Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior, confessing and acknowledging that God has raised Him from the death he shall be saved (see Rom. 10:9). This is what Paul talks about, that it’s your faith (right believing) that determines your eternal abode. However, we all know the story doesn’t end there. If anything, it is the beginning of new way of life. At this stage of the redemption process, we become what Isaiah calls “trees of righteousness” (Isa. 61:3) and as trees we must bear fruits. So Jesus in John 15:5 said, “I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” It is this bearing of fruits that Apostle James is referring to. For the fruit of the Spirit in which the recreated or regenerated man must bear is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Gal. 5:22). Therefore in looking at the above scripture it reads, “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” In other words, you prove your works to God by your faith but to men you prove your faith by your works. The faith of a believer is invisible. To manifest or materialize that faith, it must be demonstrated by deeds. So if I say that I have love in my heart then naturally I ought to give freely unto those who are disadvantaged. In the same way when Abraham believed and trusted God and was tested to see how committed he was, the Bible says he withheld not his only son but gave him up to be sacrificed. Abraham backed up his belief with a demonstration. He didn’t just talk the talk, he also walk the walk.   

IN JERUSALEM

By Kwaku Gyamfi

            In the district of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus declared to the disciples upon Peter’s confession and acknowledgment of the revelation of His deity that, “Upon this rock (meaning the revelation of the realization of who Jesus is) I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18). In the process of fulfilling that promise after His resurrection, He said to the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father is come or revealed. For “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8 emphasis mine). As I was going over the principles of edification [Gk: oivkodome meaning the building up of an individual or a people or the promotion of Christian growth] this text of Acts 1:8 kept resonating in my spirit on the section that states: “in Jerusalem.” I ask the Holy Spirit why Jerusalem? Why is it so important? What is the significance and essence of Jerusalem in relation to edification? He brought to memory how Jerusalem literally is the city of God, where His glory and presence dwells. And that it is also the heart of Jewish culture. However, Jerusalem figuratively also symbolizes the church, a family’s house or home, or an individual. If the gospel of the kingdom is going to spread like wildfire it must first begin in the Jerusalem (the heart) of the individual.” The scripture read, “And you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea.” Judea is the region or district in which Jerusalem is its holy city. You could say Jerusalem is Judea’s downtown in contemporary terms. Figuratively speaking before the disciple began to build up Jerusalem with the kingdom message they had already worked on themselves. Before you can build others up, you must be sure you are already covered.

            In I Samuel 30, the Amalekites came to Ziklag, where David and his men lived and raid their home, taking their families as captives. When David and his men returned to the city and found it burned they wept until they had no strength. Afterwards, the Scripture records that, “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (I Sam. 30:6). Strengthening meant that he encouraged himself, that he build himself up in the Lord. In other words, he edified himself. And by doing that he was able to stir up the courage of his men into pursuing their enemies. David’s victory wasn’t set until he conquered himself.    

            Jerusalem means the City of peace. Before the gospel can spread to remotest part of the world, Jerusalem had to be edified first and foremost. Therefore, before you can conquer the enemies beyond your territory, first conquer yourself by building yourself up. The Prince of Peace must reign supreme in city of your heart before you can be a peacemaker out there. Before you edify Samaria make sure Judea (your family or the church) is taken care of, and in the same way before you move to edify the world make sure Samaria (your community) is edified. Edification follows the principle of love. Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” My question is, “Do you love yourself?” Because you can’t give what you don’t have. Edification has to begin with you as the individual. In other word, “Edify your neighbor as you edify yourself.” To do so, begin in Jerusalem.

Agent of Charge (Eternal Affairs)

Excess Baggage

By Greg Laurie 

This week's topic: New Life In Christ

I am the kind of a person who likes to drag a lot of stuff with me when I travel. I have been traveling for many years, yet I still overpack. I want to bring everything I own. But excess baggage makes traveling more complicated.

In the same way, when you are running the race of life, you need to run light. Sometimes we drag along a lot of excess weight. But notice that the Bible tells us to "strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress."

