In truth this can be compared to the mercurial salesmen of the Old West who peddled a panacea for all ills, and often it was nothing more than coloured alcohol, and convinced people to buy it and use it for opposing ailments. For example, the contents of that one bottle was supposed to bring considerable warmth to frozen feet and at other times reduce your temperature and cure headaches. No wonder these Old West drummers were nomadic.

Jesus brought a cure for the world, a cure that was founded on the grace of God, but that was exemplified by the Sermon on the Mount.

As you may recall, the Sermon on the Mount is a collection and teachings of Jesus, early in his ministry, and has given rise to iconic and lasting mantras of morality. Expressions like “the golden rule”, ‘the Beatitudes”, “the Lord’s prayer” to name a few have, become central to our thinking and part of our daily life.

Even those who are unconverted, and therefore do not care for Christian values and norms, find themselves referring to, and at times practising, “the golden rule”. And some even teach their children to live on a daily basis by that rule.

So there are numerous valuable lessons we can learn from the Sermon on the Mount. Each believer will take from the sermon what is his or her portion, and be blessed, encouraged, and strengthened, for having done so.

But the Sermon on the Mount, when properly considered, when a correct and sweeping analysis is made of the entire sermon, comes down to a simple but powerful thought. Jesus wants his disciples, all believers of today, to “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

Some people misunderstand the word “perfect” and in the context of the Sermon on the Mount a better rendition of the above verse is this: “Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.” (Matthew 5:48 Common English Bible)

Some people interpret the word “perfect” to mean mature, and that is fine because all the elements of the sermon, if fully embraced, will lead to a mature and robust experience of God through Christ. Peter expressed it like this:

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8)

One of the most important verses that we overlook in the Sermon on the Mount, or because we know it so well we tend not to give it full attention, is Matthew 5:16, and here is the verse:

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Notice here some important things that are frequently overlooked.

1. Jesus did not ask that we create the light, we were not to be responsible for generating the light. No, that is something for which God is responsible.

Sometimes we do ourselves, and the world, a disservice when we attempt to do things that rightfully belong to God. For example it is wrong to say that we “save” somebody, rather we should say that we brought someone to Christ, or that someone was saved under our ministry. Saving souls is something that God alone does, and we should teach, preach, persuade and witness; and leave the rest to God.

2. Jesus tells us that shining the light is not to glorify us, but God. Although the good works are ours, and all believers are to produce an abundance of good works, which are the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) they are to be displayed solely to bring credit, honour and glory to Almighty God: “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9)

There should be no room in the life of the Christian for boasting, for lauding ones achievements (even when those achievements are substantial), for demanding or expecting plaudits for attainment; for all such is nothing but vanity.

3. Jesus tells us that the light is for public display. There can be no such thing as a secret Christian as far as shining the light is concerned. The person who would hide the candle under a bowl has no good and honest intentions towards people. The light has benefits only if it can be seen, and be accessed into being useful.

The light is necessary to guide; as to prevent stumbles and falls.
The light is necessary to warn; as to warn seafarers of treacherous shoals and lurking danger.
The light is necessary to comfort; as for those afraid of the dark and all it portends.
The light is necessary to rescue those lost; both spiritually and naturally.

So how do we let our light shine? How do we honour and obey the directives of Jesus Christ our Lord?

By remembering that Jesus IS the light of the world (John 8:12). He is in us and by acting in ways consistent with his teachings and displaying the same ways and graces He has exemplified, we emanate clear and compelling light for all to see.

As believers we shine the light, for example when:

We forgive others willingly for their wrongs
We take risks for Jesus, and the Gospel’s sake, when others dare not
We refuse to retaliate, and turn the other cheek
We keep our word, regardless of the cost
We refuse to take unfair advantage, even when we could
We demonstrate by our daily living that Jesus is preeminent in our life
We refuse to be intimidated in doing God’s will
We go beyond and above the call of duty, when others wouldn’t
We refuse to accord with popular, but wrong, opinions
We give as much love and thoughtfulness for the lowly and despised as we do others
We react with kindness to our adversaries
We give sacrificially to help others
We feel comfortable taking a lower seat than our position merits us

Water does not struggle to flow, neither does light fight to shine. In truth, all the darkness in the universe cannot extinguish the smallest light. Believers, who find it hard to live for Christ, and let the natural light of his wonderful person shine forth, are those whose commitment to God is halting; and they allow compromises to dim its brilliance.

Many a believer does more to please a partner, or a friend, than to fully please the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is always hard to go against our natural, carnal, instincts even after we are converted. Who among us do not have likes and dislikes, preferences, a comfort zone, biases and subjective opinions? Many of them, at times, are contrary to God’s will. To grapple with them and bring them under subjection, or eliminate them, is a mighty task indeed. One time Paul cried out, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24)

The plain truth is, that believers are in a process, the end product of which resides in eternity. We have not as yet been perfected, we are faulty humans beings and remain fallible, but the process we are in, a process of entire sanctification is only possible as we totally commit to it.

It is only as we, “…grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18) and allow the Holy Spirit to have full sway in the process that the powerful, life-saving light of Jesus Christ (and the Gospel) does its magnificent work. We know the light will shine, all we have to do, by God’s grace, is to let it.

Staff Writer; Henderson W.

You can contact this Christian brother at: HWard@ThyBlackMan.com.

If there is no war, no hostilities, no terror and you go hungry and can’t have a good night’s sleep, then you do not have true peace.

When the fighting has ceased, and the guns stop barking, and you are afraid for tomorrow, and the lives of your loved ones are uncertain, and hazardous, then true peace you do not enjoy.

The warmongers might have long ceased their murderous campaign, they might have evacuated their killing fields but if your mind is disturbed with the unsavoury activities all around you then your life is bereft of true peace.

True peace is powerful and mightily impacts our total self; body, soul and spirit, and reaches beyond our physical, mental and spiritual limitations to leverage heavenly assistance to enable it to be efficacious.

Because true peace has this ineffable character, this divine association, it makes it impossible that those who persist in activities contrary to God’s will, can possess it to any extent.

With this in mind the Bible makes a powerful assertion, “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isaiah 57:21), and to counteract that it says, “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalm 119:165)

True peace, when seen in this light, when accurately evaluated as a gift from above, is manifested in the total well-being of the whole person.

The Jews of the Old Testament used to greet each other with the Hebrew word “Shalom” meaning peace.

The ONLY blessing that God taught Moses, word for word, to teach the priests to bestow on the Jewish assemblies was:

“The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

And Jesus Christ himself highlighted and endorsed the beneficence of this divine peace when he said to his disciples:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

And the Apostle Paul, whose understanding of this peace is second to none, wrote, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

There are some important things that just happen to you as you proceed in life, and others you can only acquire by diligent searching. Jesus reminded us of this when he said, “Seek and ye shall find…” (Matthew 7:7)

Important questions, that have a bearing on this matter of true peace, must be faced, and until we know the answers, and make right decisions, this true peace will remain forever a vague concept out of our reach.

Important Question number 1: Why am I here?

When you wake up every morning the first person you see is you; the person you are most concerned with is you; the ONLY person impacting your consciousness is you. No silly arguments about your existence, no philosophical rambling about reality and perception, you are shockingly real with all your foibles and idiosyncrasies.

And the pertinent question is, why am I here?

