Random thoughts on the Cross

Posted on March 29, 2013 by
Cross & Clouds

Cross & Clouds (Photo credit: John H Wright Photo)

I look to the cross, Lord let me see Your love anew. That is where I will find peace again.

Our beautiful God laid His majesty aside, reached out in love to show me life and lifted me from darkness into light.

He exchanged His kingship for my slavery, traded in His righteousness for my shame, despite all my foolishness and pride.

Now I find myself caught in the infinite embrace of His love. Nothing compares to this love burning in my heart. I will forever be humbled by the cross.

Like an avalanche, His love unleashed on the cross has overtaken and consumed me. Now I’m caught in the rhythms of His grace.

He laid down His life and took up the sinners cross just so His love could rescue us. What greater display of love and mercy has the universe ever seen?

When I was stumbling around in the dark, the light of Your cross guided me home. Glorious King, without Your death on the cross I would still be dead in my sins.

Though oceans rise and mountains fall, the power of the cross will never fail. Death by love. That was what bought us our freedom.

His cross broke death and dismantled all my fears. Now I’m free to live for Him. Free to die for Him.

All my worries, all my tears, all my fears, all my flaws and all my pain has been overcome by the cross.

The same hands that created the stars are the hands that bled for you and me. I found healing in His scars and life in His death.

In that moment of glorious surrender He was broken for all the universe to see His love for me. All my chains were broken and I rose out of the ashes to a new life.

The broken, the beggar and the thief have now found hope because of the cross. The veil has been torn and heaven’s doors have been opened.

He came to heal this world of ours. To heal this heart of mine, my King died a gruesome death.

He bore the enormous weight of all our sins upon His shoulders just so God could call us His sons and daughters.

At Golgotha, He became the ram caught in the thicket. Our substitute. Our spotless sacrifice.

On that fateful day thousands of years ago, Heaven and Earth collided on the cross. This is the true meaning of love.

The cross is an endless wonder. Even the angels marvel at this extravagant display of our Saviour’s love for sinners like us.

The cross is for everyone. From the faceless to the nameless. From the poor to the brokenhearted. At the foot of the cross is where you will find peace.

Now let the weak say I have strength. Let the poor say that I am rich. Rich in the grace that was poured out at Calvary.

Let the Church shine as the Bride He saw in His heart as He suffered and gave up His life on the cross.

Because You asked Your only Son to offer up His life for us and carry the weight of our sins, now, hope which was lost is finally renewed.

You took my place knowing You would die a painful death. You loved an undeserving people just so we could live in Your love forever.

He came that we may know His Father again. He came that we may know His name.

His cross. His love. His death. His life. Don’t waste it.

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Easter & Taxes

Posted on March 28, 2013 by

As we approach Easter, many people across the globe will reflect on what Jesus’ life, death and resurrection means to them. You will probably come across a wide range of views from religious zealots, atheists, agnostics, scientists, Jews, muslims, politicians, and so on.

One interesting viewpoint comes from controversial political commentator, Bill O’Reilly. I found it amusing in a sense but renowned journalist. Martin Bashir, thought otherwise. It’s a really short clip but I hope you enjoy it.

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The Grace to Forgive

Posted on March 27, 2013 by

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.  -

The above scripture from Matthew 18:21-22 forms the foundation for today’s blog post. I recently came across an article by Eric Metaxas of BreakPoint Radio, a commentary providing a Christian perspective on today’s news and trends. It was titled: Forgiveness and the Gulag: Reconciliation and Resurrection. I was truly challenged on the issue of forgiveness by this article. I can bet there’s hardly anyone reading this blog post that hasn’t been offended by someone. How will you respond? Will you forgive your offender like your Father in Heaven forgave you? Or will you hold on to your grudges and make sure your offender gets what is coming to them? Read this article and re-evaluate your position.

Eighty-five years ago, as part of their campaign to collectivize Soviet agriculture, Stalin and his lackeys declared war on a group of peasants they dubbed “kulaks.”

