A Reason for Bitterness

They were engaged for almost a year and all preparations  were in full gear.The engagement party some months ago had been a huge success and congratulatory messages had not stopped pouring in . He had also made the downpayment for the house in the estate by the river and his childhood friends who were also his groomsmen  had booked their flights already for the big day.He was really grateful to God that everything was going on as planned. Well he was not sure about that one,considering what his fiancee had just told him yesterday.He trusted her but her story was just ridiculous and maybe it would have made things better if  she had just apologized for her unfaithfulness rather than insisting that it was the result of a spiritual encounter.

One of the prominent characters in the just concluded Christmas story is Joseph who is worthy of emulation in the way he handled disappointment and betrayal on hearing Mary's news.Although he had every right to publicly shame her, he decided to do it privately and on receiving instructions in a dream, went ahead with the wedding(Matthew 1:18-24).

It is almost a word from knowledge that this year, we have been offended by others and vice versa.Not all of these may have been delibrate and sometimes time does not dull the pain.But like Joseph, we can choose to do the right thing and not be led by our feelings.According to God's word, the sun should not go down on our anger (Ephesians 4:26) this just gives a foothold to the enemy with a root of bitterness whuch eventually destroys(Hebrews 12:15).

As I thought about the last article of this year, I felt conpelled that we should ensure that we are not going into the New Year with the old year's hurts.Joseph had every reason for bitterness but he chose not to and that is why we can celebrate the Christmas story. He was willing to to give up his rights as the Bible records that he did not sleep with Mary till she gave birth(Matthew 1:24).His actions showed that he held no grudges.

Not everyone who started the year is alive today.Since we are alive, let us enter the New Year bereft of any reason for bitterness.

Happy New Year in advance,
Grace Tom-Lawyer

Before the Wise Men gave Presents

"The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped  him.Then they opened the boxes of gifts they had brought for him.They gave him treasures of gold,frankincense and myrrh"-Matthew 2:11 ERV

As a child, I was quite fond of Christmas plays and the Nativity story and always loved to participate in them,  I was therefore thrilled when an opportunity arose last year to accompany a friend of mine to watch her son perform in his school's Christmas play but was disappointed as the Nativity play had a different twist to it. I am not sure if it was in a bid of political correctness but this particular play was titled "Gabriel's Big Break" with a greater emphasis on how the Angel Gabriel had always wanted to deliver a message but never got a chance.He finally got a break when he was  asked to visit Mary following the failure of  another angel  to do the job. I expressed my displeasure on the feedback form.Thankfully,I believe the feedback from other parents also may have contributed  to the  reversion of  the play this year to the original version with Mary, Joseph,Jesus and the visit from the wise men.

As we know,these wise men were led by the star till they eventually found the child Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12).I have always thought that the wise men just brought physical gifts and mentioned it in my previous article,"Christmas Presents or Presence" but a closer look at the verse shows that just before the wise men presented any gifts, they worshiped. Their gifts  were an overflow from the worship experience. 

It is one thing to have brought gifts to a child and quite another to worship the child who had not done anything for them.But they were able to worship because they knew the true worth of the child in front of them.They recognized this was the King that the star represented. Someone has  rightly said that our worship is linked to worth-ship which is how much  value or the amount of worth we place on something.

So this season, as we seek to emulate the wise choices the wise men made,let us remember that before they gave gifts, they worshiped.Let our gifts to the King flow always from a heart of worship for he loves cheerful givers(2 Corinthians 9:6) as well as desires true worshipers(John 4:23).

Merry Christmas
Grace Tom-Lawyer

Christmas Presents or Presence

"Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given...."-Isaiah 9:6 KJV

"This is how much God loved the world:He gave his Son,his one and only Son.And this is why:so that no one needs to be destroyed ,by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life".For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life"-John 3:16 -The Message 

Earlier on this year,I listened to Priscilla Shearer share one of those moments she had with two of her children some Christmases ago when they were much younger.Her two sons were about to open their presents when her husband decided  it was necessary to seize the opportunity to impart some spiritual truth. "Boys,whose birthday is it that we are celebrating?"he asked.The older son replied,"Jesus" while the younger son had a look again at all the Christmas presents,the decorations and the lights and asked "Am I Jesus?". She and her husband had a good laugh and I am sure you are having one too.

The stakes are probably high that you may have bought at least one present or presents for some people in this season and hopefully ,this would have been done within the budget without  the use of a  credit card.Unlike the very first Christmas when Jesus received gifts from the wise men(Matthew 2:11),these days everyone else  seems to receive gifts on behalf of the Celebrant.

