YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
In Matthew 5:14, Jesus Christ said: ”You are the light of the world…”. He uttered this statement to describe His disciples, as part of His Historic Sermon on the Mount. Even though many people believe that He is dead right, the question remains, why did He describe them as such? Well, we shall soon find out but before then, let us look at some points around light so that we can understand Him better.
Light is an electromagnetic radiation which is visible to the human eye. While its primary source is the Sun, it’s others sources include lightning, meteors, volcanoes, lasers, floodlights, light bulbs, lamps, lightsticks, lanterns, touches and candles.
It is, for many reasons, a hugely valuable add-on to the world. For instance, it abolishes darkness and enhances visibility. It also hampers antisocial behaviours thus making human settlements safer to live in. The disciples of Jesus Christ were also very valuable to the world in their own time. They preached to the people, taught them, supported them, fed them, comforted them, healed them, delivered them from bondage, risked their lives for them and above all, led them to Christ. Without a shred of doubt, they shed light on the best way the world ought to take care of people. I am therefore not surprised, that Jesus Christ tagged them ‘the light of the world’ and I agree with Him 100%.
Many people these days, having been saved and doing well for God also qualify to be called lights of the world. And Apostle Paul validated this position as follows: ”For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord …” (Ephesians 5:8). However, they must demonstrate the following characteristics of light, among others, at all times if they want to continue doing well on earth.
1. Brightness.
All useful lights must be bright enough to make people see well and to get tasks accomplished readily. Equally, all the lights of the world must be bright enough to make the task of attracting people to God accomplished readily. Jesus Christ corroborated this view in Matthew 5:16 by saying: ”Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”.
2. Colour.
The natural light is made up of seven lovely colours viz. red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Meanwhile, colours do add value to things. Likewise, Jesus will colour (i.e. add value to) all the lights of the world if they abide in Him. He made allusion to this viewpoint in John 15:7 like this: ”If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you”.
3. Temperature.
Every light carries in it, a measure of heat energy. And the brighter it is, the more heat energy it carries and the hotter it becomes. Similarly, the brighter any light of the world is, the hotter (or more fervent) he or she will become for use by Jesus Christ. However, if he or she does not shine brightly then, his or her temperature will fall, and Jesus will have no choice than to do away with him or her (Revelation 3:15-16).
How then can I become a light of the world and how can I shine brightly henceforth you may wish to ask? Well, the starting point is by accepting Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, if you haven’t yet. And if you have done so earlier, but you are not very happy with your relationship with Him at the moment, please consider rededicating your life to Him immediately. Then, with Jesus Christ in your heart and God’s word in your mouth, go out and show love to people. Visit them, talk to them, help them, feed them, clothe them, defend them, give them hope and most importantly, preach Jesus to them. And the more you do these, the brighter your light will shine before men, the more Jesus will use you and the more He’ll reward you fittingly at the end of the day (Matthew 25: 31-40). May you be found worthy of use in His sight at all times in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
c Adedayo Stoney Adegbulu, 2012
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Assurance, Fath, Hope
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 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
YOUR CLOSED GATES SHALL SOON BE LIFTED UP
Psalm 24:7 is a famous bible passage which has evolved into a formidable battle order over time. We shall look around an aspect of it which says ”Lift up your heads, O you gates…And the King of glory shall come in” in this write up. And I will like us to start by paying a modicum of attention to the word ‘gates’ first.
Gates by description are movable barriers, usually on hinges, closing an opening in an enclosure such as a wall, fence, etc. They come in various shapes and sizes and they are made of materials ranging from flimsy pieces of wood to very tough metals. Their main function is to control the movement of people, goods and materials etc. in and out of the enclosure they are attached to.
While most gates are visible and open freely, a lot of them are invisible and permanently closed. These ‘closed gates’ symbolizes different things to different people. For example, to some, they symbolize extreme situations which have defied all human interventions and they are commonly associated with great discomfort, uncertainty, shame, sorrow, etc. They may even cause death if care is not taken. No doubt, divine intervention is needed to lift them up.
‘Closed gate’ situations are no respecter of persons or generations. Just as they are affecting us in this generation, so did they affect generations before us but the good news is that they can be overcome and we can prove this, by considering some people in the bible who experienced and overcame theirs. I pray that by the time we finish, we shall be well motivated to do something about ours so that the King of glory can come in and save us in Jesus name. Amen.