Sin is sin, and there are certain non-negotiables to which we must hold fast. Then there might be something that is a weight in your life that may not necessarily be a weight in another's life. By that I mean, there may be something you are doing that is impeding your spiritual progress. Periodically, I need to take stock of my life as a Christian and look at the things I am doing with my time. I need to ask myself the question, "Is it a wing or a weight? Is it speeding me on my way spiritually, or is it slowing me down? Is it increasing my spiritual appetite, or is it dulling it?"

How often we are so busy doing a lot of things that aren't really all that important, but they seem important at the time. We need to ask ourselves if we need to do all of those things. Are they slowing you down?

Lay aside the weight and the sin that hinders your progress.

Scripture Of The Day: "Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us." - Hebrews 12:1

Greg Laurie serves as the Senior Pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. For more about Greg, log onto http://harvest.org

Meeting With God

By Dr. Charles F. Stanley 

This week's topic: New Life In Christ

Many of us have been blessed with close friends. Imagine if we never spent time with them but instead just thought and talked about how wonderful these special people are. Wouldn’t such behavior be foolish? Yet some Christians do just that. 

Despite accumulating vast knowledge about God and the Bible, they miss out on rich fellowship with the Father, the best friend anyone could ever have.

It is possible to fill our lives with spiritual information and activities—all of which are good—but fail to develop a close relationship with the Lord. Take a quick inventory to see if this might be true of you: Do you attend church only out of a sense of duty? Do you pray with lofty or repetitive words rather than speaking to God from the heart? Do you serve solely out of obligation?

In Scripture, we read about many people whose personal encounter with the Lord was energizing and life-changing. Abraham, Gideon, Moses, and Paul were just a few who spoke with Him one-on-one (Genesis 7:4; Judges 6:12, 14; Exodus 3:2; Acts 9:3-6). We probably don’t expect dramatic “burning bush” experiences today, yet all believers should still have precious, intimate times with God. Whenever we open His Word and invite the Holy Spirit to illuminate its meaning, we can hear directly from our heavenly Father.

The Bible tells us, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Walking closely with the Lord takes commitment and time. Start now by dedicating a portion of your day to meeting with your Friend.

Scripture Of The Day: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” - James 4:8

Dr. Charles F. Stanley, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, is a New York Times best-selling author who has written more than 35 books. “In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley” can be heard around the world via radio and television broadcasts, the handheld In Touch Messenger and the ministries…

Time to Refresh

By Cory Bradley 

This week's topic: New Life In Christ

Semantics, semantics, semantics.
Did you know words can shape our reality and frame our very world?

If so, then maybe you'll agree with me that (in this New Year), NEW may not be so NEW anymore! I strongly believe that this year, new may actually be something old. Something original. After all the New Year hoopla fades away, I wonder if perhaps our focus this year should not be as much on looking for something new to occur in our lives, but rather to rediscover what we already possess in God. To rediscover what He has already given "in" us before the foundations of the world. This year, I began with this idea in mind: It's time to REFRESH. Isaiah 46:9-10 says,"Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done." This passage of scripture popped an interesting metaphor into my head. On every internet browser, there is a REFRESH button. Usually, you need to hit this button if the page's content needs to be updated or if the page is in freeze mode or somehow stuck. Sometimes you even need to hit the REFRESH button when the page has not fully downloaded all of its contents. You may even need to hit the REFRESH button when we lose the connection with the invisible communication signals in the atmosphere. See where I'm going with this? This new year, when your life's hardware seems to freeze or if the page you believe you should be on is not fully loaded with all of the icons you think you need, it may not be time to look for something new. All that you need is already in you. It maybe time for you to just hit the refresh button. Try it today.

Scripture Of The Day: "Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done." - Isaiah 46:9-10

Cory Bradley serves as the worship leader for New Birth Charlotte, where Bishop Terrell Murphy serves as Senior Pastor. Cory, who has worked with artists such as LaDonna Mole and William Murphy III, is an emerging worship leader and a explorer of the transformative power worship can have in every believer. For more about Cory, visit http://www.newbirthcharlotte.org.…

New Life In Christ

By Dr. Frederick K.C. Price
This week's topic: New Life In Christ

In Colossians 3:9-10, Paul wrote: "...since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him."

Notice that you have to put off the old man with his deeds and you must put on the new man. This new man has been renewed in the image of Jesus, who created all things (Colossians 1:16). Neither your body nor your lifestyle will automatically change when you become a Christian. You must change them.

