The Ultimate Gift

The Error of Balaam 3- Error of Wrong Company

7 The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.

8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.

9 God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”Numbers 22:7-9

So  the delegation  from Midian and Moab armed with the fee set off on the  long arduous journey of over 400 miles  to meet Balaam (Numbers 22:7).After a minimum of twenty one days, they arrived safely in Balaam’s house where the typical  oriental hospitality would have been shown and  faithfully stated their mission. They retired that night with a promise from Balaam that he would consult  God about the matter (Numbers 22:8).

Balaam’s statement of faith is worthy of emulation(Hebrews 11:6). He was so sure God would speak to him( Numbers 22:8) . He had an altar that challenges us as Christians today when we watch the dialogue and not a monologue that ensued between  Balaam and God(Numbers 22:9-12).This kind of relationship is both  our right and privilege as his children (John 10:27; Jeremiah 33:3) True to his expectation, that very night, God asked Balaam “Who are these men with you”?(Numbers 22:9).

  It is important to note that God asks the question “who” and not “why”. It is not for a lack of knowledge that God asks Balaam this question, rather it was needful for Balaam  to come to a realization of the full implications of the “who” in his life .Balaam replied answering God’s question of who  and  went further to answer “why” to justify the “who”, which is the usual human tendency and a common error we make.

 But  God is concerned about "who" because he knows the influence of our “who”(1 Corinthians 15:33).This is because our “who” will greatly influence and be a cause of “why”. Who are those men with you because the men with you are a prophecy of who and what you are going to become (Proverbs 12:26; Proverbs 27:17&Proverbs 13:20).

 This “who” association is all embracing and needs not to be confined to people or the physical plane alone. Intellectually who are we rubbing minds with? It boils down to the blogs, magazines  we read or even the TV programmes we watch or the sites we visit on the internet (Romans 12 :2). Are we like the Psalmists who  said he refuses to take a second look at corrupting people and degrading things( Psalms 101:3).Even those we follow on Twitter or other Social Media should be mirrored against the standard of God’s word(2 Timothy 2:19).

 Balaam’s first error of the wrong company is one that we sometimes are guilty of and need to keep a check on regularly (Romans 12:2). Any company or counsel that is not helping us become more like Christ and fulfil destiny should be avoided (Psalms 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 5:11).There is no time we will ever grow beyond the influence of the people we surround ourselves with (Proverbs 22:24-25). Hence the need for us to rightfully select those we allow to become close to us or whose influence we come under (Psalms 101:5-6; Philippians 4:8).

In his Service,

Grace Tom-Lawyer

The Error of Balaam 2- Who is Balaam?

Two weeks ago, I promised that we would look at the third and main character in our story; Balaam. This is necessary as he is not one of the popular Bible characters and most of his life is hidden in the least read books of the Old Testament.   

We are first introduced to him in the Old Testament (Numbers 22:5) and typical of Biblical accounts, he is identified with his ancestry and his location. Balaam, an Edomite was the son of Beor. He lived in Pethor (Deuteronomy 23:4) in Mesopotamia (Numbers 23:7) which was about 400 miles from Moab. As an Edomite, he was a descendant of Esau(Genesis 36:1) who was the twin brother of Jacob(Genesis 25:23-26).Jacob is also known as Israel and  is the father of the Israelites(Genesis 49:2), thus making Balaam a relative of the Israelites. He is also mentioned in  the books of Deuteronomy( Deutronomy 23:4-5) , Nehemiah(Nehemiah 13:2) and Micah (Micah 6:5).

Balaam is mentioned thrice in the New Testament  and on all occasions, negatively. The first is seen in 2 Peter 2:15 where  Apostle Peter admonishes that we do not follow the “way of Balaam” .The second mention is found in the book of Jude who  while warning about the apostates, describes them with three Old Testament characters, one of which is Balaam. These apostates were said to have run greedily after the “error of Balaam” while  the last mention of him  is by the Lord in his message to the Church in Pergamos in  Revelation 2:12-16 where  after commending the Church,  urged them to repent as they had amongst them  some people who held unto the “doctrine of Balaam”. This same doctrine is what is referred to as the “counsel of Balaam”(Numbers 31:16).