1. Naaman. Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-14) was a star in the Syrian army but he had leprosy which is a chronic, destructive, restrictive and shameful condition. This disease was his ‘closed gate’ since he couldn’t do much about it. But it finally got lifted up through Prophet Elisha and the King of glory came in and healed him completely. Is disease your ‘closed gate’? If it is then, it shall be lifted up before long and the King of glory shall come in and heal you in Jesus name. Amen.
2. Hannah. Hannah (1 Samuel 1:1-20) was a barren woman who suffered lots of ridicule, sorrow and pain in the hands of her co-wife. She was even wrongly labelled a drunk by their Priest at a point. Unquestionably, barrenness was her ‘closed gate’ but it got lifted up eventually through the instrumentality of the Priest and she gave birth to a unique son, called Samuel. Is barrenness also your ‘closed gate’? If it is, it shall be lifted up and the King of glory shall come in and give you a top-notch child in Jesus name. Amen.
3. Joseph. Joseph (Genesis Chapters 37-50) was a lovely lad destined to rule the world but he ran into loads of stumbling blocks which made his journey through life extremely tough and frustrating. Stumbling blocks were his ‘closed gate’! However, it was lifted up in the end and the King of glory came in and catapulted him from prison to power. Are stumbling blocks your own ‘closed gates’? If they are, they shall be lifted up and the King of glory shall come in and make life easier for you in Jesus name. Amen.
4. The Widow in Elisha’s time. According to biblical account (2 Kings 4:1-7), the widow’s husband left a huge debt for her to settle. Meanwhile, the creditors were on her neck and they wanted to take her sons away into servitude and she couldn’t do anything to save them. Certainly, debt was her ‘closed gate’ and she needed urgent divine intervention to lift it up. This intervention soon came through Prophet Elisha who showed her the way out using her business and she made so much profit from it, that she paid off her husband’s debt with ease and yet, she had more than enough left for herself and her sons to live on from that time on. Is debt your own ‘closed gate’? If it is then, it will be lifted up in the name of Jesus, and the King of Glory shall come in and set you free. Amen.
5. Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector and a great sinner. Hence, sin was his ‘closed gate’ and it would have killed him (Romans 6:23) if not for Jesus Christ who raised it up and made him one of His prized disciples. Is your life reeking with the ‘closed gate’ of sin? If it is then, you are not likely to prosper in life (Proverbs 28:13) unless you confess and forsake them. Please do so right now and Jesus will forgive you (1 John 1:9) and position you for greatness.
Friend, as you can see, ‘closed gates’ situations are numerous, common, and diverse in form. But whatever yours is, it shall cease to operate in your life as from this moment in Jesus name. But you need to pray to God, the king of glory, to lift it up without delay first. After that, invite Him to come in and set you free and He will in Jesus name. Amen. Please do not dilly-dally; act swiftly!
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Hope, hope in God
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
TRIBULATION FOR REWARDS
In John 16:33, Jesus Christ said ”…In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”. This is a very soothing admonition which kept the disciples of yore abreast of the inevitability of tribulations in life and the ability of Jesus to safeguard them. It is similarly soothing to us in this age and time.
Tribulations are a major part of life and they come in different forms and proportions. They can be hereditary (Genesis 3:1-24) or acquired (Genesis 4:1-14) in terms of origin and they are usually very discomforting. They affect everyone therefore, we shouldn’t be stunned by them (1 Peter 4:12). What is more, they don’t last forever and in most cases, they are ultimately beneficial (2 Corinthians 4:17, Romans 5:3-4).
So, what are tribulations and why does God permit them among Christians? Well, tribulations can be seen as ”severe trial or suffering”. They are synonymous with affliction, hardship, distress, adversity, etc. and God permit them for many reasons including:
1. To toughen us. As soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3), all Christians are bound to experience stints of tribulation to toughen us and to help us defeat our enemies which by the way, are spiritual and deadly (Ephesians 6:12). Please note that their defeat is not overly difficult as we have highly potent weapons at our disposal (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) which we can deploy against them with ease. However, we must seek to gain the skills essential to operate them well. This we can achieve through a continuous training program involving studying and correctly applying the words of God (highly potent (Hebrews 4:12)), fasting and prayers (Matthew 17:21) etc.
2. To prove our commitment to Him. For example, God allowed Job to go through series of tribulations to prove his commitment to Him. And in the process, he lost his children, wealth, dignity, health etc. still; he remained stoically committed to God. Soon, He restored all Job’s loses (Job 42:10) and blessed the latter part of his life more than the former (Job 42:12). Are you also experiencing tribulation(s) presently? If you are, God may be proving your commitment to Him hence don’t let Him down.