The good news is that while you were the "old man" you could not change many things about yourself. However, now that you are a new man, you can put on the things that go with someone who is created in the image Jesus.

When the Bible says "the old man," it means the old lifestyle, the old way of doing things. "The old man" was subject to lying, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy conversation and the like (Colossians 3:8-9). You must "put them off" by no longer doing them. Then you must start doing the things shown in the Word.
"Yeah, but how do I do that?" How do you curse someone out? You open your mouth and words pour out. Only now, you open your mouth and let nice things, good things, friendly things pour out, instead of all that garbage. The "old things" are a matter of habit that must be broken. You will have to work at it. You have a commandment from God to do this and you can do it through Jesus.
You cannot "put off the old man and put on the new" in your own strength. However, you can do all things in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13). You may not always feel like doing it, but feelings do not count. You cannot go by feelings. We must learn to walk by the Word of God.
Your body and mind will be telling you to do something else. Thoughts will tell you that it is too hard to resist the old habits. But the spirit-man that is the real you will be saying, 'No, this is God's way. This is what I have to do to enjoy the fullness of God.'
Staying in the Word and then acting upon it is what brings about a quality lifestyle in Jesus. A victorious life does not just happen. You must purpose to do the Word.
You may think, "This sounds to me like a whole lot of work." Really, it is not any more work than all of the foolish, non-productive things that you were accustomed to doing before the new birth. The only reason it seems hard is because you are making a change, and human nature rebels against change.
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to curse? All those words I used more than 40 years ago, I could let come out of my mouth again. I have not forgotten them. However, once you re-educate yourself to speak God's words and to do things God's way, spiritual things become easier, and you now have the Holy Spirit to help you.
After a while it will become just as easy to spend time praying and studying the Bible as not to do these things. What is hard is making up your mind to pray and to stay in the Word. Once your mind is made up, once you are committed, the rest is comparatively easy.
The "new man" is God's man - a spiritual man. The new man is a man recreated in the image and likeness of God. The new man searches the Word of God to find the parameters of his new life. The new man puts God's Word into operation through his mind and deeds. Therefore, put off the old man and you too will live a victorious, overcoming life in Jesus!
This devotional was excerpted from Dr. Price's book, "The Victorious, Overcoming Life." 

Scripture Of The Day: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Dr. Frederick K.C. Price is the founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center West in Los Angeles and CCC East in Manhattan. To obtain more information about his ministry, please call (800) 927-3436 or visithttp://www.faithdome.org.

How to Know God is Leading You

By Bishop E. Earl Jenkins
This week's topic: New Life In Christ

God guides us by closing one door then opening another. Abraham didn't know where he was going, but he knew he couldn't stay where he was - and that's enough to create movement in the right direction. Knowing you can't stay where you are is often the starting point of God's guidance. And it usually begins with an inward stirring and restlessness in your soul. Seasons have beginnings and endings. When a season is over, you sense it's time to move!

"They headed north [to]...Bithynia, but again the Spirit...said no. So instead they went on through Mysia province to the city of Troas. That night Paul had a vision. In his dream he saw a man over in Macedonia, Greece, pleading with him, 'Come over here and help us.' Well, that settled it. We would go to Macedonia, for we could only conclude that God was sending us to preach the Good News there" (Acts 16:7-10 TLB).

Notice, when God kept Paul from going into Asia, Paul didn't stay there praying and asking "why?" - he just kept moving. For Paul, trying something and it not working out was no big deal. He believed that his gift to God was his willing heart and his mobility, and that God's gift to him was that He would always guide him to where he needed to be. What God prevents, denies, or keeps us away from, is as much divine guidance as what He permits and opens up to us.

Every door that didn't open, every opportunity you didn't get, every call that didn't come, is as much God's guidance as those that did. Think about it!

Scripture Of The Day: "Abraham...obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." - Hebrews 11:8 NIV

Bishop Edward Earl Jenkins is the senior pastor and founder of the True Servant Worship & Praise Church located in Trenton, New Jersey. For over twenty years, Bishop Jenkins’ unique method of preaching and teaching has opened doors to allow him to touch the hearts of many lives near and far. For more information, visit him at http://www.eejministries.org…

Begin Again

By Sharon Frame 

This week's topic: New Life In Christ

The desperate father refused to eat or drink. For days he laid prostrate on the floor of his house and wept. He begged God to heal his sick child. After all, it was HIS sin of adultery that had angered the Almighty. The child was innocent. But heaven showed no mercy. The baby boy died seven days later. 