At this juncture philosophy muddies the water and gets lost in abstractions. Science tells us that your existence is a big fluke, an accident, a meaningless occurrence that will soon be corrected when, after a few years you are gone, finished, and that is the end of that. Science even asserts that just as there was a big bang that brought the universe into existence (their best guess that is) there might well be a collapse back to nothing, or as science calls it, a singularity.

Depending on your worldview you may align yourself with one of an assortment of conflicting opinions.

The God-haters and deniers will say that there is no God, no rationale or meaning to anything and as soon as we are gone that is our lot. We come from nothing with no value and thus we shall return. People of this persuasion are usually the bane of humanity. If it is true that we have no value, no worth, then who cares if a few thousands, or millions even, are zapped off the face of the earth. This is cynicism and hopelessness par excellence.

On the other hand they are those who believe that all around us are evidence of systematic design and purpose, and so they should, for man was beautifully and ingeniously crafted. Even an ancient, like David, recognised this, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalm 139:14)

Man was made in the image of God and put on the face of the earth so that a blessed, responsible people can emerge who can choose freely to serve him, glorify his name and communicate with him on a level unique to humans.

The writer of the Hebrews was pedantically accurate when he wrote:

“You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands.” (Hebrews 2:7)

Important Question number 2: Can I know the truth?

Many people in the world do not have a clear understanding of the number of religions there are and the huge amount of contradictions and errors in their beliefs. If you check carefully you will find that there are over 10,000 religions, all teaching different things and each adamant of the truthfulness of their theology.

Simple logic will dictate that they are not all correct and truthful. So how can the truthful ones be known?

True religion cannot be subjective, relying on how you feel or view the religion on a person basis. Like science there is the litmus test that anyone can use, and by praying to Almighty God for guidance the religion will stand or fall when tested.

True religion must be transforming; it must transform the believer towards godliness (Titus 2:11-12), true religion must be universally caring; drawing no distinction between Jew or gentile, nationality or race (James 1:27), true religion must meet the criteria set out by Micah, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8), and true religion must prepare believers for eternity (1 Corinthians 15:19)

God has made it possible for us to know the truth, all we have to do is seek it earnestly.

Important Question number 3: Who art thou Lord?

There has only been one person who walked this earth claiming to be God and demonstrating by humongous miracles his claim to that title. All of this is a matter of proven history.

His name is Jesus Christ; read of him in the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Until you know who Jesus Christ is, until you have met him and cemented with him a spiritual personal relationship, just as the Apostle Paul and millions of believers have done, you will never know true peace.

Important Question number 4: What must I do to be saved?

This is probably the crucial question; what must I do to be saved? Salvation brings with it a peace that passeth all understanding and is found in God through Jesus Christ. Millions have found this to be so and if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart, soul and mind, and commit to him, you too will find this to be so.

Important Question number 5: Where will I spend eternity?

After you depart this world, eternity awaits. Two choices only; either to be with God in eternal bliss or to be with the devil and eternal damnation. As ever the choice is ours.

The undeniable conclusion is readily apparent and is this. To have this true peace of God is to have the true God of peace. Nothing else will do. Paul reminds us of this when he wrote: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

Staff Writer; Henderson W.

You can contact this Christian brother at: HWard@ThyBlackMan.com.

As we reflect on this very important subject, bearing in mind that a single article like this can barely scratch the surface, we do so not in the spirit of condemnation or censure of anyones belief but to understand and ascertain some essential truths that are vital for our spiritual edification. The aim here is for us to look at this subject and see what the Bible says and bring our thinking in line with the inspired and inerrant Word of God. We need to grasp the indispensable truth that every truly born again Christian has experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit and by that process is a child of God.

Let us begin our reflection, then, by looking at three aspects of this baptism.

First we examine the range of this baptism

Baptism of the Holy Spirit was never intended for some believers and not others, nor was it intended for a select few like pastors, deacons, missionaries and the like but not the ordinary layman. This thinking is erroneous and springs from those who want to claim some exclusivity, pretending that they are special, they have something that you, the average believer do not have and moreover they are hence superior. Some people in the church have always been inclined to set themselves apart and become exclusive and then lord it over the membership based on that exclusivity. The early church, and especially the Apostle Paul, fought against such teaching, one such was known then as Gnosticism, and today we must fight against this exclusivity based on wrongly interpreting baptism of the Holy Spirit. The range of this baptism is enormous as we shall see.

It was promised to all believers

John the Baptist while he was baptizing in the River Jordan told his listeners, I indeed baptize you with waterbut he that cometh after mehe shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. (Matthew 3:11) John was setting the stage for all believers, not just a select few and Jesus Christ himself knowing how vital the baptism of the Holy Spirit was, promised all his disciples they would have this experience, For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:5)

Of course because Christ was not yet glorified, the baptism of the Holy Ghost was a future event at the time Christ spoke. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:39)

The church at Corinth, though faced with many internal challenges, was assured by Paul that they too were baptized with the Holy Spirit as this text shows, For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body (1Corinthians 12:13a.) This baptism was not for some select people under some special circumstances, but for all believers and Paul put it succinctly and clearly that all those in Christ are baptized by the Holy Spirit.

We see its purpose for all believers

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is about enablement. It enables the believer at the time of conversion, upon surrendering himself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ to become a born again Christian. Remember what Jesus said to Nicodemus, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5) This Spirit baptism is universal to all Gods children and Paul affirms it, But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9) All believers have this experience since this is the evidence that we truly belong to Jesus Christ, The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. (Romans 8:16)

To reinforce this point and to reassure all those who are saved and have this blessed experience, Paul asserts, For as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14) In essence, for believers in todays church, if we have not experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit we have not been converted.

We note its performance in all believers

The early church disciples were saved prior to Pentecost, but they were baptized with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, And they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4) This event gave birth to the church and was what Jesus Christ promised to his disciples and it had some spectacular results.

The disciples who hitherto were cowed and secretive became outgoing and bold and assertive in Christian ministry.

The inspired Peter took up his leadership mantle and preached one of historys outstandingly effective sermons winning three thousand souls into Gods kingdom. This is what ministry performance is all about.

All the Apostles and disciples were energized with power and primed for service as promised, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
We perceive the root of this baptism

Many believers, who are not knowledgeable with regards to Spirit baptism, allow others to hoodwink them into believing that Spirit baptism is some special extra that is added on to a fully fledged born again Christian. This is not so and we need to get to the bottom of this so that believers can know the truth of the matter. We must not confuse special anointing with baptism of the Holy Spirit because the two things are different and for clarification we need to examine the root of this baptism and note the following.

It is given on being saved

We are either in the world or we are in Christ. The act of contrition, confession and surrender to God is by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, but it is the baptism of the Holy Spirit that takes us out of the world and puts us in Christ, Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5) To enter into the kingdom of God is the same as being in Christ. The Apostle Paul affirmed this when he wrote, In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13) When you are saved you are baptized with the Holy Spirit and when you are baptized with the Holy Spirit you are saved and to God be the glory.

It is given by the sovereign will

When we are saved, at the moment of our conversion, God by his sovereign will, and not by any pleadings of believers, pours out his Holy Spirit upon us. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 10:45) These Gentiles were converted and baptized with the Holy Spirit and forthwith Peter took steps to have them baptized with water and the Bible states it like this: Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we. (Acts 10:47)

There is no mention here of asking for this experience, just amazement and joy that God had baptized them at their conversion with the Holy Spirit as he had done to the Jews.

