YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH
In Matthew 5:13, Jesus Christ, while addressing His disciples, said: ”You are the salt of the earth…”.
He uttered this statement as part of His celebrated Sermon on the Mount which served to influence how the disciples perceived and comported themselves. So, why did He specifically tag them the ‘salt of the earth’? We shall soon know; but for now, let us look at some points about salt so as to understand Him better.
The common salt is a white crystalline substance. It is also called Sodium Chloride (NaCl) and it gives the sea water its characteristic taste. It is the only mineral that people eat and it is often used as a seasoning agent to enrich the taste of foods. As a preservative, it is very effective in preventing the degradation of food products. Furthermore, it is a good disinfectant and in cold climes, it is used to melt ice on roadways to make them motorable.
No doubt, it is invaluable to mankind because it adds significant value to a lot of stuffs. Likewise, the disciples of Jesus Christ added significant value to many people’s lives. They preached to them, taught them, fed them, gave them succour, healed them, delivered them from bondage and led them to Christ. Clearly, they were the shakers and movers of their time and they left the earth better than they met it. No wonder, Jesus Christ called them the ‘Salt of the Earth’.
Apart from the disciples of Jesus Christ, several Christians in times past and nowadays, also qualified or qualifies to be called ‘salts of the earth’ because their activities added significant value to people’s lives. Some of them are:
1. Michael Faraday (1791-1867). His works on electricity and magnetism revolutionized physics and today, our computers, telephone lines, web sites, etc. depend on them.
2. Isaac Newton (1642-1727). He was an English physicist, mathematician, astrologer and theologian. He is considered by many, to be the greatest scientist that ever lived.
3. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895). He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases. He also created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax.
4. William Wilberforce (1759-1833). His robust activities led to the abolition of slave trade through an act of the British Parliament.
Others in this group include Paul of Tarsus (Author and Apostle), David Livingstone (Missionary), Mary Slessor (Missionary), Florence Nightingale (Nurse), Dr Martin Luther King Jnr (Civil rights leader), Mother Teresa (Missionary/Humanitarian Worker), Nelson Mandela (Anti-apartheid activist/Former President of South Africa) etc.etc.
You too can become one of the Salts of the Earth of this generation (Philippians 4:13). But first, you have to identify what comes easy to you and use it constructively with the help of Jesus Christ. For example, if you are adept at writing, write to enlighten people and to lead them to Him. And if you are proficient in talking or listening to people, healing, organizing, assisting or mentoring them etc. then, you are in business. Just commit whatever skill you possess into His hands and He’ll boost it for use to add significant value to people’s lives. In the end, He’ll reward you handsomely (Matthew 25:31-40) and your joy will be full. Please remember that with God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37)!
Jesus is Lord!
c Adedayo Stoney Adegbulu, 2011
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Assurance, Faith, Hope
LESSONS FROM THE JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE
Acts chapters 24 to 26, narrates how Apostle Paul was falsely accused and tried by different personalities. One of them was Festus, then Governor of Caesarea. At a time, he (Festus) wanted to please the Jews by transferring Paul to Jerusalem for trial thus making it easy for them to kill him. But Paul knew his intention so; he blocked him by appealing to Caesar in Rome for adjudication. His historic journey to Rome, with others, is narrated in Acts chapters 27 and 28. It mirrors a typical journey through life and it is full of lessons we ought to be abreast of. Let us now look at some of them.
1. The journey through life is often difficult.
Referring to a part of their journey from Caesarea to Rome, Apostle Paul, said: ”When we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed …” (Acts 27:7). Above coment, shows very clearly that their journey was akin to most journeys through life that is, difficult; full of pain, sorrow, anger, rejection, confusion, doubt, dashed hopes, etc. Perhaps your journey through life is becoming difficult lately, please keep your calm because such is common and it will soon come to pass in Jesus name. Amen. (John 16:33).
2. We will be ignored from time to time.
Apostle Paul warned his co-travellers of the danger ahead of them if they continued with their journey to Rome, but he was ignored (Acts 27:9-12). Likewise, as Christians, preaching the gospel as part of our journey through life, people will ignore us from time to time. They may even regard us as being mentally disturbed or at best foolish. However, we should not be discouraged by their comments since we are on the right track! And Apostle Paul confirmed this when he said: ”For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
3. We may be tempted to give up.
Paul and his mates were so stressed that they gave up at a point. In Acts 27:20 he said: ”Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up”. Similarly, in our journey through life, situations will arise time and again to tempt us to give up, but we shouldn’t because they are usually transient and beneficial in the end. Again, Apostle Paul gave credence to this position by saying: ”For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”, (2 Corinthians 4:17).