But Christmas should not be about receiving  presents alone neither should the fact that we are unable to buy any presents or as many as we would like to  be a cause of disharmony in the home.This is because the birth of Jesus itself is a present from God to mankind(Isaiah 9:6).This gift has also left us with a responsibility to accept(in other words" believe" - John 3:16)  on one hand but unlike the wise men who brought physical presents, we  are also required to give back and present ourselves to God(Romans 12:2).

Christmas presents  are given once a year but  the  present of the birth of a Saviour leaves us  a presence that is available all year round. It  is honouring this presence  that  the first Christmas brought that we should make a priority always.

Choose the Presence above the Presents
Grace Tom-Lawyer

"12 Years a Slave or More"

“And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free”.-John 8:32 Amplified Bible

Earlier on this year, I and two girlfriends of mine decided to go and watch the film"12 Years a Slave" immediately it was released. It was worth every penny. By the time we left the cinema, I realized that I had not only been entertained but also challenged to do some soul searching with provoking thoughts which I decided to share only when the film becomes available in DVD form. Talk of delayed gratification!

I noticed that as the film progressed, it was easy to empathize with the increasing frustration of Solomon Northup (acted superbly by Chiwetel Ejiofor) who had been deceived, kidnapped and sold into slavery. Following a failed attempt at escape, he is forced to hide the truth about his literacy but eventually gains his freedom with the help of a kindly labourer Bass(Brad Pitt).

At the end of the film I was left in tears but as I reached out for a tissue, the disturbing thought of   how Solomon Northup's   loss of freedom was enacted by a change of location (from Saratoga, New York to New Orleans) crossed my mind. Could a change of location possibly mean or lead to a change in the status of liberty? This location need not be physical as seen in the film. Unfortunately, there is every possibility of being free in some areas while still held captive in others.

What then is the definition of freedom and how can real freedom be attained and maintained? Can one transfer freedom or its principles to other areas of life so that it can be experienced in all facets of life? Is there a process of freedom or is it a once for all event? We shall be considering these issues in greater detail in the New Year but I just thought that we might as well start the ball rolling.

As we celebrate  this season, let us remember that the purpose of the birth of Christ is to set us free(regardless of  how long  we have been held bound) and that God intends this freedom to be thorough and complete. It is however through our cooperation with the Holy Spirit that we can attain this freedom in all of its entirety.

Remember the reason for the season,

Grace Tom-Lawyer

True Independence

‘It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows’. Galatians 5:13 MSG

Most countries were previously governed by colonial masters before eventually gaining their freedom on a certain day. These days are usually commemorated annually as public holidays and sometimes are used as a time to reflect changes and progress made so far. America celebrates her independence from the British Government on the 4th of July while Nigeria celebrates hers also on the 1^st of October yearly. Although these colonial masters have left, some of their culture and customs are adapted in several areas while in other areas there is a total deviation from what was practised by the colonial masters. Everyone loves freedom and even sometimes as Christians we encounter problems dealing with the true extent of our freedom.

Paul told the Galatians that our former lives without Christ can be likened to being under the bondage of slavery to a slave master, Sin. When we were colonized by sin, we did not have any option but to do as it bid us to, but now that we have been set free by Christ we should not use this freedom to do as we please .Rather our new found freedom should serve as a platform to serve our new master, Christ as we serve one another in love. It means that whatsoever we do, there should consideration for our fellow brethren.

True freedom means being able to choose. We   are able to say truly that “although I have the liberty to do this, I choose not to do it”. Any freedom that does not allow one exhibit the power of choice is not genuine (1 Corinthians 8:8-13). A person who has genuinely broken free from alcoholism can look at another glass and walk away.

It s also interesting to note that it is for freedom that Christ set us free (Galatians 5:1). This freedom comes from our knowledge of the truth of the Word (John 8:32).There is no need inventing new laws that further burden the people of God and do not lead to righteousness(Colossians 2:21-23). Most times these additional laws only serve as boasting points from which we sometimes condemn others.

As we celebrate this Independence Day, let us use it as a time to reflect on how true our own freedom is and this can be measured by how much we are serving one another.

Happy Independence Day.

Grace Tom-Lawyer

Essentials for a Miracle:using what you have

A careful search through Scriptures will reveal that almost everyone who got a miracle was involved. God loves to work for and through us. Several examples abound both in the Old and New Testament but one of my favourite examples is the story of blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52.