Officially at least, a “kulak” was a so-called “rich peasant.” So-called, because in a village where most people owned a single cow, the man with two was regarded as “rich.”

In reality, “kulak,” as historian Orlando Figes has documented, was a catch-all phrase applied to every rural resident perceived as obstructing the re-creation of Russian rural society along Bolshevik lines.

The definition of obstruction was as arbitrary and hazy as the definition of “rich.” Often, all it took to be labeled a “kulak” and sent to the Gulag was a denunciation by a jealous neighbor and/or local ne’er-do-well turned party hack.

That’s exactly what happened to Nikolai Golovin and his family in 1930. Nikolai was a respected leader in the village and, by any measure, an upright Soviet citizen. That meant nothing when he was denounced as a “kulak” by Kolia Kuzmin, a ne’er-do-well turned Communist Youth League leader.

Adding insult to the substantial, life-changing injury he was about to suffer – suffering that included the murder of his brother, Ivan – was that Golovin had gone out of his way to help Kuzmin, the son of an alcoholic and abusive father. Kuzmin had often stayed in his home, and Golovin had given him a job out of pity for his situation.

None of that mattered. Like other “enemies of the state,” the Golovins were given hours to gather their belongings and were sent into exile. What the family endured is the subject of Figes’ book, The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin’s Russia. It was suffering on a level that is almost impossible to imagine.

Given his monumental betrayal, you’d kind of hope that Kuzmin would have eventually had to pay for his treachery. Well, he did, but not in the way you might imagine.

After Stalin’s death, when virtually all of the surviving exiled “kulaks” were released, Kuzmin went looking for the Golovins to ask for their forgiveness. This in itself was extraordinary: In the post-Stalin USSR, most persecutors and functionaries clung to the “following orders” defense or pretended that nothing had happened.

Even more extraordinary was the Golovins’ response: They forgave Kuzmin. They did it for the same reason they had helped him out years before, their Christian faith. As Nikolai’s wife, Yevdokiia, told their incredulous daughter, “a truly Christian person should forgive his enemies.”

They not only forgave Kuzmin, they made him an integral part of their lives. He moved in next door. He ran errands for them and they went to church together on Sundays. When Kuzmin died in 1970, he was buried alongside the Golovins, where their bodies await the resurrection of the dead together.

At that time, Jesus’ kingdom will be visible to all. But to those with eyes to see, it was visible in a tiny town in northwest Russia. There, the kind of forgiveness and reconciliation made possible by Jesus’ death and resurrection was on display.

Soviet efforts to create a new “Soviet man” brought death and despair – injuries from which the lands under their rule are still recovering. But the Golovins bore witness to the new creation made possible by Jesus’ death and resurrection.

That’s why Kuzmin was repaid for his treachery with forgiveness and grace. And it’s why we should go and do likewise.

The above article by Eric Metaxas can be accessed here: http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/21791

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Sleeping soldiers

Posted on March 22, 2013 by

Some may like to argue this out but I truly believe we are the last-day Christians who are charged with the duty of preparing Christ’s Bride, the Church, for His second coming. For anyone who cares to really look at the world with open eyes, it is clear to see that we are fast approaching a critical time based on biblical prophecies.

So how prepared are we for such a critical and demanding phase in the history of mankind? Revelation 12:12 says ‘Therefore be glad (exult), O heavens and you that dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in fierce anger (fury), because he knows that he has [only] a short time [left]‘!