4. We must get rid of every unhelpful luggage in our lives to survive our earthly storms.
In order to survive the storm they encountered on their way to Rome, the crew of Apostle Paul’s ship lightened their ship (Acts 27:18). Likewise, we must lighten our lives i.e., we must get rid of every unhelpful luggage (sins, bad habits, destructive cravings, etc.) in our lives so as to survive the many storms that we will surely encounter as we make our individual journey through life. And Apostle James corroborated this position as follows: ”Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).
5. God is willing to help us to fulfil our destinies.
In the nick of time, God sent reassuring words through His angel, to Paul (Acts 27:22-25) and that singular event, renewed their interest in living and in fulfilling their destinies. For example, Paul went on to preach the gospel in many places unfettered; that was his destiny! Also, God is willing to help us fulfil our destinies in the course of our individual journey through life and He Himself confirmed this in Isaiah 41:10 in this way: ”Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”.
As you can see, the journey through life is often difficult and we definitely need help to make a success out of it. But proper help can come only from God through Jesus Christ (John 15:5). That’s why you need to accept Him into your life today as your personal Lord and Saviour if you haven’t already. Next, you must be ready to follow and trust Him for the rest of your life. Then, God will help you and your journey through life will become more tolerable and rewarding in Jesus name (Mark 10:29-30). Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
c Adedayo Stoney Adegbulu, 2011
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Faith, Hope
TRY THE MASTER POTTER
In Jeremiah 18:6, the Lord said: ”O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” … ”Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!
Before uttering the statement above, God instructed Prophet Jeremiah to visit the potter’s house and he obeyed. And on getting there, he witnessed first-hand, the man’s dexterity with clay. God later told him that He too, could remould humanity with the expertise akin to the Potter’s.
Who are Potters by the way? Well, they are people who make pottery-ware such as earthenware, stoneware, and porcelains. They operate from places called potteries and they usually acquire their skills from their forebears and pass same down to their offspring. There are a lot of them worldwide and God is their overall Master. And like most brilliant Potters, He is very dexterous at remoulding stuffs, including all aspects of the humanity. For example, He can remould our:
1. Health. One of God’s topmost interests is to heal our diseases and the Psalmist captured this fact succinctly as follows: ”Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits …Who heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:2-3). Thus, if your health is not very sound at the moment, then pray to God, the Master Potter about it and He’ll remould it for you in Jesus name. Amen.
2. Business/Work. God also wants our businesses/works to do well. In Deuteronomy 16:15, He said: ”Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands…”. Perhaps your business/work is performing sub-optimally at present; please try the Master Potter for a change and He’ll remould it in Jesus name. Amen.
3. Finances. Remember that riches and honour belongs to God, the Master Potter (1 Chronicles 29:12), and He is willing to share them with us (Psalm 84:11). Therefore, try Him today if your finances are in decline and He will remould them without fail in Jesus name. Amen.
4. Reputation. Jesus is very eager to remould our reputations too; ostensibly for the Master Potter (John 8:29). In Revelation 2:17, He said: ”…To him who overcomes … I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it”. Maybe your reputation is in tatters at present and you are at a loss about what to do; please keep calm. Just try the Master Potter and He’ll remould it in Jesus name. Amen.
5. Salvation. This is a must have for all Christians (John 3:3). Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), a chief tax collector and great sinner would have ended up in hell if he hadn’t met Jesus Christ. And when he did, he received his salvation and became suitable for the kingdom of God. If you are not yet saved i.e., you are not born again; please try the Master Potter through Jesus Christ right now. He is set to remould and save you. Please don’t forget that without salvation, you cannot attain heaven (John 3:3). May you not end up in hell in Jesus name. Amen.
As you can see, God the Master Potter is willing and capable of fixing various areas of our lives that need attention and He is ready to focus on yours in particular this time around. So, if you are struggling with any issue currently, please try Him immediately. Pray to Him to remould you in the area and He will do so and you’ll have you good reasons to rejoice all the days of your life in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Encouragement, Faith, Hope
PRESS ON; DON’T STOP!
In Philippians 3:12, Apostle Paul said ”Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me”.
While on earth, Apostle Paul performed brilliantly and he never rested on his oars till he breathed his last. Instead, he pressed on furthering the course of his calling and for this, he remains a sterling example for us to emulate. And like him, we may have achieved a good measure of successes for God thus far, but we can’t afford to rest yet because we still have a lot of work to do. We must therefore press on!
No doubt, we will encounter various obstacles en route. For instance, funds may become a hindrance. So are our past, circumstances of birth, level of education, jobs, life experiences, health, laws of the land etc. We must never allow any of these to deter us rather; we must use them as stepping stones to press on and I am confident that our efforts will be rewarded in the end (Galatians 6:7) in Jesus name. Amen.
