KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:1 KJV” Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”

The Lord Jesus, when talking about events of the last days said in Luke 21:26 that, men’s hearts will fail them because of fear, in considering the many horrible things that would be coming on them.

He spoke of pestilence of which we went through the covid threats. There are more pestilences occurring in various parts of the world. There is the threat of natural disasters, like earthquakes, torrential rains, tornados, tsunamis, and many more. There is the threat of wicked men with potential weapons of mass destruction. America and China has been throwing words of threats to destroy the world to each nation. In addition to this are sinful actions of men, that bring untold torments to their souls.

All these leave many very much troubled. The Lord says we must put our trust or confidence in Him. Our faith in Him is faith in God. Faith in the Lord is the most positive virtue that any man could cultivate.

Believing in Him is an invitation of the Lord to prove His integrity in our affairs. This is the reason it is so important to trust in Him. There is no failure for anyone who truly places his confidence in God.

Believing in the Lord gives Him an opportunity to function through you. This is the reason all things are possible for those who believe. Mark 9:23.

Believing in Him means you cease stressing, fretting, and worrying over the prevailing condition, and the outcome of the condition.

Believing in Him is a form of spiritual shield we take up to stop every opposing threat to us. Eph 6:16 “… above all taking the shield of faith, by which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked”

To believe in God is a decision a man makes to accept the revelation He’s given about Himself. This is the main answer to the level of terror and threat that is coming on the world. Cast yourself on the Lord and save yourself from the current horror that is coming on the world.

THOUGHT: THERE IS NO RISK IN TRUSTING THE LORD, FOR THERE IS VERY RELIABLE DATA OF PROVEN RESULTS OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS, OF THOSE WHO TRUSTED HIM.

FURTHER STUDIES

Heb 13:7 KJV” Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”

Heb 10:35 KJV “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 13:38 KJV “Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.”

Peter expressed his desire for the master and said’ I will lay my life for you’ The master asked, ‘ are you going to lay your life for me’? He added, the cock will not crow and you would deny me thrice. This was the statement of God. It is perfect truth. I think Peter should have sensed danger in that moment, and to have acknowledged he was going to fail miserably. He should have quickly cried unto the Lord to help him, not to fail. He rather kept his position and went ahead with his self-will. The end was a full manifestation of what the Lord said, and big feeling of failure and disappointment.

This event teaches us how not to fail in life or how to fail. If you wish to win then just agree with whatever God says about you, in whatever condition, or state that you may find yourself.

God’s word is in the first place the truth. This means, no matter how incredible what He says may seem, it is what He says that will   occur.

Secondly His word is superior and more powerful than any other condition that may seem to occur. Aligning with His word will make you the ultimate winner.

Thirdly you would never be put to shame agreeing with His word. Peter kept to what he said, and went to the place to prove his boldness, yet in the end he found himself weeping and ashamed. Rom 10:11 KJV” For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Fourthly, any time you agree to do what God is saying, you receive the ability to  do and  also obtain the results  His word talks about Phi 2:13 KJV” For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

God’s word is the highest law or principle in the universe and so choosing to go with His word surely makes you a ruler and an authority over every negative situation in this life.

THOUGHT: YOUR VICTORY IS GUARANTEED IF YOU STAY WITH GOD’S WORD

FURTHER STUDIES

Heb 4:12 KJV” For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

2Tim 3:16 KJV” “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 13:37 KJV” Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake”.

When the Lord told His disciples that in a little while, He would be leaving them to a place where none of them could come there. Apostle Peter in his usual actions said to Jesus, Lord why can’t I follow you, and he added, Lord I will die for you. Why did Peter say that he will die for the Lord? Was it an expression of his love for Him? Did he understand what he was saying, talking about dying for the master? No one could die for Jesus, for He came to give His life as a ransom for the souls of all men. Peter had not enquired from the Lord why he made certain statements. Was he really prepared to die for the master?