Now they came to Jericho .As He went out of Jericho with his disciple, and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus sat by the road begging”

So Jesus had come into Jericho and was going out of Jericho. Chances are that a miracle crusade had perhaps taken place in Jericho. Bartimaeus could not be part of that miracle service as he was incapacitated to an extent by his blindness.  So the first time we meet him in Scriptures he is sat begging at a strategic position, on the road with the likelihood of a lot of pedestrians and commuters whose bowels of compassion would be touched when they saw him. Although he could not see them, he knew this location was guaranteed to bring him  maximum income .It may have been more convenient for him to beg at his house but he knew that He could not rise beyond the level of what he was exposed to and who he saw him. He exercised the law of good positioning.

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, ”Jesus ,Son of David, have mercy on me”

Secondly he heard. Bartimaeus was only blind but not deaf. He heard about Jesus. This means he was inquisitive enough to ask questions and intelligent enough to find out about the ministry of Jesus. Although he did not have a Facebook or Twitter account yet he followed Jesus closely by word of mouth. For him to have received an answer, it meant that he asked other people and was patient enough to listen for the answers and gather facts. Bartimaeus was not into self-pity or so sour that he could not talk to other people. He must have had the kind of personality that made people converse with him.

Thirdly, he heard it was Jesus of Nazareth which meant he was specific in his questions. There were many people called Jesus during that time but Bartimaeus was well acquainted with current affairs to know that this Jesus was the one from Nazareth.

Fourthly he began to cry out. Several years of begging had given Bartimaeus the kind of tone and pitch of voice that could arouse attention and sympathy. It was a voice that followed passer-by’s who did not drop any contribution into his plate sometimes. This sometimes made some of them return and put a contribution into his plate. He had perfected the art of crying and shouting while begging that it was easy for him to use his loud voice this time and it sounded above the voice of the crowd following Jesus and the several others who wanted his attention.

Fifthly, we see that Bartimaeus had done a background check on Jesus. He had checked his ancestry and was correct. He had a knowledge that set his CV apart from those of the others who wanted Jesus’s attention. He cried out “Jesus, Son of David”.

Sixthly, what he  cried out was “have mercy on me”. He was strategic in his plea. He knew the character of Jesus and in modern terms, we would say he had read up about the company properly. David, an ancestor of Jesus was a man acquainted with mercy and that Jesus  also delights to show mercy .This specific cry for mercy put the nail on the head.

“Then many warned him to be quiet ; but he cried out all the more, ”Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Seventhly, he was a man of determination and purpose. The crowd warned him to be quiet but he cried out all the more. He was not easily discouraged and his inner vision allowed him to pursue his dreams inspite of the obstacles. We see that this persistent cry paid off as the next verse records that Jesus stood still and commanded that he should be called (verse 49).

Interestingly enough , the crowd who told him to be quiet were the same people who told him to be of good cheer and to rise and meet Jesus(verse 49) . Bartimaeus was a man of discernment. He knew when to listen to people .He listened enough to know about the Jesus he had not seen and what he could do and he knew when to turn a deaf ear to distractors.

Ninthly, after he was called, he threw aside his garments. He shook off the beggarly clothes and refused to be defined by his past. He did not allow his history to become a deterrent to his destiny(verse 50).

So Jesus answered and said to him,”What do you want me to do for you?”

Tenthly, Bartimaeus did not have a bad attitude at his apparent boss, he was humble enough to still say his need no matter how obvious it was. It is important to appreciate the depth of knowledge he had acquired about Jesus by noting that when he finally approaches Jesus , he calls him another name “Rabboni” meaning teacher.

Finally, Jesus told him to go his way as his faith had made him well and immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road(verse 52). He did not stop after obtaining a miracle. Now his circumstances had changed, it was possible for him to now follow Jesus personally.

 We see that on the way to getting his miracle, Bartimaeus used what he had. Amongst his several talents were  a loud sonorous voice, being a good communicator, ability to use strategic positioning to mention a few. Loss of physical sight and being at the mercy of others did not hamper his inward vision .

We can all look around ourselves and search inwardly to harness the gifts and talents we already have as we wait to receive what only God can do and give. We can start from what we have.