It is given to embolden and affirm

Jesus knew the challenges which would face all disciples and the pressing need to stand up under fire and present the gospel, But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8) All believers everywhere were to be witnesses, often at great peril, and undertake their own ministry since that all believers in being converted become part of the priesthood of believers. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthoodthat ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light (1Peter 2:9)

Jesus told the disciples not to bother themselves with premeditated speeches and the like for the Holy Spirit has a marvelous work to do with affirming the gospel, for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. (Mark 13:11c)

Every born again Christian can testify with confidence to the empowering and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul very soon after his conversion began to preach the gospel and three years later when he met the other apostles found that he was preaching the very same thing as they were. This is the consequence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Next we investigate the results of this baptism

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the mighty work of God, which brings in its wake a complete and blessed newness. Every born-again believer knows the deep satisfaction and profound joy experienced at conversion and that burning desire to throw off the past and henceforth to do Gods will. This baptism does some significant things and some of them are as follows.

It gives us a new location

Before this baptism of the Holy Spirit and adoption by God, every human being is in Adam both by choice and by nature, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (Romans 5:12) When a believer is baptized with the Holy Spirit, he no longer lives in and for the world because he has a new location in Christ, For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22) Jesus confirmed this when he said, At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. (John 14:20)

This new location in Christ is conducive to godly living and kills off our worldliness while sustaining a vigorous spiritual life centred on our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Bible puts it like this, For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)

When all is said and done, the life we live now and the character we display is testimony to our inner life. No one can partner Jesus Christ and not exhibit true godliness.

It gives us new identity

Before we were saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit not only were we Adamic by nature we were also identified with Satan and all he stood for but now we have a new identity with Christ, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) God sees us now as being fully in Christ and as a result identified with Christ in all aspects of his life past, present and future.

We identify with Christs righteousness and not that of the law, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:21)

We identify with Christs death in water baptism. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death (Romans 6:4)

We identify with Christs resurrection. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. (1 Corinthians 15:20)

We identify with Christ in glory now, and even more so later, When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)

It gives us new meaning

All believers because of the baptism of the Holy Spirit are now partakers of the life of Christ and are become important members of the body of Christ, I am the vine, ye are the branches (John 15:5) I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast love them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:23) It is a mighty and wonderful privilege for sinful mankind to be baptized with the Holy Ghost!

If you have any doubts that you are baptized with the Holy Spirit, then free yourself from them by making sure you are saved and your life committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is willing and able to save you and he will make you truly his by baptizing you with the Holy Spirit. If you know that you are baptized with the Holy Spirit, then rejoice in the God of your salvation and share your testimony with others in renewed self-assurance.

Staff Writer; Henderson W.

You can contact this Christian brother at: HWard@ThyBlackMan.com.

In this article we are centering our thoughts on a man, Ananias, whose name does not quickly spring to mind partly because there is little written about him in the Bible. However we are introduced to him in a powerful passage of sublime scripture Acts 9: 10-18. It would seem he came from nowhere, made a quick appearance and then disappeared back into oblivion. In todays colloquialism we would say that he had his fifteen minutes of fame. But that flippant characterization would be particularly misleading for this old and gracious disciple has something commendable to teach us all.

The early Church had countless problems to deal with and one of the biggest was a fanatically religious Jew named Saul. He persecuted the Church relentlessly, even to the extent of having Christians killed. During a journey north to Damascus, to continue his mischief, Jesus met him on the way and he was miraculously converted. During that encounter Saul lost his sight and it was Ananias whom God selected to go and see Saul and help him. In spite of the apparent dangers and understandable natural fear and reluctance, Ananias went on his way as instructed. This is courage personified and a whole lot more so let us calmly examine what is involved here in this example-for-the-age of true discipleship.

First we should note that true discipleship must involve commitment

True discipleship is somewhat like marriage in that without commitment it will surely fail; although it needs much more than simply commitment. By commitment in this context, we mean the acceptance of responsibility as a disciple, loyalty to God and the household of faith and steadfastness as you progress, knowing that the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8) Ananias was extremely committed and it could be seen in several ways.

He was committed in his living

The Bible leaves us in no doubt that Ananias was living a proper Christian life, he had accepted Jesus Christ, was saved and baptized and was a committed follower, and the Bible rightly describes him as a disciple, And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias (Acts 9: 10) Unlike the situation we have today, where freedom of worship is a human right, at that time in Palestine being a disciple of Jesus Christ was extremely risky and many believers were abused, tortured or executed.

This unsung hero is the kind of person God uses for his honor and glory; saved, sanctified and ready for service. God called him in an emergency and Ananias made no excuses in spite of the horrendous potential for harm. If you think things were easy, just remember the afflictions Paul himself suffered a little later, Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned (2 Corinthians 24-25)

Ananias knew that, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12) and he was fully prepared and willing to go the extra mile because he was fully committed to Jesus Christ.

He was committed in his listening

Ananias was not only diligent in his living; he was also attentive in his listening. We know this because as soon as the Lord spoke to him in the vision he immediately responded, Behold, I am here… (Acts 9: 10b) You notice that there were no questions like Who are you? or gasp of surprise because Ananias was accustomed to Gods voice.

How many of us, I wonder, can recognize Gods still, and calm voice amid the hurly burly of our existence. It pays to be listening. Remember Elijah managed to hear because he was listening and the Bible puts it like this, And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out (1 Kings 19: 12-13)

He was committed in his labour

Ananias was a committed labourer in Gods vineyard and knew whom he was working for and recognized him forthwith, here Lord. (Acts 9: 10c) Alas there are many who do not see beyond their immediate supervisor or pastor or bishop and fail to see the real boss. Jesus is Lord!

The modern church sadly has a long history of followers committing to the wrong people rather than to Christ. Remember Jim Jones of Guyanese-massacre notoriety? Let Jesus be Lord and surrender to him control of your life and he will use you for his honour and glory just like he did Ananias.

Next we should mention that true discipleship may involve concerns

It is true that some divine commissions are very demanding and may involve huge risks for the sake of the gospel. Many believers have perished over the centuries and are now with Christ, having paid the ultimate price for their discipleship. God does not call us to easy discipleship or hard discipleship, but sincere discipleship and that means to simply take up our cross and follow him, whatever that entails. In all of this, whatever our concerns, we must remember that God will see us through.

We notice Gods command

Ananias, a man accustomed to hearing and doing Gods command must be in shock at hearing this latest, unequivocal command, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he prayeth and hath seen in a vision a man called Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight (Acts 9:11-12)

At face value this command to Ananias made no sense. Why give assistance to the enemy of the Church? Saul has killed Christians. Many would wish that Saul stayed blind forever, but often we do not see the bigger picture as God does. Gods commands may not always make sense to us, but they are always correct.

Remember Gods command to Jonah did not make immediate sense either, but it saved a nation. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not (Jonah 3: 10)

Equally Gods command to Philip seemed rather far-fetched but it saved an entire continent, And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert (Acts 8: 26).

Finally remember Gods command to Noah to build the ark in that location was baffling but it saved mankind. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark (Genesis 7:23)

We note the disciples concern

Ananias is not only shocked at the Lords command, he is initially reluctant to carry it out and sets out to convince God that in this case it is better to exclude him, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem. And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. (Acts 9:13-14)

This is an unpleasant and dangerous task, as far as Ananias is concerned, and he simply wants to avoid it. Having a healthy regard for your safety is not in itself displeasing to God.