Later events showed that, he did not really understand what he was saying. He was actually speaking from his fleshly mind. During the trial of the master, he could not identify or associate himself with the Lord. He denied Him thrice. Many people make vows unto the Lord without thinking about the consequences, only to break that promise in the heat of challenging situations. Some give their word of assurance to other persons but fail to honour their words when the demand arises.

What does the Lord say about those who say what they mean, and actually do what they say.” Psalms 24:3,4 KJV “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. The Lord is saying He is going to give audience to such faithful men. Such people do not speak out of excitement, or play to the gallery. They understand the implications of speaking deceitfully.

Peter failed because he trusted in himself. We can never achieve anything for the Lord by our wisdom, experience or strength. We need to daily go before the Lord asking for His help and direction. The Lord spent a great deal of His moments in prayer seeking for the help, and counsel of the Spirit.  The Lord said pray that you may not enter into temptation.

THOUGHT: IT IS ONLY THE SPIRIT WHO CAN DO THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT, THE FLESH WOULD ALWAYS PROFIT NOTHING.

FURTHER STUDIES

Joh 15:5 KJV “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

Rom 8:6 KJV” For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

KEY SCRIPTURES: John 13:35 KJV” By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.

Any time one sees a combination of red, yellow, and green with the black star in the yellow then, it could be concluded that this is the Ghanaian flag. No one would have double thoughts about what it is. Our Lord Jesus said what distinguishes us as His disciples is the selfless love we show to our fellow brothers. Gal 6:10 KJV” As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Showing love involves being good and kind towards all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Please be mindful of the fact that the Lord is talking about loving one another ‘as he has loved us.’

Jesus our master said greater love has no man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his brother John 15:13. The love the master is talking about is to learn to prefer your brother more than yourself. The Lord’s death was a preference of others more than himself. One may ask, how does this kind of preference for others come near loving thy neighbour as yourself? Now please understand that, loving your neighbour as yourself, works on the principle that you do unto others what you want them to do unto you. Now if you are in a desperate condition far lower than your brothers’ state, you would expect them to reach out to you in that state although, it is in a condition far lower than theirs. It takes one with Christ’s love to go down to those cast down in very poor conditions. To love your neighbour as yourself is actually to do unto others what you would want them to do unto you.

The above exposition reveals that when your brother is in a very deprived state which demands a great effort or self-denial to get him or her out, then do make that sacrifice, because in that state he would want you to do for him what he desires. Dear children of God, our love and acceptance of one another should not be superficial.

We may have divergent views at certain moments, yet we should never become mischievous to one another. Issues like blackmailing, slandering one another, and envying among the people of God should be very alien to us.

Now, what is the level of understanding do we need to have, to help us function in the way the master expects of us? Dear one the Christian is actually Christ’s representation on the earth. You are not just dealing with another human, but Christ representing himself as a human. The Lord told Saul, why are you persecuting me Acts 9:4. Do not hurt your brother or speak evil about him, for he is Christ living in that brother. Whatever you do to a Christian, you have done it directly to Jesus. By this understanding let us approach one another with more caution and sincere love.

THOUGHT: THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY BROTHER CHRISTIAN AND MYSELF, FOR WE ARE ALL EXPRESSIONS OF JESUS IN EACH OF US.

FURTHER STUDIES

Joh 17:21 KJV “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Phi 2:2,3 KJV “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 13:34 KJV” A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

Creation is a product of love, and creation is sustained by love. God created our world because of His desire to fellowship with His creation. Every principle for the proper functioning of creation is founded on love. The sun freely gives its heat, light, and energy without demanding payment in return. Every element like rain, wind, and earth all gives its substances freely and joyfully do so. Any act which is anti-love, like selfishness is a poison to creation as a whole. ANY NATION, WHOSE CITIZENS ARE PREDOMINANTLY SELFISH, PRACTICALLY DESTROYS ITSELF.