It was a most scandalous crime. King David had an alliance with a married woman. The bewitching Bathsheba got pregnant. David had her husband killed to cover up his tracks and claim her as his new wife. But then the word of God came and convicted him.
King David agonized over his son while the child was alive. But when he drew his last breath, David stopped mourning. He got up from the floor, washed his face and went to the temple to worship God. He then went home and ate a big meal. His quick recovery shocked his servants. How could he shut the door to his loss so fast? But what was done was done. David would waste no more time living in regret. It was time to begin again. Some people choose to pitch a tent around their failures and camp out.
David wasn’t having that. He decided to accept God’s forgiveness, and release his guilt and emotional baggage. That’s the only way he could move forward.
What is it that you insist on holding on to that God has instructed you to let go? Is it a destructive relationship? a bad habit? No amount of prayer or fasting will make it good. God says release it. It stands in the way of your new beginning.

This New Year doesn’t need to be saddled with old baggage. Take a cue from King David. He took three key steps to begin again.
First, the moment his son died, David released his guilt and grief. Suddenly, he saw clearly enough to reconnect to his true purpose. And that was simply to serve God.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 says: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
David’s sin had severed his fellowship with God and blocked his vision. Once he fully released it, he went straight to “church” to worship.
That was the second step David took. He got refreshed.

Each new day, God gives us 86,400 seconds to refresh, to begin again. Unlike your vacation days or cell phone minutes, these seconds don’t roll over. You can’t accumulate time. Spend it living your purpose not regretting your past.
The day you release and refresh, is the day you begin to reclaim right-standing with God. This third step is the only way to true peace and prosperity. Reclaiming right-standing simply means to accept God’s forgiveness, and forgive yourself! This was key to David’s deliverance. 

No matter how shameful our past failures, God urges us to begin again. Here is an amazing irony: From the ashes of our “mess,” God can create something marvelous.
David didn’t want to lose his child, even though it symbolized his “mess.” God replaced him with Solomon, the second child born to David and Bathsheba. Solomon would rise to become one of the greatest rulers of ancient Israel and the wisest man in the world during his time.
What personal greatness might you be holding up because you won’t release old hurts and failures? The birth of your “Solomon” cannot occur while you linger in the grave yard of your past mistakes. The lord said in Isaiah 43:19, “Behold I do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
God has made a way for us to release, refresh and reclaim our rightful place in Him. Now is the time to begin again. 

Scripture Of The Day: "Behold I do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” - Isaiah 43:19

Sharon Frame is an author, empowerment speaker, former CNN anchor and award-winning TV journalist whose passion is to encourage and equip women. Her latest book is Wired to Win! The ultimate guide for women who want to Plug In, Power Up and Push Through to Personal Greatness! For more information, visit http://www.sharonframespeaks.com…

THAT I MAY KNOW HIM

By Kwaku Gyamfi

I greet you again in the invincible name of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that we continue to increase and abound in the knowledge and wisdom of our God. May you be filled with the glory of His wisdom 

(2 Chronicles 1:10) and also that you “may [be] grant[ed] a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, by having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you” (Ephesians 1:17-18).

      The Bible accounts in Judges 2:10-12 saying, “And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers, and there arose another generation after them who did not know (recognize, understand) the Lord, or even the work which He had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them 

out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods of the peoples round about them and bowed down to them, and provoked the Lord to anger.” We can attest that this generation had no memory, knowledge, information or legacy that had been handed down by their fathers and because of that their ignorance led them to do that which was evil in the sight of God. Because they did not know who God is and what He has done in time past and is still able to do they had no real affirmation on the revelation of who they were or for what purpose(s) they were created for. Therefore, the Bible says they did evil in His (God) sight by serving foreign gods. Doing evil in the Lord sight meant they were living off the radar of their true self. Being in sin means living on false identity, purpose and destiny. Though the children of Israel forgot about their God and commit iniquity in His sight, it is my prayer that we shall be a “generation that seek after the God of Jacob, the generation that seek His face” (Psalm 24:6). We will not repeat their dumb mistakes for the Bible also says that “we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may declare and proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9-10).