  The Greek form of the name Balaam means “devourer of the people” or simply “devourer “ while the Hebrew form of his name which is Bilam means “one not of the people ,devourer or foreigner”.  Beor on the other hand means “burning”.It is noticeable that the meaning of his name as well as that of his father is negative.

In the Bible, names were not given lightly and neither should we give names or change names without  revelation, conviction, prayerful consideration and counsel.(Genesis 32:28, Luke 1:13, John 1:42) Balaam  eventually lived up to his name (Numbers 25:1-9) by making errors along the way which we would start to consider in the next post.Watch this space.

Yours in Service,

Grace Tom-Lawyer

The Error of Balaam

 "Woe to them!For they have gone in the way of Cain and have run greedily after the error of Balaam for profit and perished in the rebellion of Korah"Jude 1:11
NKJV New King James Version.

In the fourth shortest letter of the New Testament, Apostle Jude in a no-nonsense approach admonished his readers to “fight for the faith” as he warned them to be aware of false teachers and men who were perverting  the grace of God and using it  as a license for sin, (Jude 1:3 CEB Common English Bible). In the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, these men were promoting “cheap grace”.Jude gives three  characteristics of these men,( Jude 1:4) and then uses three  negative biblical examples as patterns they have followed; the way of Cain, the error of Balaam and the rebellion of Korah (Jude 1:11).

 I knew about Cain ,after all he won the award of first murderer in the Bible(Genesis 4:8)  and as for Korah,(Numbers 16:1-32) he dared to question the authority of Moses , the man of God that God spoke to face to face (Exodus 33:11)what nerve! But what about  Balaam? It was just an  error  or so I thought until I began to study closely  and realized that like us, Balaam made several errors along the way before  culminating in the one he  is most famously known for(Numbers 22-23,2 Peter 2:15,Numbers 31: 16, Revelations 2:14).To help us understand and avoid these errors ,a little background to the story is necessary.

The children of Israel had begun making their way to the Promised land and had defeated some of their enemies and were about to conquer the land of Jericho (Numbers 22:1). Stories of their past victories had made headline news and their success attracted both admirers- Rahab (Joshua 2:10-11) and enemies (Numbers 22:2-6).Two of these enemies (Balak, the king of the Moabites and the Midianites teamed up together to fight the children of Israel  as they feared their land would be conquered soon. Not surprisingly, these enemies were actually their relatives (Matthew 10:35).The Moabites were descendants of Moab, the first son of Lot, Abraham’s nephew born out of incest with his first daughter (Genesis 19:36-37) while  the Midianites were descendants of Abraham from his wife, Keturah after the death of Sarah(Genesis 25:1-4).To ensure victory, they decided to employ the supernatural and engage the services of  Balaam a prophet who lived hundreds of  miles away. They were ready to pay honorarium and foot the bill as they believed in testimonies of the success of his ministry and anointing to attack their enemy.

What an encouragement  for  us to  harness and continuously refine our God given gifts  as we  see scriptures fulfilled in Balaam’s life as his gift made a way for him(Proverbs 18:16). Without the benefit of a Facebook or Twitter account, or even a complimentary card, he had people sending for him across international borders. We must be careful though to use our gifts to serve God and his purposes rather than the enemy.

Enemies are a living reality of the fallen world and we all have them – both “real ones” and “phantom ones”. Some we have acquired foolishly and unnecessarily while others have been wrongfully blacklisted by us. It may be possible that like the children of Israel, sadly it is the success of these individuals, being painful reminders of our unaccomplished dreams that have made them enemies. As for the real enemies, different battles require different strategies( 2 Corinthians 10 4,1 Samuel 18: 14,Matthew 10 :16, 1 Peter 5:8).Thus we should act wisely with the assurance  that in the economical nature of God , he is able to fight our battles as well as   use our  enemies to accomplish his purpose(Psalms 23:6,Romans 8:28).