The Lord tells all children of His to love his or their fellow brother, just as He loved us. He called it a new commandment. He calls it so because His kind of love is outside and higher than the normal human love we know. This is the God kind of love. It is selfless love. It is called in Greek the ‘ agape’ love.

Men are used to relational or phileo love or the amorous love called ‘eros’ in Greek, which is love between a man and a woman. The natural human love is the kind of love expressed because of  a benefit of some kind that  one may  obtain  from the person he or she is showing   love. A girl will be cooking for a man because she is writing an application for a marriage proposal or vice versa. A father loves the son because of the relation that exists between them. The Jesus love gives and seeks nothing in return.  It loves in spite of who you are.

Our homes will be more stable if the Jesus kind of love is admitted into it. Our children would grow not hearing any harsh words from daddy or mummy. This love does not keep wrongs, it seeks no advantage over its neighbour. It is the love that is ready to lose for the peace and comfort of his brother or sister. This love does not allow the sun to settle without throwing away the anger.

Well, if you are born from above, then you have that kind of love, because, that is the nature of our father. It is the normal fruit we bear.  Gal 5:22,23.

The greatest enemy of love is fear. Fear to lose, fear of becoming vulnerable because of love and many more. Our place in Jesus establishes faith in our hearts, which drives fear away. This is why the scripture says in 1John  4:18  that ” There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

THOUGHT: TRUE JESUS LOVE SPELLS TRUE FREEDOM, BECAUSE IT LIBERATES US FROM FEAR

FURTHER STUDIES

1Co 13:3 KJV “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.”

1Jn 4:16 KJV “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 13:33 KJV” Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.”

Is there life after here.? Would a man live again? Job 14:14 KJV “If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” This is a question Job asked. I believe this is a question many ask themselves in their most solemn moments. Many people think through it, and conclude this life is all there is.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses teaching from Ecclesiastics 3:19 “For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. They say that since Eccl 3:19 says that which befall men, also happen to animals, and so there is no place or no life after one dies. Well, it is rather unfortunate to draw such a conclusion, since the preacher was talking about events under this sun. This means he was relating to the same thing happening to animals and humans alike at death. Sadly, they do not read just two verses away, which says,” Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” Now the scripture comes to talk about the spirits of each and says different things happen to each.

Jesus said to His disciples that He was going to be with them a little while and then He would be gone. They would not be able to come there. The Lord meant He would leave them, and live somewhere else that they can’t physically come. On the cross He said, father into your hands I commit my Spirit. It is the spirit of the person who departs from the body. Jas 2:26 KJV” For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” There is a spirit in man” (Job 32:8).it is this spirit that departs to go where it has prepared itself to go.

Where do the spirit of men go? The spirit of all those who are sons of God, having their spirit born from above, they go back to their father. Remember as many that received Jesus are given the power to become sons of God, and so they go back to Him, when they depart from this body. The man without Jesus is a creature of God, but not a son of God. If you are not a son of God, how do you go to Him, when you depart this life.? 2Co 5:1 KJV” For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” My question to you is where do you go if you are to live this earthly body?

THOUGHT; LIFE IN THIS PLAIN IS CERTAINLY NOT THE END OF EVERYTHING, BUT ARE YOU AMONG THOSE WHO SADLY THINK HERE IS ALL THAT MATTERS?

FURTHER STUDIES

Isa 5:14 KJV” Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.”

Phi 1:23 KJV” For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 13:31 KJV” Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.”

People rejoice and celebrate when something good has happened to them, or is about to happen to them. In our story, Judas had been filled with Satan and was on his way to betray Jesus. The Lord knew that it was time for him to undergo extreme torture and suffering. Above all He was going to be a public spectacle of disgrace and shame. In the midst of all these anticipated challenges He announced it was time for Him to be glorified. How does pain and disgrace become a moment of glory. Well, the Lord Jesus  knew that through His death mankind  would be saved and He would be glorified. Phil 2:6-11 reveal that as a result of His submission to the painful processes of dying He’s been given a name which is above every name, and at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, and every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord.