So, what do I stand to gain if I press on doing stuffs for God and humanity you may wish to ask? Well, you’ll gain a lot. For example:
1. Your dreams will be fulfilled. In 2 Kings 2:1-13, Elisha refused to succumb to distractions and unwholesome suggestions instead; he pressed on till he witnessed the exit of Elijah, his boss, from the world. And as a result, he earned twice Elijah’s anointing. That by the way was his dream! Your dreams will also be fulfilled if you press on doing good stuffs for God and humanity; the accompanying toils not-withstanding (Galatians 6:9).
2. You will save lives. In the Book of Esther, it is recorded that Esher was an ordinary woman until she married a very powerful king. And at a point, she was called upon to save her people from annihilation. That was a very difficult and risky task to perform, but she pressed on till she succeeded. In the same vein, if you press on supporting good courses, you will save several people from annihilation through ignorance, poverty, starvation, war, diseases, etc. Don’t allow the current economic downturn to put you off; please press on!
3. You will win souls for God. In Daniel 6:1-28, Daniel pressed on with his resolve not to petition king Darius, thus obeying God’s commandment (Deuteronomy 5:7-9). As a result, he was thrown into the Lion’s den but God saved him and this historical event prodded the king to make the worship of God topmost in his kingdom. I believe many souls must have been won for Him subsequently. Likewise, if you press on with your resolve to obey God, you will be noticed one day (Matthew 5:14) and you’ll be in a vintage position to win several souls for God. This is a wise thing to do (Proverbs 11:30) so, go for it!
4. You will win the crown of life. Achieving this feat may not be easy because of the associated pitfalls. For example, you may fall and fail. You may also have to weep and gnash your teeth at some point. You may even get angry and query the significance of following God. All these are expected but please, do not sin (Ephesians 4:26). Just press on serving the Lord and doing His will and in the end, you’ll win the crown of life (Revelations 2:10) which is the highest honour attainable anywhere. May it not elude you in Jesus name. Amen.
As you can see, there are loads to gain from being active for God and humanity. Yes, you may have done a lot already but as I stated earlier on, there are still a lot of work to do. There are many people out there to preach the gospel and give copies of the bible to. There are several others to visit, comfort, support, mentor, feed, pray for, heal, deliver from the grip of the Devil, etc. Please press on courageously but purposefully to sort them out. May the good Lord assist you to the end and may He reward you richly too in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Encouragement, Faith
IN MEMORY OF MY BOSS
I am dedicating this piece, to the memory of one of my earliest Bosses. I used to call him ‘The Boss’. He was a very good man, a first class Medical Doctor and an avid lover of humanity. He treated everyone he met with respect, fairness and compassion. He also made life very easy when I was under his tutelage. But we disagreed on religious grounds. While I was then a newly converted Christian, he had very scanty regards for the God, the Christian faith and Christians. As far as he was concerned and using his own words, ”it makes no sense following a God that doesn’t give a hoot about the suffering of the people”.
Of course, I tried my utmost best to change his religious views nonetheless; my efforts did not move him but I did not give up. Then one day, without preconditions, he accepted to be my guest at a Christian outreach/dinner party. To my delight, he followed the entire proceeding with rapt attention and in the end; he gave his life to Christ. He later told me that he felt truly happy for the first time in his life and that he would serve the Lord from that time on.
And almost immediately, as if in a race against time, he went from person to person and from place to place to preach Jesus. He also flaunted his born again Christian reputation everywhere he went. Regrettably, he lost his life in a fatal motor accident less than a month after he gave his life to Christ and we mourned his painful death deeply. We were however comforted through a vision, that he made it to heaven. To God be the glory for his short but brilliant life.
The account above, brings to the fore again the need for us to review our relationship with Christ if we really want to spend eternity with Him. The minimum requirement is to be born again (John 3:3) and this should be done quickly (2 Corinthians 6:2). ‘The Boss’ gave his life to Christ quickly, not knowing that his life was coasting to an abrupt end. Please learn from him. And perhaps you became born again earlier on, but you are not very happy with your relationship with Jesus Christ, please rededicate your life to Him promptly. But if you are OK with Him, I say bravo! You are definitely on your way to heaven but you must be vigilant so that you don’t derail along the way (1 Corinthians 10:12). May your earthly race make you happy and eventually, may it earn you a place in heaven in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
c Adedayo Stoney Adegbulu, 2009
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Faith, Heaven, Salvation
Let Thy Kingdom Come
The Lord’s Prayer (Mathew 6:9-13) is a very vital part of the bible because it shows the world, the best way to approach the concept of prayer. And as expected, it is very popular among Christians and many of us learnt it by heart when we were very young. Its second verse (verse 10) will form the pivot of this write up and it goes like this:
”Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
For us to appreciate above passage very well, I suggest that we look around the word KINGDOM closely first. It is a compound word made up of two other words; KING and DOMAIN, fused together.