Remember Moses response to God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? (Exodus 3:11) This was different in that Moses was telling God that he was not capable of doing what God asked as if God do not know our capabilities.

Concerns are fine, we may have them at times, but disobedience is not. You do it in Jesus name because God says do it! Never forget this powerful reminder that in the end it is God himself doing it through you. (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – Philippians 4:13)

We note the disciples consolation

God listened to Ananias complaint with patience and compassion and then in an act of love to this frightened disciple gives him a worthy, magnificent consolation, But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. (Acts 9:15)

Ananias must have been overjoyed at this great news. What a consolation to be told that you are taking part in helping God to evangelize the whole world!

God does not always let you know what or why he is doing something, but in the end you are always glad that you participated. Remember we can see only a small part, but God sees the whole!

Finally we should observe that true discipleship must involve obedience

True discipleship and obedience go hand in hand for it is a measure of how meaningful the relationship really is. Jesus once said to his disciples, Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you (John 15:14) and on the other hand, he reminded them that obedience is a vital part of that relationship, And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46) Here is how Ananias demonstrated his obedience.

We see his immediate response

For all his misgivings and initial reluctance once God tells him how it is, even if he does not know what is going to be the outcome, Ananias without hesitation starts out on his journey, And Ananias went his way (Acts 9:17a.) This is mighty pleasing to the Lord and sets an example to believers for all time.

He was not prepared to be argumentative and stubborn, but submissive and humble acting in faith and trusting the Lord. It would have been nice to witness his body language, but I believe his demeanour was saying Yes Lord, lets do it!

We see his instant reaction

Ananias, in obedience to the command of the Lord, goes to the house on Straight street, enters, approaches the blind Saul and says, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. (Acts 9:17 b)

Saul wouldve been in a quandary not knowing what would happen next and in particular how he would be received by the believers he had persecuted. When Ananias arrived and spoke this must have been like sweet music to the ears of Saul, who in all likelihood probably expected resentment from the Christians.

Ananias remark to Saul was the first contact he had with a Christian since his conversion and the first word he heard was the word brother. How deeply touching! May God help us to emulate this godly example?

We see his immense reward

Saul, who later became the Apostle Paul, was the greatest evangelist-missionary in the history of the church and this same Ananias set the whole thing in motion when he did as God commanded and laid his hands on Saul, And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith and arose, and was baptized. (Acts 9:18)

God rewarded Ananias during his lifetime when he saw and heard of the immense contribution Paul was making to the life and ministry of the church but Ananias greater reward will come when God rewards the faithful. We do not know exactly what forms the crowns will take but we know that God will reward crowns to deserving believers crowns of rejoicing, incorruptable crowns, crowns of glory, crowns of righteousness and crowns of life.

You may never know the results of your obedience to God here and now but heaven knows it. As Christians, we must take risks for God; the rewards are well worth it!

So here we have it, a supreme example of true discipleship and we need to praise God for Brother Ananias who has shown us how we can live our lives in service to our Lord. This beautiful example, especially now at this time should make us examine ourselves and ask some important questions. Am I a good example to believers and my neighbours? Can God count on me to do his bidding? Am I letting pride and selfishness impede my Christian ministry? I pray God will help us to make matters right as we seek to become examples of true discipleship.

Staff Writer; Henderson W.

You can contact this Christian brother at: HWard@ThyBlackMan.com.

All clamouring for our attention, whether they are spoken, sung or written. And, truth be told, so much of it is mindless, infantile, non-sensical chaff that we are the poorer for it, and deeply regret having wasted our time listening or reading the stuff.

But this is not always so.

The right words can make a huge difference. If you pay close attention to the words that truly matter, the words that carry weighty meaning and eternal significance, the words that are crucial to your development and destiny, the words that can impact your very soul and give meaning to your mortal existence, then you are near to acquiring true wisdom.

True wisdom is, in part, the ability to distinguish words that convey thought that transends the fog that surrounds us and enable enlightenment.

Understanding eternal things, appreciating things beyond mortal grasp, things outside our frame of reference calls for enlightenment.

The fool is not enlightened, so he can glibly declare his lack of understanding, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1)

The pseudo-wise who have acquired a smattering of worldly wisdom, but have fallen short of true wisdom, failed to acknowledge God when they saw him, and so like fools became unenlightened, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21)

But the wisest person ever to walk this earth, the most enlightened entity that ever existed, and the only person to reside in eternity before his earthly sojourn said this, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

Living, full wholesome living, living to our highest potential both physical and spiritual, living transcendent and eternal comes by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

No one with a sense of balance, no prudent person with sense and understanding, with a sense of spiritual awareness, a yearning for and a relish of truth can read the Holy Bible and not find it touched with a sense of divine contribution.

That is why, throughout the ages, the Holy Bile has been the most popular book bought and read throughout the whole world.

It is because the right words make the difference that enemies of God have relentlessly attacked the Bible to destroy it, have tried where that failed to restrict its use, and where that failed to water it down and try to make it ineffective.

The attacks on the Bible are continuing up to this day.

But here is something quite amazing. God has determined that his words will go forth and reach all those who are called to salvation, all those who will accept Jesus Christ, and this will carry on until all the saints are gathered in, i.e., until God calls time on this earth.

It is not a matter of opinion, it is not a matter of speculation, it has been amply demonstrated that what matters for eternal life, what hope there is for immortality, what prospects there are to live with God in eternity, lies in the words of Jesus Christ.

Let there be no doubt that the words spoken by Jesus Christ are the right words that make the difference, and we should take heed of their importance:

Paul encourages the saints, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16)

John warned believers, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” (1 John 1:9)

Jesus directed the church to teach like this, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20)

Jesus spelled out what his words will mean in the judgement, “…the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48)

John declared the importance of the words of Christ, even with the reception of the Holy Spirit, like this, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26)

Jesus affirmed, for the saints of all ages, the importance of his words like this, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

There is a song that expresses well the life-saving words of Jesus Christ:

Sing them over again to me,
Wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see,
Wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty
Teach me faith and duty.

Refrain:
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life;
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life.

Christ, the blessed One, gives to all
Wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call,
Wonderful words of life;
All so freely given,
Wooing us to heaven. [Refrain]

Sweetly echo the Gospel call,
Wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all,
Wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior,
Sanctify us forever. [Refrain]

It is still true what Solomon said, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11) Only Jesus has total command of all these words and he will speak them to every needed heart; regardless of circumstances.

If you are grieving, then turn to Jesus Christ, and let him do what he can do better than any one on earth; speak words of comfort and consolation to you in just the right tone you need.

If you are discouraged because so much seems to be going wrong in your life, you seem to reach the end of your limit, can’t take any more, then embrace Jesus and let his healing words wash over your soul.

If you are sick, discomforted, miserable and unsettled and seem unable to get a grip on things, then know that Jesus Christ has just the right, uplifting, comforting words for you.

If you are sick letting Satan beat you up, had enough of sinning, don’t want to carry on as you are because you know there is something better, then know that you can turn to Jesus Christ and find hope, and salvation, in the majestic words of Jesus Christ.

Always remember that Jesus promised, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

Staff Writer; Henderson W.

You can contact this Christian brother at: HWard@ThyBlackMan.com.

All people, everywhere, have notions of God, and those notions are colored by what is acceptable or normal for that society. Often what is acceptable and practiced are a mish-mash of beliefs and practices, that have their roots in mysticism, ignorance, history and superstition.