            It is on this ground of reason, identity and destiny that the Lord has laid on my heart to share with you in this post on a subject entitled: THAT I MAY KNOW HIM. When I speak on the subject of knowing Him (Jesus Christ) I’m talking about your original DNA. Jesus came to the earth not only to restore the relationship between God and man but more so to reintroduce MAN to MAN. What am I saying? What I mean is that Jesus is waiting to introduce you to you. There is stuff inside of you that is dying to come out. Why? Because you are wired for greatness, your future is neither ahead of you nor outside of you, but rather trapped within you. You are programmed for success and failure is not an option. You have in you blood type G.O.D. You are the carrier of His divine nature, so “let your D.N. be A!” What do I mean by that? D.N.A here means Divine Nature Activated. So in getting to know Jesus intimately and in depth, we reactivate our Divine Nature. Paul in Philippians 3:10 said, “For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope].” After departing Corinth on his second missionary trip he (Paul) wrote to the church saying, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” In these two verses Paul confirms something unique about Jesus that is so fascinating. He shows us that intimacy with God is not so that I only get to know who God is, but also that I get to discover who I am in Him. In essence Paul is saying, “Jesus, I have come to the realization that you are my Creator. And as a great Creator-teacher, I want you to teach me who I am so I wouldn’t waste my time imitating another man, or be jealous of this person or that person; teach me so I can be happy with who I am. Open the eyes of my spirit so I can see the invisible, because if I can see the invisible, I can do the impossible. Until you discover who God is, you’ll never know who you are, your full potential or what you can do.

            The great psalmist David once asked a question in Psalm 8:1-6 that resonate in my spirit with awe each time I ponder on it: “O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, who 

have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.” Three awesome truths are revealed in this passage (1) “God made man a little lower than the angels”—this speaks of man’s divinity. The word “angels” there in the Hebrew translates Elohim, which means God. So essence, God created man a little lower than Himself. (2) “God crowned man with glory and honor”

—this speaks of man’s dignity—dignity in the sense of his nobility and worthiness. (3) God made man to rule over all the works of his hand and to put all things under his feet speaks of his dominion power.