The glory of our Lord Jesus was also our glorification. The Lord Jesus is God and had the same glory as the Father. John 17:5 KJV “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” This is the very glory He had before the world was created. This is God’s own glory. If He had such a glory why then did, He have to go through the disgrace and pain of the cross in order to receive that glory?  Do you realise that after His resurrection, He said He had received all authority in heaven and on earth and that we must go n His name, casting out devils, and healing the sick? In actual fact, He obtained the glory to give it to us. Heb 2:10 KJV” For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

 When Judas had set off to go and betray Him, the Lord said, it was the moment to be glorified, because He was to do the will of the Father. Doing the will of the Father always brings glory to Him. It also brings the Father’s approval of us and makes us receive the Father’s glory. Dear child of God one thing you must always strive to achieve is to do the will of the Father. This is the reason God created us. That we might please Him always.

THOUGHT: WHEN WE PLEASE GOD, WE HONOUR HIM, AND HE INTENDS TO HONOUR US.

FURTHER STUDIES

Heb 10:9 KJV” Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second”.

Phi 2:13 KJV “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 13:27 KJV “And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”

During my master’s in theology program at the bible seminary, one of our lectures was teaching us, and said fallen angels are not demons and so they do not take their abode in humans. I stood up and said to the class that, I hold a different view because the bible said Satan entered into Judas (John 13:27) and led him to betray Jesus. I used this illustration to bring clarity about what many try to explain about demons and fallen angels. These demons or fallen angels are all devils, like their master, who is called the devil Matt 8:16, 8:31.

If Satan is called the devil, then his organised rank of spirits, like principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wicked spirits in heavenly places, are also devils just as demons are addressed. All these deities called gods, which are revered by certain people called gods, are all devils. 1Co 10:20 KJV” But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”

In the light that they are all devils, then as the Lord said, believers would cast out devils. If you are a believer in Jesus, then you can cast out any of these spirits wherever you encounter them. The Bible taught about our wrestling with these spirits, which has made some of us think that these spirits are so powerful, and so we are in a constant wrestle with them. Please, that is not the case. All these spirits operate by, what the scripture calls wiles. Wiles are basically strategies, tricks, or lies. Remember Satan is the father of lies, and that is their modus operandi. That is their way of doing things.

Consider the case of Judas: Satan deceived him with greed, and when he had fallen to it, he had the full right to enter and use him. At that moment, he had become subject to Satan. One of the easiest means of satanic deception is to stir up fear by whatever means he chooses. If the child of God falls to that trick, he comes under the devil’s influence. They can enter into that child of God and use him for whatever they choose. The believer’s solution is the armour of God. Eph 6:12-18. Until the child of God has fallen to the tricks of Satan, he would always remain victorious over Satan.

Violent consistent prayer is one of our major means of keeping ourselves from being engulfed by the devil’s entanglements.  Jesus said, pray that you would not enter into temptation. Pray always against whatever tricks, traps and the program that has been arranged to get you entangled. Remain in the Spirit for to be in the flesh or to be carnal places you ,, right in the cage of the devil, with no protective garment against his onslaughts.

THOUGHT: ALL DEVILS MAY HAVE DIFFERENT RANKS, YET THEY ARE ALL LIARS; STAY WITH THE TRUTH AND OVERCOME THEM.

FURTHER STUDIES

Mat 26:41 KJV “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Gal 5:16 KJV “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: JOHN 13:29. “For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.”

  In life to be ignorant about anything is to be in the dark about that thing. On the flip side, to be in the light is to have the right knowledge about any particular matter. Whatever is a problem that keeps one from making headway becomes an issue that one is ignorant about. John 8:12

  In our story above, the Lord Jesus dipped his bread in Judas’ meal. He said to him, “That thou doeth, do quickly”. Some of his disciples heard him and wondered what he said. Other disciples began to ask each other what the meaning of what Jesus said to Judas. They started imagining their own views. They said that because Judas kept the group’s money, he was instructing him to go buy the items they needed for the feast.