In our next post, we will consider Balaam.

In his Service,

Grace Tom-Lawyer.

Back to Study

Dear all,

I believe you are well and  pray that these remaining months of the year will usher new joy to you and your loved ones. The Summer break is definitely over and we will begin to study once again as we journey on this path(yes I was on a break although this got extended).

I do not take this opportunity for granted and always seek to write these notes with excellence.This sometimes delays some publications but hopefully as I continue to obey the promptings of the Spirit with diligence,there will be regular updates 

 I remember you in my prayers and  earnestly covet your prayers  that I would continue to bring the Word for the season  in  fresh  and practical ways and that the power in the Word will continue to break yokes and find fulfilment in our lives.



In his Service of Love,
Grace Tom-Lawyer

The Perfect Father:The Father of Glory

The Father of Glory 
Some weeks ago I attended another Church and listened to a lady share on how on how going through  her grandmother's things, she discovered that the space on her father's name had filled Not known. She thought that definitely a check on the wedding certificate would reveal otherwise but to her dismay, it was still recorded as "Not Known".There may be varying degrees at which different people will relate to that but almost everyone of us can appreciate that that must have brought a degree of shame to that lady's mother and I can imagine that days like this must have been particularly difficult for her. It is one thing for your father to be absent,unavailable each with its own peculiarity but not known denotes with it some degree of shame.
But one of the names the beloved Apostle Paul called God was he referred to him as the father of glory and God loves to add  glory to our lives. No matter how the matter of fatherhood has brought some form of shame to anyone, God delights in bringing  glory, he delights in restoring the place of fatherhood to one that can be referred to as and looked upon with Glory. And to say that God is the father of glory also means that God is the source of Glory , even when Jesus walked  

The Error of Balaam

Unending vacancies

.23 The time is coming when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, and that time is here already. You see, the Father too is actively seeking such people to worship him. John 4:23 New Century Version

One of my favourite past times when working at home is to just have the audio version of the Bible playing in the background.So as I listened to the first four chapters of the  book of Revelations lately,I got caught up as I imagined the worship that John described. From awe of the four living creatures and the twenty four elders enraptured in pure worship, I confess my feelings turned to jealously. I was just suddenly jealous of the beauty of such worship in the very presence of God until I heard a quiet whisper "there is no need to be jealous,there are still vacancies for more to join".I repented but began thinking about the word vacancies. Surely there must be a Scripture about vacancies.

 Going through another book written by John, we are reminded of a woman who stumbled upon one of the longest running   job vacancies at an unusual place at an unusual time.This woman came to get water from the well and  got engaged in a conversation with Jesus who met her at her level and in the course of the discussion made her aware of an existing vacancy. In his words ,"but a new time is coming.It is already here. True worshippers will worship the  Father in the Spirit and in the truth. They are the kind of worshippers the Father is looking for" .John 4;23 NIRV 

Advances in technology have made it possible for us to check for vacancies and have job search alerts without physically going to the Job Centre,which honestly could  sometimes be depressing.Going for an interview we usually put our best foot forward and prospective employers do not usually  have insight to the totality of our beings. But this vacancy is advertised by an "employer" who is all knowing,inspite of our frailties and imperfections, he still  extends  the invitation to us  today. 

True worship can only be done by those who have experienced the new birth but it is easy to substitute work for worship.All of our lives should be lived as a worship to God for that is our chief purpose, having been created  to bring God pleasure. Like the woman at the well, I was getting caught up in the place of worship instead of realizing that worship is not about the place but the individual. A.W.Tozer on worship said "True worship is to 
 so personally and hopelessly in love with God that the idea of a transfer of affection never ever remotely exists".It is my prayer that we get to that point as we fill in heaven's vacancy as the father is still seeking worshippers.

There are still vacancies in the vineyard and God is counting on us to  make ourselves available ..

Yours in Him,

Grace Tom-Lawyer.