A King by definition is someone who rules over a country and a people. He is usually a man and his position is customarily hereditary and he reigns for as long as he lives. His domain on the other hand, is his territory and in it, his words carry maximum weight. It is also a reflection of his influence and affluence. If you invite a King to your house for example, he will come down with his entire domain because wherever he goes, his domain goes. In a nutshell, you will have his entire Kingdom to contend with and the moment he arrives, power will manifest and events will take place in quick succession.
God is the King in the domain called Heaven. He has absolute power there (Psalm 62:11) and His reign has no end (Isaiah 26:4). And like many earthly kings, He too can be invited by individuals, communities, nations, etc. for one purpose or the other. If you invite Him into any area of your life where attention is needed for example, He will come with His entire Kingdom and in a situation like this; power must exchange hands and stunning results must ensue. However, the only way anyone can have access to God is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
Now, let us look at some of the results of God bringing His Kingdom into a person’s life or into a particular place.
1. Great Joy
Great joy is one of them. In Acts 8:4-8, Phillip preached Jesus to the people of Samaria and they accepted him warmly and took to all that he said. Their action therefore, was an indirect way of asking God to bring His Kingdom into their land and He did with stunning miracles taking place subsequently and there was great joy all over the land. In the same vein, if your life is currently devoid of joy, please ask God to bring His Kingdom into it. He will and stunning miracles coupled with great joy will soon begin in your life in Jesus name. Amen.
2. Great Calm
When God brings His Kingdom into a situation, great calm follows. In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus Christ and His disciples were in a boat on the sea. A great storm which threatened their existence soon commenced. Meanwhile, Jesus was fast asleep and they had to wake Him up. Without a shred of doubt, their action can be interpreted as asking God to bring His Kingdom into their situation through Jesus Christ. And immediately, He arose and rebuked the storm and there was a great calm afterward. Is your life or the life of someone close to you being threatened by a disturbing ‘storm’ lately? Or is it your ministry, business, education, health, finances, etc. that is affected? If your answer is yes, then do what is right immediately. Ask God to bring His Kingdom into the picture; He will oblige you and there will be great calm before long in Jesus name. Amen.
3. Deliverance
Deliverance is another striking example of what will happen when God brings His Kingdom into a troublesome situation. In Luke 9:37-42, a wise father brought his son who had epilepsy to Jesus for deliverance. His action, as we can see, is similar to him, asking God to bring His Kingdom into his son’s life through Jesus Christ and it was so. Without wasting time, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit tormenting the boy, healed (delivered) him and gave him back to his father. Maybe you are being tormented by an affliction (physical, mental, spiritual, professional, financial, etc.) at the moment, then now is the right time for you to do something cogent about it and the best approach is to ask God to bring His Kingdom into it. I am positive that He will answer and deliver you and your life will never be the same again in Jesus name. Amen.
4. Life
Life is another example of what can happen when God brings His Kingdom into a person’s life or troublesome circumstance. John 11:1-44 gives an account of how Lazarus was brought back to life having been dead for four unbroken days. Please recall that it was Mary and her sister Martha that sent words to Jesus Christ about Lazarus’ illness to start with. So, in some way, we can safely conclude that their action is akin to asking God, through Jesus Christ, to bring His Kingdom into Lazarus’ dead body and He did and it bounced back to life. This scenario can be repeated again these days given that Jesus, is still as effective as He used to be in restoring life back to people’s dead or defective circumstances (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, if any of yours is affected, please ask God to bring His Kingdom into it right now. He will surely answer you and it will bounce back to life in Jesus name. Amen.
5. -Salvation
Salvation is a hugely important sequel of God, bringing His Kingdom into a person’s life or situation as we shall soon see. Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), a Chief Tax Collector and a big time crook, knew that Jesus was coming to his territory and like others in his community, he wanted to see Him at all cost. No doubt, he wanted God to bring His Kingdom into his life perhaps; he could have a new life (salvation) through Jesus Christ. So, he pressed on with the multitude in search of Jesus but he was hampered by his short stature and for this reason, he climbed a sycamore tree so as to have a better view of Him. But when Jesus got to the tree, He looked up and asked him (Zacchaeus) to come down. He later followed him home and saved him.
Friend, God can also bring His Kingdom into your life or situation today if you wish but, you must be ready to follow the right protocol first. You must give your life to Jesus and allow Him to be your personal Lord and savior i.e., you must be born again (if you aren’t yet). When this step is done with then, you can confidently ask Him to bring His Kingdom into your life or into your situation that needs His attention and He will not spurn you. After that, you’ll have great joy, great calm, deliverance, new life etc. as your benefits in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
c Adedayo Stoney Adegbulu, 2005
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Assurance, Faith, God's Kingdom, God's Power, Let Thy Kingdom Come