Sometimes, sadly, some people live and die and never experienced anything other than their ethnic religion, and never have considered God in the true and the wider context of religious faith.

I say sad, because some ethnic religions are so mind-boggling, and silly, that it is hard to see how intelligent people can adhere to such nonsense. It beggars belief that anyone can believe that you can carve out an image with your own hands from a block of wood, and then bow down, and worship it as your God.

It is equally hard to understand how any people can believe in Hinduism, an ethnic religion of Asia, and the third largest religion in the world, with a billion followers, mainly Indians, that allow their group to have many gods, no god, or one god, and to Hinduism it makes no difference.

With a world full of gods, how do we as Christians present Almighty God, maker of Heaven and earth, and all things seen and unseen, so that thinking people can examine for themselves whether He is worthy of being accepted as their only God and Saviour.

True religion must surely be more than cultural assimilation, something you born into, practice, and die in, and Christianity has shown that it is the true religion because God sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, and by a number of infallible proofs demonstrated that God Almighty is the one and only true God.

All religions have some good things about them, Hinduism of the Indians, Judaism of the Jews, Shenism of the Han Chinese, Shinto of the Japanese, and Candombl of the Brazilians, to name but a few, but they all fall short in having a living God able to prove his existence with miracles and other flawless proofs.

And that is why Almighty God is so special, and for good reasons we should love him, do him justice by having faith in him, and let his grace impact our life.

Some additional reasons for loving God are:

1. God’s willingness to show himself real to us. Whenever we are dealing with God, we are dealing with faith, abstraction, things unseen and ill-defined. A lot of people don’t bother with religious matters, because to them, God is wrapped up in complex ideas, deep concepts, spiritual obscurity, and even elusiveness. This is understandable. None of us has seen God at any time and the Bible tells us, “God is a Spirit…” (John 4:24). People are uneasy venturing into the realm of spirituality, where it is all about beliefs, opinions, theology, and nothing firm and solid to get hold of and observe.

God understands this predicament concerning our cognitive limitation, our inability to perceive Him as He is, and helps us to overcome this deficiency in a way that leaves no doubt that He is real.

Take the case of Elijah on Mount Carmel as recorded in I Kings 18: 1- 40.

On Mount Carmel the prophet Elijah wanted Israel to choose between Almighty God and the false prophets of Baal, and so a confrontation was arranged. Notice Elijah’s proposal and their agreement, “And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.” (I Kings 18:24.)

The false prophets of Baal prayed, shouted, cut themselves, balled all day and yet there was no answer from Baal, how could there be, Baal was just that; false. But when Elijah had his sacrifice drenched with water to make sure no one could accuse him of trickery, and he prayed to Almighty God, then fire ignited the wet sacrifice and consumed it, and licked up the water that gathered in the trenches.

Almighty God, in consequence, demonstrated his reality for all to see.

Take the case of Daniel in the lions’ den as recorded in Daniel 6:16. Notice well the key words from the King, “Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.” (Daniel 6:16b) Here again Almighty God powerfully demonstrated his reality for all to see.

Let me give you one more example. Take the case of the crippled man as recorded in John 5:1-8. This man was crippled for 38 years, and all the people knew it. Jesus healed him and the people saw it. Remember what Nicodemus said, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” (John 3:2) Sure enough, we see yet again Almighty God demonstrating his reality, through Christ, for all to see.

This is one of the great reasons we love God, because God comes to us, personally, according to our individual need, to convince us of his reality. For some it is through a vision, for some it is by answered prayer, for some it is in a dream, for some it’s a chilling, unmistakable presence, for some it’s a voice, and for some it’s a miracle of some sort. Once we are sincere, God never leaves us hanging. “For every one that asketh receiveth.” (Matthew 7:8)

2. God’s assured presence in times of crisis. Nearly everyone passing through this life will, sooner or later, experience a crisis that may be life changing. For many it would seem that their life is crisis-ridden; crisis after crisis and scarcely any fault of their own. The truth is that no one can predict what anyone will go through in this life, and all the talk cannot prevent you from the storms that surely will come.

Because believers are spiritual, we rely more on God than any other, because we are so acutely conscious of other people’s, and our own, inadequacies.

Believers’ battles are mostly spiritual, “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) and as a consequence supernatural powers are lined up against us. Demons and Satan are supernatural beings, although they can appear in physical forms, God permitting.

Even when the crisis is caused by something physical, for example the death of your young son or daughter, there are still spiritual undertones. When the agony is so deep, and the loss so great, that you need support to endure, then whom can you turn to. Friends at times will let you down, even your very parents can fail you in crisis situations. It is then only one person who you can depend on and he never fails. Hear what He says:

When parents fail, God is still there standing with you, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.” (Psalm 27:10). God provides an impregnable shelter always, and especially, in times of crisis, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

When God promised that he will never leave you nor forsake you, (Hebrews 13:5), he was affirming to us his presence in any, and every, crisis; and this is yet another great reason for loving God.

3. God’s ability to transition our soul beyond the grave. It matters not what religion you are aligned with, or your own beliefs, the truth is that at some time you are going to die. It is Almighty God, and him alone, who has the ability to take you to his heavenly home. And none can stop him. “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:29)

This assurance is summed up in verse by James M Black, 1893:

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

Refrain:

When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

Don’t you just love it that when all is said and done, when the last battle has been fought, when all the confusion and uncertainties are over, when you enter your eternal rest, that the God who loves us, and whom we dearly love, gives us another great reason, like this, for loving him?

Staff Writer; Henderson W.

You can contact this Christian brother at: HWard@ThyBlackMan.com.

The above topic, as believers well know, is the first part of a most interesting scripture and one that so many fights with to their own destruction. People wrestle with scripture at times not because the scripture is difficult to understand, and let us be honest and admit that some scriptures are difficult and puzzling, but because of its logical application.

No other book comes close to the mighty Holy Bible. This is because the Bible is not a dead document like the works of Shakespeare or Plato but the living word of God; and you can read the same verse of scripture every day and get entirely new and different insights and inspiration; and it will address your needs and concerns as if God is addressing you by telephone.

For this reason, above all else, the Bible is the most valuable and effective document in all creation and no matter how perverse and wayward the world is, the Bible is still the most read document there is, and year after year it is the world’s best-selling book.

Believers need to start looking with fresh eyes at the Bible, stop taking it for granted and move away from the routine use of last thing at night or first thing in the morning and start dipping into it frequently, unplanned and impulsive and enjoy the spiritual gems on offer.

The gem on offer from our topic, and if the righteous scarcely be saved, is mined from 1 Peter 4:18 and the full verse reads like this, “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

The Apostle Peter, leader of the church universal, was writing to the churches in the Roman Province of Asia Minor (present day Turkey) and was encouraging them to be ready for the coming brutal assaults and persecution.

By the same token this verse, 1 Peter 4:18, is appropriate to our time; not because we are physically abused and brutally persecuted as in pre-Constantine times but because the world is drowning in a surfeit of ungodliness. The things Paul warned us about, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God…” (2 Timothy 3:2-4) are here and happening now and those not anchored in Christ run the risk of being overwhelmed.

The Apostle Peter was not saying that believer’s salvation, or status with God is tentative, cautious or unsettled, he was not alluding to any uncertainty or lack of sureness that would leave believers in a spiritual state of doubt or inertia.