Satan who is the leader of the army of darkness clearly knows that his time is short and will be expected to raise his level of warfare against the saints. Thankfully, God has not left us without help. He promised to pour out His Spirit on all flesh in Joel 2:28. His Spirit equips us for victory just as the prophet wrote in Isaiah 59:19b: When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

Ladies and gentlemen we are at war but the troops are fast asleep! In a book written in 1973 by David Wilkerson titled The Vision and Beyond, the author takes a peek into the future Christian, who is essentially you and I today, and paints a somber picture that isn’t far from the truth. It goes:

“Look at the last day Christian, the television addict! look at him – hours and hours for soap operas, comedies, sports – but no time to get alone with God. He turns God off with a dial. He hunts, fishes, travels; plays golf, tennis and basketball. He goes to movies and parties, and has become a gadabout, but he has no time to read his Bible or pray. Is this the last day Christian who is supposed to walk by faith? Is this the one whose faith will overcome the world? Is this the one who is to prepare for a coming day of persecution and world chaos? Are these the playboy Christians upon whom the ends of the world will fall? The greatest sin of the future against God is not abusing the body, indulging the flesh, or even cursing His name. The greatest sin against God is simply to ignore Him in a day and age when He is calling so clearly.”

Wow. I don’t know about you but I was deeply convicted by David Wilkerson’s words written decades ago. I am that Christian he so vividly described. Each individual will know where they stand in their hearts. I definitely know its time to wake up and smell the warfare!

Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light. – Ephesians 5:14

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The Spirit wants out!

Posted on March 20, 2013 by

38 He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water. – John 7:38

River Seridó

River Seridó (Photo credit: grungepunk2010)

One common thing about springs and rivers is movement. There is a continuous flow of water in springs and rivers as opposed to lakes which are usually more stagnant. In John 7:38, Jesus’s choice of words in describing how His life is designed to flow through us and impact the world around us is interesting.

Imagine a world where those who believe and are filled with the Spirit of God allow His life to freely flow through them as Jesus described in the scripture above. Too many believers are guilty of holding the Spirit captive within them. They are turning rivers and springs into stagnant lakes by choosing not to let the Spirit flow through them.

I chose to blog about this today because I am guilty of holding the Spirit captive in my life. The reasons for doing this will vary from one believer to the next but in my case it has been caused mainly by a shift from being others-focused to becoming very self-focused. Faced with challenge after challenge and trial after trial for the past four years, the lake became a spring and the spring became a river. Unfortunately, as the trials reached critical point about a year ago, the river started drying up again as I stopped looking to my Source, Jesus for replenishment. It became a spring again and eventually dried up into a lake.

I stopped being a channel through which God could touch the lives around me. I became engulfed with fire-fighting the trials in my life and lost sight of the fact that the alabaster box could not release its sweet fragrance until it was broken. Rather than pull me into myself, the trials I have been facing should draw me nearer to my Savior from whom I can draw the strength to carry on and open my life up to become a signpost to others who may be struggling as well.

I have kept Him locked up in me for far too long but the Spirit of God in me wants out! This first blog post in quite some time is my little way of saying yes to God again and unlocking the flood gates in my heart once more. Let the rivers flow in you again. Let the rivers flow through us all.

The world will never be the same if we all let the Spirit of God move in and through us.  You may think you haven’t got anything left to give or offer anyone. You’re probably right in a sense. It is His life in us that needs to flow. What is that key in your hand that can unlock the river of living water that longs to flow through you again? Is it a talent or gift? Whatever it is, He is waiting to flow through you.

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Playing to an Audience of One

Posted on February 1, 2013 by

Hi everyone! I’m sorry I’m not able to write nearly as often as I used to due to significant changes in my life. However, from time to time, I will endeavor to share precious life lessons that I gather along the way.

 

Cover of "Audience of One"

Cover of Audience of One

 

Today I’d like to write about living life for God and God alone. How many of us are tired of seeking the approval of others? How many are fed up by being swayed by our peers? How many have had to betray their convictions in order to fit in with the crowd? How many have kept their faith quiet so as not to be tagged weird or rejected by others? If you are anything like me, you will have suffered from approval addiction at one stage of your life.

 

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high. – Proverbs 29:25. 

 

There is tremendous freedom in the realization that every breath, every act and every thought of ours should be made with an audience of One in mind. We should aim to live for God and not the crowd, no matter what the consequences may be.