  The disciples were all wrong. Many children of God are in the dark concerning a lot of things. Like Jesus’s disciples, they kept explaining what they thought was the reason things went or happened that way.

These disciples failed to ask Jesus His reasons for saying that to Judas.  Remember when Peter asked him to tell them who would betray him? He asked John to ask Him, and He did tell them who was going to do it by showing them how they would know.

  Why did they not ask Him this time? They felt they could explain why He spoke to Judas that way. This is the very reason why most people remain in the dark. They did not ask Jesus. A lot of us fail to ask the Lord about our various problems. They keep going around their problems. Do not commit the error of these disciples. Ask the Lord. He says those who ask will be given, those who seek will find, and those who knock have the closed doors being opened to them.

 Some also fail to get out of the dark because they are not ready to persist in prayer for the Lord to bring the answer. Prov. 25:2 KJV” It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”

  Many also easily give up their pursuit of certain answers    and rather decide that God will not answer. I wish to say that God is always a good God. God seeks for the good of His people. Rom 10:12 KJV” For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.”

  There are many who just settle for a “NO”. Well, has God said no concerning your case? God has consistently shown that He is favourably open to all who come to Him in faith. We need to be very positive towards God. He says His promises are YES and NOT YES AND NO.  2 Corinthians 1:20.

Throughout the scriptures, God has always answered those who call on Him. Jeremiah 33:3 KJV Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. God is ready to make a way. Please do not accept that God says yes to some , but says no to you. This is a deception.

THOUGHT: DO NOT SETTLE FOR LESS WHEN GOD HAS PROMISED MORE.

FURTHER STUDIES:

Mark 9:23” Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”.

2 Corinthians 1:20”For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: JOHN 13: 23. “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved”.

 In the gospel of John, we find the term the disciple Jesus loved, used a couple of times( John 19:26, 20:2,21:7. This disciples was the apostle John who wrote this particular gospel.

  Why did he claim he was the disciple Jesus loved? Was he just giving himself a special identity more than the other disciples? Is this showing any partiality on the part of Christ?

 On what grounds does God show a special love for certain individuals? This is when that person first places a high regard on his love for the Lord. 1st Corinthians 8:3 says if any man loves the Lord, then that person is also known of the Lord. James 4 teaches that, we draw near to the Lord, and he would also draw near to us. In 1st Samuel 2:30, the Lord God said to Eli, the high priest that he the Lord will honour those who honour him, but will lightly esteem those who dishonour him.

God never shows favouritism. If a man decides to show love towards the Lord, that individual would likewise receive a reciprocal attention from the Lord.

  Let’s consider the life and some of the acts of John. In the report of John’s gospel, we see he reported events that were the more private of the master. He gave a full account of Nicodemus visit to Jesus. He reported the account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.

  John, on many occasions, was very close to the master. He was the only disciple who stood close to the Lord when He hanged on the cross. During the reports of Jesus’ time with his disciples, John was always next to Jesus. All these show that he took pains to love and stay close to the master. These acts of His received a corresponding love from the master.

 God is never biased. He would respond to anyone who gets very close to him. All who love him in sincerity would receive his full presence and special blessings on their lives. God cherishes those who love Him. Every child of God must endear to sincerely love the Lord. The Lord said the greatest of all the commandments is to love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Anyone who does this would surely have the father showing himself mightily on that person’s behalf. He said if you love Him, you would keep His commandments. The Lord said He and the father will make their abode in you and manifest himself unto you. John 14:21. This was the experience of John.

THOUGHT: LOVERS OF GOD ARE VERY MUCH CHERISHED BY THE LORD AND ARE HIGH FLYERS IN THIS LIFE

FURTHER STUDIES:

John 14:21” He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

Deuteronomy 7:9” Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.”