Peter would not because the Bible gives mighty assurance to all believers about their salvation:

“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

“And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (John 6:39)

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)

No, there is nothing tentative about believer’s salvation and there is absolutely no uncertainty as regards believers standing with God. So what did the Apostle Peter mean by those words in 1 Peter 4:18? Here is the verse again but from the Easy-to-Read Version, “If it is hard for even a good person to be saved, what will happen to the one who is against God and full of sin?”

God does not punish the obedient righteous with the wicked, but the righteous because of their bad choices put themselves in peril and at times escape God’s judgement by the slimmest of margins.

This is what the Apostle Peter was referring to.

The story of Lot makes interesting reading and we know that Lot, because of his bad choices, barely escaped God’s judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah. In spite of repeated warnings, and the strong arm of angels, Lot almost got caught up in the deflagration that consumed those two cities as recorded in Genesis 19:1-26).

Bad choices are not necessarily sinful, but when people make bad choices there is the tendency to defend those choices even when there is convincing evidence that those choices are harmful. People hate saying “I was wrong” “I am sorry” “I messed up” “I should have known better” and move on to better choices. This is one of people’s most besetting faults and believers are not exempted.

Believers, just like many people, make bad choices in many areas of their lives and sometimes they suffer in silence the awful consequences.

We make bad choices in our politics.

Many people have very little interest in politics and they never get involved in the political process except at election time when they cast their vote. If you vote for a political party and that party wins the election and then goes on to do foolishness you might then effortlessly condemn them for their foolishness, regret you voted for them and move on.

This is commendable but many people are partisan, they belong to the party and will defend its policy even when in their heart of heart they know their party is on the wrong track. I understand that certain “Christians” were still “blessing” Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party throughout World War 2 and army chaplains employed by Hitler’s army were busy bolstering their morale and giving them spiritual sustenance during their campaigns.

Today believers are still making bad choices in their politics and are afraid to speak out against wrongdoing because they are afraid of being victimised.

Whatever your politics, and it is good that Christians have different political affiliations, unlawful activity and bad behaviour should never be tolerated and the principles that you live by should never be trodden underfoot without your most vociferous objections.

We make bad choices in our friendships.

Some friendships are special and we all wish that we had a special friendship like that of David and Jonathan. Throughout the Bible there was no closer friendship than these two and the Bible records the essence of it thus, “And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” (1 Samuel 18:1)

A lot of people will find themselves in hell because they made the wrong friendship and were not perceptive enough to see where it was leading and did not exercise enough courage to sever the friendship bonds.

Rehoboam made the wrong friendships when his father King Solomon died and as a consequence he tore Israel apart, ruled for a time in Judah and eventually submerged himself in wickedness on the advice of his friends, “And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.” (1 Kings 14:22)

Alas some people, believers included, would rather stick to their friends and sink with them into perdition rather than make the sensible, life-saving choice and move on. Happily some do.

We make bad choices in our church affiliation.

Church affiliation is not only a spiritual matter it is also an emotional matter and it is not surprising that people are almost irrational in their response when their church affiliation is questioned.

Many people still do not understand that there is only one church, The Church and it belongs to Jesus Christ and all true Christians are part of that church. Jesus referred to it as “my church” (Matthew 16:18) and there is no other Christian church.

The denomination to which you are affiliated or the local assembly that you attend may or may not be part of the true church.

As we evangelize we never tell converts to go to any specific assembly or join any specific denomination but we always tell them to affiliate to a proper Bible believing, gospel preaching, mainstream church that is Christ-centred.

But some people make bad choices and end up in assemblies that are spiritually toxic and mentally devastating and may even be physically destructive like the assembly of Jim Jones of the Guyana disaster or David Koresh of Waco infamy.

Many believers still affiliate to denominations that are shown to be Christian cults that do not teach sound biblical doctrines or follow the Apostolic Traditions handed down through the ages or respect the faith, “… which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3)

Judgement is surely coming to this world and believers need to be ready; need separation and distance; need to take seriously their calling and being chosen by God and strictly observe the admonition of the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

Staff Writer; Henderson W.

You can contact this Christian brother at: HWard@ThyBlackMan.com.

People of different persuasions, philosophers, atheists, scientists, scholars, historians, communists, sociologists, and even some liberal theologians, are amazed, baffled, and some are perturbed that in spite of the hard going journey through the ages, Christianity has managed to survive, and even thrive.

They are surprised that Christianity has emerged virtually unscathed, and that spirituality and religion are so highly valued even in today’s godless culture of materialism and secular domination. They thought that once newfangled ideas came on the scene, ideas cultivated by people like evolutionary scientists, militant atheist, and New Age advocates, to name a few, that Christianity would not only be sidelined or submerged, but possibly killed off permanently. It has not happened, it will not happen.

Christians need to remember that all these fanciful ideas are just that, fanciful, and in time they will vanish as surely as the flat earth theory vanished after it was shown to be  just another European fantasy.

If Christianity survived the murderous external assault of the Muslims, the wretched, blood-spattered warfare of the Crusades, the internecine battles for doctrinal orthodoxy, and the enormous rupture caused by The Reformation, then it must have done so because of something beyond human’s ability to destroy.

That something beyond human’s ability to destroy can be identified, and as always, when you are stumped for answers, when the magicians, and soothsayers, and philosophers, and talking heads, and the willfully blind are clueless, as they so often are, then look to the scriptures for proper enlightenment.

The Bible tells us why Christianity is very much alive today, why all attempts to destroy the faith has failed, why the so-called intellectuals are baffled at its longevity and continuing appeal and vitality. The Bible puts it like this, “And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.” (Acts 5:38-39)

Whole countries, indeed entire empires, have fought against God and none has won that battle. The Babylonian Empire fought against God, and they lost, and are no more. The Persian Empire fought against God, and they also lost. The Greek Empire, that brought so much to civilization, also fought against God and lost. And the mightiest of them all, the Roman Empire, fought against God and lost too. They all lost out in the end because they turned to secularism and ungodliness as their way of life.

Even in more recent times we saw powerful countries, even so-called “superpowers”, who tried desperately to wipe out Christianity, and failed. A good example is the Soviet Union that tried to wipe out Christianity agrees perhaps that, “Religion is poison,” as Mao Tse-Tung was said to have stated. The Soviet Union failed, its legacy is now a footnote in history, but Christianity is still going as strong as ever. Believers, and indeed the whole world, should remember the mantra, “…if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it”.

In a previous article I said, “So Satan’s ploy, in pushing an evil, many-sided agenda, is to sift you, to move you away from the verities of the word of God and the Christian faith, to detach you from the groundings that will guarantee your anchorage in Christ and let you be lost.”

The tactics may differ, but the aim is always the same; to get you to relinquish your godly stand, to unbalance you, to get you into a state of uncertainty and equivocation, because it is then that you may move away from God.

Paul was very conscious of this, of the real possibility that under pressure some believers may go away from God, and so he encouraged the believers like this, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1)

The plain truth is that when some people are confronted with certain events, or when they are certain to face some upcoming challenge, they allow themselves to be intimidated. It is true that some challenges can be tough, but challenges also provide opportunity for you to see God at work if you stand your ground.

Let us be mindful of what happened to Moses when he led the Israelites out of Egypt, and was confronted by the formidable challenge posed by the Red Sea. God was about to do something unheard of, something spectacular, and mighty, but first, Moses had to stand firm and keep his cool, and not allow the Israelites to panic. Moses did as God instructed and was able to achieve success, “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord”, and as we say the rest is history.