            Since the beginning of time, people have been searching to find the reason and meaning to our existence. And in that search they are asking these five (5) questions: (1) Who am I? (2) Where am I from? (3) Why am I here? (4) What can I do? (5) Where am I going? The question of “Who am I” deals with your identity as to your make up, attitude, behavior and characteristics (your DNA)—the reason why you do what you do. Question two “Where am I from” deals with heritage—this is what evolutionists (atheists and agnostics) have been associating with saying that we came from Apes. Number three “Why am I here” deals with purpose—as to what is the reason of you being here? What make you so special, important, distinct and significant from everyone else? Question number four “What can I do” deals with potential—your true ability: the gifts, talents and skills within you are waiting to be released and deployed. And last but not least “Where am I going” deals with destiny—what does the future holds for you? When you come to the end of your life what would you have accomplished? What do you want people to remember you by? So I paraphrase by asking this: What is (insert your name) that God is so mindful of Him? To scrap the tip of this mammoth iceberg of a question, let go back to the beginning—to Genesis one. As a matter of fact before you turn to Genesis chapter one first turn to Genesis chapter zero—which simply says GOD. Before there was anything God is. The term God denotes a being that needs no one or anything to exist, He simply is. And the Bible affirms that it was Him who spoke the universe into existence. Genesis 1:1-2 reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” This passage reveals two distinct beginnings. In verse one of Genesis chapter one, God creates the heavens and the earth and as always: “IT WAS GOOD!” But in verse two of the same chapter we find three things happening that is not like God: (1) the earth is without form (meaning there is no formal order to how God made it operate), (2) it is void (meaning there is chaos, turmoil, confusion and total anarchy on earth) and (3) darkness is upon the face of the deep (the word darkness there in the Hebrew means ignorance—meaning the earth did not know or understand why it exist or was there for). Romans 14 show us that God is not a God of confusion but rather of order. The Apostle John in his epistle also tells us that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. If that is so then my question is how did this evil came about? What brought about this catastrophe? When God created the earth in Genesis 1:1 everything was perfect. It was His will and intent; it was what He has desired. But in verse two of Genesis one we find the world in total disarray—it’s without form, void and darkness is on the face of the deep (water). This is where it gets interesting. In Proverbs 25:2 the Bible says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory [and honor] of kings [mankind] to search it out.” So let’s search it out by putting the pieces of this puzzle together. Understand this that before man was created God had already created the angels in heaven. Ezekiel 28:14-15 tells us that Lucifer was the “anointed cherub…and I have see thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” Lucifer was beautiful; he was the worship leader of heaven. When he sings God himself gets up and dance. However, he allowed pride to get to his head. And as Isaiah 14:13-14 says for he said in heart that, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” There are five “I” here and whenever you see that you are seeing the spirit of Satan. Because of this arrogance and bad attitude God declared in verses 15, “yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the side of the pits.” He didn’t want to serve God. He instead lusted for power and glory that only God was due. And for his insolence and insubordination God gave him the boot. He was cast out of the third heaven to be confined to the pits of hell and when he fell to the earth total confusion broke loose. And this is what we find happening in Genesis 1:2. He was the initiator and instigator of disorder, confusion and ignorance. So therefore if anything is disordered, confused or in the dark in your life then you must understand that something of the evil one is influencing things. Witnessing the turmoil that Lucifer’s (Satan’s) presence brought to earth God then comes back down to recreate, reorder, reorganize and restructure the earth to its original glory. Then God asks Himself, “How can I make sure that this never happens again?” His answer to Satan’s destructive presence was: “Let Us (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) make man in our own image and likeness and let them have dominion on earth [including Satan]” (Genesis 1:26). The creation of mankind was the answer to God’s dilemma. Understand that when Lucifer fell to the earth he was happy because now there was no one to boss him and order him around or tell him what to do. God was his boss and he worshipped when God told him to; What God wanted is what he did and he resented for Him for that. He has always desired to be his own god. Satan forgot that the potter is mightier than the clay. And being pregnant with children God decided He would birth His Sons in the earth to rule over Satan and keep him in check. Everything created in the world was made to solve a problem—that is what we call purpose. Our main purpose and reason for creation is to have dominion power. We are wired to be in charge. We are not to be afraid of this unemployed cherub, this two-time toothless parasite pest roaring around as a lion. Do not be afraid, “for God has not given you a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind” (2 Tim 1:7). You are not to be scared of demons, satans, devils, witches, wizards, dragons, serpents, powers, principalities or any other imps of hell. They are one of the many reasons why God created us (mankind)—we are as I said earlier to keep him in check. However, man failed in his task. He lost his spiritual genes (the indwelling of the Holy Ghost). And because of that he couldn’t connect with divinity. When man fell, God not only lost His earth to the enemy but also His man—His son. However, fast-forwarding forty and two generations, we see Jesus (the second and last Adam—meaning the Original of which the first Adam was made a copy of) coming to restore order as God did in creation. So in Galatians 4:4-5 it reads, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Jesus the genos of God came to earth for one purpose—to re-inject God’s DNA (the Holy Spirit) back into man. In Mark 4:39-41 something amazing happened on the Sea of Galilee. The Bible says, “And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They became very much afraid and said to one another, “WHO THEN IS THIS, THAT EVEN THE WIND AND THE SEA OBEY HIM?” When the disciples asked that question I believe the miracle of silencing the sea was in turn saying to them that, “this is what you were meant to be and when I get through My assignment this what you can become. In Him (Jesus) dwells the fullness of the Godhead and if He lives on the inside of you then you have to understand that you are dangerous and a threat to the kingdom of darkness. By His sacrifice on the Cross He completely stripped the enemy of the power he stole from Adam in the garden and gave it back to us (believers—children of God). When you discover Jesus you discover yourself. When you function and operate like Jesus, you act out your true nature. It is my prayer that we come to know HIM more intimately as the day draw closer! May you who are called sanctified by God the Father and preserved in the Lord Jesus Christ be graced with mercy, peace, favor, success, prosperity, divine health and love! May you grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our God and multiply and abound in all things. Amen! 

Agent of Change (Eternal Affairs)