 

Frankly speaking, I have learnt that in the long-run, the only opinion that truly counts and the only approval we should seek is God’s. Why? For various reasons I would say but one that makes a lot of sense is that man is flawed and mortal. The opinions of men are temporary and often subject to change. Why build your whole life around such uncertainty? The scripture above tells us that when we lean on, trust in, and put our confidence in God, we will be safe and set on high. That’s the kind of approval I seek. The kind that actually matters.

 

Let me ask you a question? Who was the TIME man/woman of the year in 2007? Some of you may remember the answer but I bet the majority don’t. The point I’m trying to make is that in the eyes of men, one can go from hero to zero from one day to the next. Here are Paul’s thoughts on the matter: Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah). – Galatians 1:10.

 

But isn’t it  really difficult not to care what others think? Precisely! As long as we have emotions and life in us, it will be impossible to be totally devoid of feelings regarding people’s opinions of us. However, we must always put such opinions in the right context. Paul writes, What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] – Romans 8:31. When you are living according to God’s will and realize how much He is for you, you will receive strength to withstand the rejection that may come from choosing to prioritize Him over the opinions of others.

 

My prayer is that we can all grow to a place of maturity where we are no longer moved by the opinions of others. Living out God’s plans for our lives must take priority over meeting the expectations of spouses, family, mentors and friends. It will not be an easy path of anyone who truly wants to apply this to their life. You will probably have to endure some pain for a season and hear all sorts of nasty things from people who matter to you. Take courage because it is only for a season. Always have the right perspective by reminding yourself that impressing God is far more profitable than impressing man. Put people in their place and let God take preeminence over every aspect of your life.

 

Only God has the final say on your life. People’s words and opinions are certainly not the be all and end all of who you are. Don’t fall prey to the trappings of popularity, fame, applause and public opinion. Stop living for the crowd and start playing to the audience of One.

 

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…but God!

Posted on January 11, 2013 by

A few days ago, I came across an email chain that blew my mind regarding the goodness and faithfulness of God. A friend of mine started this email chain where he listed out a number of things that happened or might have happened in his life and would have led to devastating effects but for the intervention of God.

I was so moved by the responses as number after number of young men and women listed out their own ‘but God’ scenarios. It is amazing what treasures of testimonies lie buried in our over-busied and distracted minds. All it takes is for one to cast their mind backs honestly and before long you will be in awe of God’s goodness in your life and that of others. So without much ado, here’s my ‘but God’ list:

I should have been burned to death when a fire broke out in our home and I was only a helpless infant sleeping in a cot …but God.

I should have been kidnapped when three strange men tried to lure me into their mini van as I played on the streets outside my home …but God.

I should have suffered brain damage or something worse when that car’s side mirror pummeled into my forehead at full speed as a young boy …but God.

I should have lost my family to assassins who threatened to kill us if we did not give them a lot of money …but God.

I should have lost my father to armed robbers if he hadn’t stopped by to inspect a project before heading to his office …but God.

I should have lost my eye in boarding school …but God.

I should have lost my only brother to a terrible liver disorder when he was only a very young bot …but God.

I should have lost my life to typhoid fever when I became delirious and lost consciousness …but God.

I should have been attacked by a group of racists when I got out of my train into a deserted station at a very late hour of the day …but God

I should have been inconsolable from multiple heart-breaks and betrayals I endured in past relationships …but God.

I should have been trapped and helpless in breaking my addiction to nicotine …but God.

I should have remained ensnared in the sin of fornication and sexual immorality …but God.

I should have remained an unbeliever with a stubborn mind and a hardened heart …but God.

I should have never broken out of serious debt …but God.

I should have remained lonely and still in search of my future spouse …but God.

I should have become tired and disillusioned with the constant trials of life …but God.

I should have remained unforgiving towards those that exploited my kindness …but God.

I should have remained in self-condemnation over my character flaws …but God.

I should have killed someone in those two car accidents …but God.

I should have giving up writing …but God.

I should go on and on and on …but God!

These are just a few snippets of my ‘but God’ moments. Take some time out today to consider your testimonies and let an attitude of praise and thanksgiving well up in your hearts. Happy New Year all!

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