The high cost of fake

I was going through a magazine where a recent Art event necessitated the featuring of several  unusual pieces of art, one of which  was the "Amanda Princess"  a property of the Metropolitan Police.This headless figure of an ancient Egyptian princess,half sister of the legendary Tutankhakhamun,was bought by Bolton Museum in 2008 for £400,000 ,after authentication by the British Museum and Christie's. But amazingly,she was made in a shed of a Lancashire council house using tools bought from B&Q (one of UK's favourite DIY&Home shop)  by a sometime antique dealer Shaun Greenhalghm..The aggrieved party employed the law and Shaun was imprisoned  for four years and eight months.No one likes to pay the price of the real for the fake and the issue with such deceit is that usually the fake looks like the original. 

Although the original is usually preferred to the fake, there are many times when we willingly pay the price for a fake depending on its usefulness.But  the problem arises when we are paying an exorbitant price for a fake and not know it.Sadly our lives can be fake in several places or a whole saddening fake. John puts it pointblank   when he says "he that has the Son has life, he that has not the Son has no life"(1 John 5:12).


 The price of living a fake life is always exorbitant and never goes on sale.The seven sons of Sceva had been in the church long enough to use the language but because they were inherently fake, the demons they tried to cast out of the man overpowered them and they all leaped out off the  room naked(Acts 19:11-29).

We might not be as extreme as that but may be faking it in one way or the other, perhaps under the illusion of "fake it until you make it".But if we really want to imitate Jesus,then we should be sincere like him and say "I am thirsty "(John 19:28)I do not have it all together,so that he can give us true water .

In a mission statement, Jesus declared that he came so we might have life and life more abundantly(John 10:10).In God's economy, abundance is the minimum.If we do not have the Son ,we do not have life.It means that we are only existing which negates the whole purpose of Christ dying on the cross. There is no need to have fake when God's desire is that we have life and life in all of its fullness. 
Live well,Live fully.
Grace Tom-Lawyer

A Note of Appreciation

Dear Readers,

This is to sincerely express my gratitude to you for all your comments, posts and prayers It is always good to hear from you ,espeially when you et me know how this blog is a blessing to your life and how I can improve and serve you better. There is always room for improvemenet and it is my aim to serve with excellence,so keep suggestions rolling in.

I had internet issues for over a week and was unable to put up the completion of Fit for the Master"s Use for about a week but the issues are resolved now and we are fully back.We have an exciting new series that will begin in the month of May and I earnestly covet your prayers

You can reach me as usual using the  contact form or via the email address justflourish@gmail,com  ,find me on Facebook by my name"Grace Tom-Lawyer" and you can choose to  follow me on Twitter @Grace_tomlawyer.

Do have a lovely week ahead and Thank you once again for your support..

Love,
Now&Always
Grace Tom-Lawyer

Fit for the Master Use 3

We conclude these series looking at some salient points in the life of the colt that characterizes the man that is fit for the Master’s use.

The colt was finally found as Jesus predicted. It was loosed and sat upon by our Lord who  rode it  into Jerusalem. The people responded warmly and the colt got treated like royalty. It  walked on their clothes and palm fronds as they chanted "Hossana to the son of David"(Matthew 21:9).Several other colts may have watched this colt on that fateful  day, envious of its opportunity while most probably  ignorant  of all the times the colt had waited to be used. The colt we believe is fully aware that this reception is because of whom it carried. Apostle Paul rightly says that we carry a treasure in our earthen vessels ( 2 Corinthians 4:7 )  so that the excellency may not be of us but of God. The man that is fit for the Master's use walks in full cognizance of the fact that it is not about him rather as a good steward, he gives all  the glory  to God. He does not see as a right the privileges that are accorded him in the service of representing the master.(John 3:30;2 Corinthians 5;20) .