The Apostle Paul was the most persecuted and abused apostle of Jesus Christ, the list of some of his sufferings is listed in 2 Corinthians 11: 23-25, and before he finally left Asia Minor he called the leaders to say goodbye, made them aware of his upcoming tribulations and ended the discourse with these words:

“And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.” (Acts 20: 22-23) It was going to be perilous going forward, undoubtedly not something to look forward to, but Paul was determined, “But none of these things move me” (Acts 20: 24)

Believers everywhere are in a similar situation, no one is immune from the assaults of the enemy; although the specifics may vary. As long as you are a believer, no matter how strong your faith, or where on this planet you live, you will be sorely tested. And if, for some reason or another you think you are different, then I warn you what the Bible says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)

So how are we to make sure we stand firm in the faith?

Here are some things believers can do to stand firm in the faith.

1. Refresh your belief in God and his power to aid you. It is often the case that we get lulled into a state of helplessness, and forget that God is the God of miracles, and can do what to us might seem impossible. Just like a Christian revival, certain bad habits can diminish our fervour and reliance on the Almighty God and his power, and we are not firing on all cylinders. We often know the scriptures, but do not bother to petition God to act on his word, like here, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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) God’s power is available to assist you, but you must not only want it, but request it in times of need. Refresh, test, evaluate; this is the way to success.

2. Refuse to be over-burdened by circumstances. This is harder than it may seem at first sight because, sometimes, tragedies in the family, and such, can be extremely tough to handle. But the excuse some believers make, that they tried, but could not help themselves, or that the pressure became too great, are instances of being over-burdened. Being over-burdened is evidence that you are taking on your shoulders what you should not. God knows what you can bear, will not place on you more than you can handle, and the Bible tells us, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22) Even when you are over-burdened, when things become too much for you, it is still time to reach out to God in faith. I believe this is what David meant when he said, “From a faraway land I call to you for help. I feel so weak and helpless! Carry me to a high rock, where no one can reach me.” (Psalm 61:2 Easy-to-Read Version)

3. Remember to focus on God and eternal things. The truth is, that there is a strong tendency to become too strongly attached to earthly things, to let matters concerning property, wealth, general matters of living, family, and the like, consume our time and attention. We must make time, quality time, to study the Bible, pray, meditate and do the spiritual things that bring us closer to God. Sometimes we forget that earthly things are trivial and fleeting, whereas the heavenly things are glorious and eternal. The Bible puts it like this: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2)

What we know, what is certain, is that the devil has not the power to move you if you stand firm in the faith. It is up to every believer to be strong-willed, determined, resolute, not budging from what is true and unchanging. God will give you the victory if you stand firm, “I must calm down and turn to God; only he can rescue me. He is my Rock, the only one who can save me. He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me.” (Psalm 62:1-2 Easy-to-Read Version)

Staff Writer; Henderson W.

You can contact this Christian brother at: HWard@ThyBlackMan.com.

“ Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17:32)

There is an abiding danger, however caused, that the present generation, and indeed generations to come, forget the significant milestones of the past, and thereby nullify the achievements, endeavours, and travails of those who have passed this way, and how God has been central to their survival and accomplishments.

Europe today calls itself “post-Christian” as if Christianity is a worn garment that you can cast off after it has served its purpose. Sadly, this same attitude is seen in some non-European countries, and coupled with the spread of vicious atheism, believers need to look back and remember the important role God played in the preservation of humanity.

It is also important that we see how essential and interlinked are the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Some believers think that the Old Testament has no relevance to Christianity and the Church Age, and they deem the Old Testament as nothing more than the Jewish Bible.

While it is true that the Old Testament is a Jewish document recording the dealings of God with the Jews, and detailing the beliefs and practices of Judaism their religion, it is also true that the Old Testament is a fore-runner of the New Testament and is the foundation on which is built a lot of Christian theology. And it stands staunchly as Holy Scripture for all time.

In addition, it’s true that the Old Testament saints (nearly all Jews) and the New Testament believers (nearly all Gentiles) are one people in Christ with a common heritage, as noted by Paul in Romans 3:29-30. Hence, when God asks us to remember something that pertains to the one, it must of necessity have some relevance to the other.

The biblical feasts and festivals should be remembered, above all, because God  instructed the Jews to keep them in mind, but also for their significance, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.” (Leviticus 23:1-2)

Israel, like all countries, have different years. Here in Barbados, for example, we have the financial year that begins on 1^st April, as well as the calendar (Gregorian) year that begins on Ist January. In Israel, each month begins with the new moon, and the first month of the new year, Nisan, is in the Gregorian calendar month of March or early April. Israel’s 12 month calendar is as follows:

1. Nisan, 30 days – 2. Iyar, 29 days – 3. Sivan, 30 days – 4. Tammuz, 29 days – 5. Av, 30 days – 6. Elul, 29 days – 7. Tishrei, 30 days – 8. Marcheshvan (or Cheshvan), 29/30 days – 9. Kislev, 30/29 days – 10. Tevet, 29 days – 11. Shevat, 30 days – 12. Adar, 29 days.

In the Bible, Israel had seven feasts, or festivals, that they were to keep throughout their generations. They added several others after independence in 1948, but the seven biblical ones are as follows in calendar order:

1. Passover, Exodus 12:13-14

2. Unleavened Bread, Exodus 23:15

3. Firstfruits, Leviticus 23:13-14

4. The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), Leviticus 23:16-21

5. The Feast of Trumpets, Numbers 29:1

6. The Day of Atonement, Leviticus 23:26-32

7. The Feast of Booths (Tabernacles or Ingathering). Leviticus 23:39-41

The Passover is perhaps the most wellknown of the biblical feast, and it commemorates the time when the firstborn of the Egyptian household was killed and the Israelites spared. The Israelites were instructed to kill a lamb and spread its blood across the door posts and lintel, and when the death angel passed, it would pass over the Israelites, sparing their firstborn. The full details of the event are recorded in Exodus 12:1-14.

Why does the Passover matter to believers?

The Passover is the most important festival to believers because the Lord’s Supper, (that we take regularly as the Holy Communion), was a Passover meal. Remember what Paul said regarding this, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Corinthians 11:25). When Jesus passed the bread to his disciples and told them that it was his body, and that they should eat it, Jesus was portraying himself as the Passover lamb, and Paul acknowledged it, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7)

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was the event when the Israelites were instructed to eat bread without yeast, illustrating the hasty preparation they made to depart from Egypt. The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted for one week and followed immediately after the Passover. The full details of this event are recorded in Exodus 12:15-20.

Why does the Feast of Unleavened Bread matter to believers?

In Matthew 16:6-12, Jesus described the Pharisees as hypocrites, and their teaching as yeast. He warned his disciples to, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:6) In the New Testament , yeast is often associated with evil, and Paul said, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” (Galatians 5:9) Since believers are to purge themselves of evil (1 Corinthians 7:1) and to present their bodies as a living sacrifice unto God (Romans 12:1), it is apt to remember both the origins of this feast and its application by Jesus.

The Offering of Firstfruits was a festival that took place at the beginning of the harvest and commemorated Israel’s gratitude to and dependence on God. In fact, Israel brought first fruits to God at various times of the year, depending on the specific crop that was harvested, but the Offering of Firstfruits, detailed in Leviticus 23:9-14, occurred in combination with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and focused on the barley harvest. The full details of this event are recorded in Leviticus 23:9-14.