3. To show His power. In Acts 16:16-26, Paul and Silas were unduly beaten and imprisoned but they refused to ditch God because of their tribulation. Instead, they prayed and sang hymns to Him and He showed His power by causing a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations and made all its doors to open and everyone’s chains to loose. Are you facing any tribulation lately? If you are, fear not; God may be planning to show His power through you and He’ll save you (Isaiah 35:4) as He saved Paul and Silas.
4. To gain our attention. Saul (later Paul) was for a long time, too busy persecuting Christians to listen to God. Meanwhile, God needed him for His work on earth so; He subjected him to the tribulation of blindness (Acts 9:1-9) in order to gain his attention. He later served God meritoriously and to date, he is a celebrated Christian legend. Are you also too busy for God? Does your profession, business, wealth, family, education, ministry etc. take precedence over Him? If your answer is yes then, have a rethink very quickly because you cannot possibly succeed without Him (John 15:5). Please give Him your full attention henceforth!
Finally, kindly remember that God is with you at all times and He has no plans to do otherwise (Hebrews 13:5). With that at the back of your mind, please confront your tribulation(s) prayerfully and with great confidence that He will definitely help you at some point (Isaiah 41:10). In addition, please don’t stop serving and obeying God and He’ll reward you beyond your expectation in return (Deuteronomy 7:12-15). So shall it be in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Hardship, Hope, Tribulation
BACK OFF!
Towards the end of his epistle to the Galatians, Apostle Paul said ”From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:17). This is one of my favourite bible passages and I presume the Apostle wrote it to keep undesirable elements who wouldn’t allow him rest at arm’s length. In other words, he ordered them to back off!
And as things are, it is still relevant to us (Christians) these days for the simple reason that there are many people out there, determined to make our lives difficult for no plausible reason. They include those who frown at and punish open identification with Jesus Christ, those who churn out dreadful policies to repress the Christian faith and those who encourage the side-lining, harassing, beating, jailing, stoning, and even killing of Christians, etc. No doubt, we need to act very swiftly and wisely too to safeguard our lives and faith and the starting point is to tell our tormentors to back off!
Nevertheless, be warned that they are not likely to listen to us without an ugly fight; no thanks to their innate wickedness and their dogged loyalty to Satan, their master. In a situation like this, we are free to ask God to protect us and to deal with them as He pleases and He will listen to us. Remember how He dealt mercilessly with king Pharaoh and his people for flouting His orders to release the Israelites from bondage. In the same vein, God is willing to deal with our tormentors if they refuse to give us a breathing space.
There are many ways by which He might achieve above but we shall only take on the following at this point.
1. He might withdraw their peace. Prophet Isaiah confirmed this stance in Isaiah 48:22 thus: ”There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked”. And I am persuaded that if God withdraws our tormentors’ peace today, they’ll desist from troubling us.
2. He might curse them. To substantiate this viewpoint, King Solomon said: ”…The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked…” (Proverbs 3:33) and it is crystal clear that whoever God curses is doomed. Please recall the way He cursed the Serpent for deceiving Eve; that incident signalled the start of its travails which subsists till present day (Genesis 3:14-15). So, except our tormentors let go of us peacefully, God is open to cursing them too and they’ll suffer greatly as a result.
3. He might fight them. God said ”…I will contend with him that contends with you…” (Isaiah 49:25). That is, He will fight those who torment us and looking at His track record, we can safely go to bed and sleep knowing fully well that He will triumph over them at the end of the day. Don’t forget that He is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).
4. He might destroy them. The Psalmist verified this position in this way: ”Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup” (Psalm 11:6). Personally, I cannot imagine anyone, including our tormentors, surviving this type of onslaught.
5. He might wipe out their history altogether. The Psalmist was so sure that this is possible that he asked God, with confidence, to ”Let them (i.e. his tormentors) be like chaff before the wind…” (Psalm 35:5a). Meanwhile, it is a common knowledge that chaff before the wind is a goner as it will neither be seen nor remembered again. Likewise, God is keen on wiping out our tormentors’ history if they decline to give us respite.
As you can see, God is not short of effective ways to deal with all trouble makers including our tormentors. Consequently, there is no good reason why we should continue to absorb unnecessary abuses from them to any further extent since He is on our side and it is inconceivable that we’ll not overcome them eventually (1 John 4:4). Therefore, let us arise with confidence today and order them to back off to start with. If they wish, they’ll listen to us but if they choose not to, then they’ll have themselves to blame for the colossal calamity that will befall them when God steps in on our behalf (Isaiah 41:11-13). A word is sure enough for the wise!
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Deliverance, Encouragement, Freedom, Hope, Liberation