Yours in Him,

Grace Tom-Lawyer

 

A Necessary Survival Skill

“Whatever your hand findeth to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” Ecclesiastes 9:10 NKJV

 A friend of mine attended her church recently and noticed a young girl whom she knew selling cupcakes. Being a friendly person, she approached her to inquire why she was selling cakes and was told by the girl that it was because she had been fired by her dad. She had been hired by her father to assist her younger brother to do his homework but on the said fateful day, she was not paying enough attention and then her brother scored zero in his homework. My friend approached the girl’s dad who confirmed the story which she narrated to me.

I appreciated the dynamics exhibited in the father-daughter relationship especially   the work ethics the father was instilling in his child at such an early age and the fact that she was held responsible for her negligence   but what was most admirable to me is the fact that this child thought of another way of making money .She did not stop or wallow in self-pity because her usual source of income stopped. Rather she invested in another plan .It is one thing to bake cakes and another to sell them .She certainly harnessed certain skills that may have been lying dormant and developed new ones in the process. She exhibited the quality of adaptability which is necessary for survival at all levels.

Adaptability is defined as “the ability to change or be changed to fit changing circumstances .In most job descriptions, it is usually listed as an essential quality and usually referred to as flexibility. Conceivably, you have encountered the unpleasantness of working with someone who is rigid and perhaps in our own lives, there may be a need for us to be more pliable not only at work but in our homes. This may involve going for update courses, and further training to be able to perform more effectively. It may entail caring enough to ask the other person what they need now rather than giving them what they used to need.

 Are we flexible enough? Is it possible that that we are experiencing difficulties in some areas or relationships and not yielding the best because we are yet to make the necessary change? Is there a need to change the services we offer to meet the new needs of the consumers. Even the church can change some methods without changing the message like Paul who became all things to all men to win some (1 Corinthians 9:19).

On a regular basis, we should take stock of all we  are doing  with a view to effecting  any necessary changes as the situation demands to ensure maximum effectiveness. This adaptability is what will keep us relevant not only in the market place but in our various relationships especially as we seek to be witnesses.

Rich in Good Works

“He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing”. (Ephesians 2:10)The Message.

“For we are his masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”. (Ephesians 2:10)NKJV.

“Let them do good, that they be rich in good works……”(1 Timothy 6:18)NKJV.

Another area we are admonished to be rich is in” good works”. Good works can simply be referred to as good things, doing good generally is good works. Even Jesus did good works (John 10:32).   Our Christian witness will be much helped if we can just be good to others.

Love for God and man should be our motive as we do these good works so that we can receive a reward eventually (Hebrews 10:24) which comes from God (1 Corinthians 15:58).Wrong or impure motives may make it difficult to maintain good works as discouragement may set in (Galatians 6:2). When we do good to others, we actually show that we honour the God in whose image they have been made, in short what we do to people is counted as what we do to God ( Matthew 25:31-43; 1 John 4:12.).The Word of God equips us to do every good work (2 Timothy 3:17).

 There are several ways we can do good; acts of kindness, loyalty to employers (1 Samuel 19:4),bringing up children, being hospitable to strangers(1 Timothy 5:10), fighting the cause of the oppressed, checking on an elderly neighbour, visiting the sick or those in prison .

However these good works  should not be confused as prerequisite for salvation. It is by grace we have been saved (Ephesians 2:5,8).Even Cornelius who was a very good man with kind  neighbourly acts  was still instructed to send for Peter to show him the way of salvation(Acts 10:1-8).Rather  good works are the evidence in our lives that we have been changed(Titus 3:14).

It is the  plan, purpose and will of God for us to do good works. (Ephesians 2:10). By our good works, we fulfill our role as lights in this world and bring honour and glory to God (Matthew 5:16, Romans 2:10). It also silences false accusers (1 Peter 2:12). Our good works will outlive us, even as Tabitha’s good works caused the widows to send for Peter when she died. She was brought back to life! (Acts 9:36-41).

God is the one whose Spirit enables us to do good works (Philippians 2:13).Doing good is not an option for a Christian neither should we let our emotions deter us from doing good. (Titus 2:7). We have been redeemed to be energetic in good works  (Titus 3:8 MSG),which we should maintain for we are made beautiful by doing them(1 Timothy 2:10 MSG). Let us seek daily to do good to someone else. Sometimes it may be as little as a smile or a compliment.

   Grace Tom-Lawyer

Rich in the Word 2

 Although the inscription I saw on some of  the door posts in my new neighbourhood as a teenager was “Read your Bible everyday Joshua 1:8 “,I realized on going to read the verse that it was the word “meditate” that was used. For the word to dwell richly, we need to move a step beyond reading to meditating. Meditation makes us candidates for good success (Joshua 1:8, Psalms 1:1-3 ). Merely reading the word gives information but it is in the meditation of it that truth is revealed to set us free (John 8:32). To meditate simply means “to ponder over” and if you have ever worried about anything like me, the art of meditation is not foreign.