Why does the Offering of Firstfruits matter to believers?

Many churches throughout the world still engage in this Old Testament festival, the Harvest Festival, because all life on earth depends on crops of every variety to exists, and believers show their gratitude to and dependence on God. Some regard this festival as symbolic of the resurrection of Christ, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” (1 Corinthians 15:20)

In addition to these three, they are four other feasts that were to be remembered. The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) that celebrated the grain harvest, and the day Christians celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit; the Feast of Trumpets as stated in Numbers 29:1, was a celebration at the end of the agricultural year, and which Christians associate with the end of the age and trumpet blowing (Matthew 24:31, 1 Thessalonians 4:16); the Day of Atonement was concerned with atoning for the sins of the people, and which Christians associate with the sacrificial death of Christ on Good Friday (or Jesus’ Second Advent); the Feast of Booths (or tabernacles or Ingathering) was concerned with living in huts made from palm fronds to recall the sojourn of the Israelites in the wilderness before entering the land of Canaan, and which Christians associate with the start of the Millennium (and Christ living among us).

All these feasts were related to the spiritual life of the people. When God asks us to remember, he is not asking us to do a trip down memory lane for sentimental reasons, but for practical reasons related to our spirituality. In the most significant cases that God asks us to remember, he wants us to do something, to act, to take steps in a certain direction, to follow a course of action to uplift, invigorate and strengthen us in the faith. Here are three examples:

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8). The world has gone mad in disrespecting and disregarding the sabbath day, and everywhere you can see how Sunday, for them, is just another day. Alas, some believers follow the example of the world, and engage in a number of unimportant things, things they could easily do on other days, and forget that God says to keep the sabbath holy. Believers need to remember, and act, “To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.” (Psalm 103:18)

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” (Revelation 2:5). This is not only true for the Ephesians, who had left their first love, but for all believers who have fallen away, regressed, or relinquish their enthusiasm and passion for the things of God and of Jesus. Get back to where you once were, is the call here for believers to remember.

“ Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” (Revelation 3:3) The Sardisians had gotten sloppy, and it was badly affecting their spirituality. Believers today can get sloppy too, not being watchful and attentive, and being vulnerable to calamity if God puts in his appearance.

God loves his children, and so prompts them to remember things – for their own good.

Staff Writer; Henderson W.

You can contact this Christian brother at: HWard@ThyBlackMan.com.

As I walked through High Street last Christmas season, I saw an amazing sight. In this capital city of Barbados, nestling peacefully in the alluring blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, Bridgetown was abuzz with Christmas shoppers, and tourist with an assortment of holiday ensembles, some of the dresses and shirts could only be described as colourful, were enjoying the sights and sounds of the most tourist friendly nation in the Caribbean.

And there he was, bedraggled, forlorn, half-starved and pityful, wearing clothing that looked not to have known the benefits of washing for decades, and it was hanging majestically around his scrawny neck. Awesome.

How does someone, often seen sleeping on the street, often sitting on the sidewalk propped up against a wall, now in a moment of rare lucidity, has such a sign hanging around his neck. A sign that can be plainly read from back and front. The sign, or perhaps more accurately signs, one in front and the other behind, were hanging from his neck with cardboard rectangles in bold writing that said, “THE WORLD WILL END. REPENT.”

How did HE know that?

Is it not true, that truth can emanate from the most unlikely of sources? The wise have learned to be extremely careful not to ignore truth simply because it comes from an unexpected source, from someone we do not regard as credible, or someone we may not even respect. The Bible affirms this in words like these, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.” (Luke 10:21)

Even bogus religions and religious sects (same thing really) think that the world will end. Religious sects do not have a proper understanding of theology, and their access to divine revelation is non-existant, but some, like the Jehovah Witnesses, are constantly harping on that the world will end and give likely dates, which in the past have proven to be wrong.

It does not matter who articulates a biblical truth, that truth will stand, not because of who is saying it, but because it is a truth derived from the ultimate source, i.e., God himself.

Believers get themselves so worked up, and frustrated, when certain people say things that seem to cast doubt on God’s word. They should not. Nobody will ever find anything that will ever contradict God. Never.

If God had made this world to go through many iterations, but to continue forever, then that would be fine, and he would have said so. But God did not say so, since his intention was to create a world that has a beginning and an end. God owes nobody an explanation, or an apology, or excuse, for anything that he does. It is the height of arrogance, and shows how far we are from God, how wretched must be our soul’s condition, that we would blaspheme our maker with such foul thoughts.

This world will come to end because it is temporary. God made it so for his own purpose, and nothing we do, or say, or think, will change that.

Some people believe that we may end this world through the use of nuclear weapons, some think climate change will do the trick, and some think a combination of natural disasters might bring this world to an end. People are free to guess, to speculate, to argue and fight for their version of eschatology, but we humans are incapable of affecting God’s timescale, even in the most minuscule manner.

People forget that time was not always part of God’s universe. God created time, just like he has created the sea, the stars and us humans. And by divine design, time will cease to exist when it has served God’s purpose. God, and God alone, will call time on time, just like the referee or umpire blows the whistle to call time at the end of a game.

The Apostle John stated this fact, of God calling time, like this:

“And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.” (John 11:5-6)

Time will be no more, Armageddon would be past, the Great Tribulation would be over, the White Throne Judgment would be history, and Jesus would have wrapped it all up with his final, delegated authority:

“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.” (1 Corinthians 15:24)

This world will come to end because it has served its purpose. One of the arguments used for the existence of God is called the Design Argument, or teleological argument, an argument that I vehemently refuse to use on the grounds that any philosophical argument can be debunked. However, the purposefulness of all things in the universe, the reason they exist, is more than mere philosophical argument. It’s a matter of fact, and here is how the Bible puts it:

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

No matter how fond you are of a piece of clothing, no matter its sentimental value, you know that the time comes when it has served its purpose and has to be discarded. God, in like manner, and without the sentimental attachment, will do the same with this world when the time is right. God will relish doing so, since the world he created would have served his purpose fully and completely, in accordance with his will.

This world will come to end because God’s will is perfected. There are some things the human mind cannot conceive, like anything that has no beginning, and has no end. Infinity, although it can be described, is a concept beyond humans. Just like Almighty God, or his perfect will. We can accept or deny the concept, we can like or dislike the idea, but we cannot entirely wrap our minds around it, and that gives us a problem. The Bible asks the question, “Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?” (Job 11:7)

The answer to Job’s question is no. Some things we cannot search and find, we have to be told or shown. That is why God is God. Remember what the Bible tells us about God: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

God could have dwelt in eternity, in a perfect existence, and he would be absolutely complete and perfect. But he chose to create companionship, to share his existence with others. He could have created the angels and stopped there, but he chose to create humans and allow them to choose if they wanted to share eternity with him. Awesome indeed.

No child of God will ever be forced, or compelled to love and serve him. Almighty God does not work like that. His will is that all humans freely choose to love and serve him, and spend a blessed eternity with him, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

This world will come to end when every soul that wants and seeks God is safely gathered in. It is comforting to every believer, it is the source of much happiness and strength, to know that God, through Jesus, will see him or her safely home, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:28-29)

Staff Writer; Henderson W.

You can contact this Christian brother at: HWard@ThyBlackMan.com.