This meditation should be done daily as our spiritual bodies need to be fed and digest food daily like our physical bodies (Deuteronomy 8:3). In the wilderness, manna fell daily for the children of Israel. We can also ensure that we pass the rich heritage of the Word of God to our children as the Israelites were asked to do In the Old testament, parents  were admonished not only to have the word in their heart but to teach it diligently to their children when they sit in the house, walk by the way ,lie down and when they rise up(Deuteronomy 6:6—8,11:19).This sounds like  more work is expected than just the weekly Sunday School lesson The word of God was to be practically ingrained into their daily lives. They were even asked to write it on their door post (Deuteronomy 6:9).My new neighbours then did not know how obedience to the door posts instruction changed my life.

It is important that it is the Word of God that is dwelling richly in us. We should not allow the words of men or their writings have more cognizance than the Word of God in our lives. We are however  more likely to fall into error unknowingly  if all our scriptural commentaries, devotional books and sermons are from one source and we do not pay the same attention to the multi-faceted gifts in the body of Christ in general. A maturing and balanced Christian is one who can appreciate truth and revelation from others beyond their own little Christian clique (1 Corinthians 3).

There are several earthly and eternal benefits which abound  when we become rich in God’s word. These include salvation (James 1:21), deliverance (Psalms 107:20), healing (Proverbs 4:21-22), revival (Psalms 19;25, 49-51,107,154),sanctification(Psalms 119:9-11). direction (Psalms 119:105),  and growth(1 Peter 2:2).As we dwell in God’s Word,  our lives are enriched and produce more fruit(John 15:5-8). Spending time in God’s word enables us to know Him more. The more of him we know, the richer our experience and the deeper our intimacy (Psalms 42:7, Hosea 6:3). The more of the light we receive from the word of God and practice(James 1:22), the more we can reflect and become lights in our world (Matthew 5:14-16, 2 Corinthians 3:18) and  rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

Be rich in God’s Word,

Grace Tom-Lawyer

Rich in the Word

Growing up as a child in a Christian home, I knew the importance of scriptures but did not know that they were supposed to be read daily until we moved into a new neighbourhood. I noticed that several door posts had an inscription “Read your Bible everyday Joshua 1:8” when I took a walk around. On getting home, I   checked the scripture which confirmed that daily Bible reading is not a suggestion. It was a revelation.

Another area we can all be rich in is in the Word of God. In Paul’s admonition to the Colossians, he urged them to “..LET the word of Christ dwell richly…”(Colossians  3:16).Almost all translations begin this verse with “let “which means to allow. There is a responsibility on us all to make room for the Word of God to be deposited in our spirits, not in a fleeting manner but as a matter of permanent abode. 

 We cannot be rich in the Word of God if we do not read and study it. This usually involves effort especially to establish as part of our daily routine in a time that best suits us and meets us alert. It may involve a rearrangement of our timetables and a sure word of prophecy is that it is not going to just happen until we make it a priority.

 Having a pen and notebook ready as we read God’s word with an expectation that He will speak to us moves the experience from just being a religious activity. This will also help us to remember the things we have learnt. There are various Bible study plans or devotionals we can prayerfully choose and follow.

Although there are   benefits in using these devotionals, it is imperative that these   do not totally replace personal Bible study. Neither should we follow these devotionals or Bible reading plans so rigidly that there is no room for the Holy Spirit’s leading to tarry on a verse(s)  or passage when He chooses to unveil  more truth beyond commentary notes. We should not allow  guilt and condemnation prevent us  from continuing to read the Bible when we fall short of our reading plans.

To become rich in the Word also involves attendance at meetings where the Word is taught (Hebrews 13:25). While it is important that notes are taken, these should be cross checked so as to be referred to and read from time to time. The Berean Christians were deemed as more noble because they checked scriptures for themselves even after the teachings of Apostle Paul (Acts 17:11).

The riches in God’s word will not be fully realized if there is selective reading. Neither can we be truly rich in the Word of God if we fail to feed our souls with a balanced diet from all of it. Paul told Timothy that all scripture is given by God and   is profitable. (2 Timothy 3:16) Both the Old and New Testament should be read and studied so as to prevent spiritual malnutrition!

Be rich in the Word

Grace Tom-Lawyer