The colt also followed through executing its duty of carrying Jesus all the way to Jerusalem. This is the one thing recorded that it did and this one thing was done well. I am not sure how long the ride was to Jerusalem but can safely conclude that it must have been a burden on the colt's back and most likely have caused it some discomfort, nevertheless it completed the task. True commitment that endures to reap the joy of completing is another characteristic of a man that is fit for the Master’s use(2 Timothy 4:7, Hebrews 12:2).       

Also we note that the praises and the jeers of men did not also disrupt or distract the colt from its line of duty. Just like the colt was not swayed by the praises of men, the man that will be fit for the Master’s use is one who will serve irrespective of the voices and opinions of others. This is because people are fickle, the same people who sang "Hossana" at  the beginning of the week changed their song to "Crucify crucify him" by the end of  that same week(Luke 23:21).

There is always a practical side to the prophetic .In the course of its everyday's job, the colt became fit for the master use. It is impossible to be fit for the master use if we are treating lightly our everyday commitments or routine without reverence. Scriptures give countless examples of men such as David who were first faithful in their everyday life before being promoted to do something higher(Psalms 78;70-71,89:30) .It is this ability to treat even the secular as sacred, honouring God in the routine  by doing the little things well that distinguishes the man that is fit for the Master’s use

 There are still vacancies in the vineyard and God is counting on us to  make ourselves available .Rather than being involved in a multiplicity of things with mediocre effect, we could like the colt do just one thing, no matter how ordinary it seems  and do it with excellence.

Yours in Him,

Grace Tom-Lawyer.

Fit for the Master's Use 2

"And they went their way and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met and they loosed him"-Mark 11:4 King James Version
"...the two followers...found the young donkey tied by the door where two streets crossed..." Mark 11:4 New Life Version

Two months ago, a friend of mine and her family had to travel to London for two weekends to attend functions. When her 4 year old daughter was asked where they had been, she replied "we went to the hotel".It was quite humorous  as she refused to accept the fact that they stayed in a hotel because they were in London.It was a matter of defining the place for her and the story of the colt reveals more as we look at the place where it was.

The colt is described as being tied in a place where two roads meet or where two streets crossed(in other words a junction) and this is quite significant.Everyday there was activity at the junction as people moved in and moved out.The colt was strategically placed in a location where people had to make a decision.What we see happening to the colt outwardly is an illustration of what takes place inwardly in our lives.We are always faced with opportunities which can broadly be put into two categories.There will always be a choice to either satisfy the flesh or satisfy the Spirit(Romans 8;8)  and if we are honest, it can be a struggle sometimes.This is a fight that goes on daily and no man is exempt from it as long as we are on this side of heaven, even the great Apostle Paul talked about this struggle (Romans 7:15-25).

The writer of Hebrews encourages us that by reason of use, we can exercise our spiritual muscles to do good(Hebrews 5:14 ,1 Timothy 4:7).Trying a new work out at the gym is always the most difficult the first time. Every time we choose to yield  to the Spirit by making a choice that will satisfy the Spirit, it will make it easier the next time.Perhaps a choice to simply turn off  or change a TV channel with the remote control so as not to pollute our spirits(Psalms 101:3) is just a first step or  a choice to apologise to our significant other when we get convicted by the Holy Spirit that we have been rude.There will always be a choice.

The person that will be fit for the Master's use is one that will daily choose to make choices that will honour his master, indeed take up the cross daily(Luke 9:23) and that in itself means several things to several people.We might not be 100% perfect(1 John 1:8-9)  but the consistency of our choices to do right each time  will make it easier the next time as we choose to  walk in the Spirit(Galatians 5:16-17).

Choosing to please him,
Grace Tom-Lawyer.

Above all things

Today is World Health Day and it is not only the WHO that is concerned about our health.
The Bible has much to say about living in health.This actually is the will of God for us.
It is important that we take care of our bodies as they are the only containers which have made us legal here on planet earth. As much as possible,we should ensure we are protective over our health by earing right,sleeping right.drinking right.
The commandment not to destroy our bodies does not refer to committing sin with our bodies but harmful practices such as smoking could destroy some of our internal organs and cut our lives short.If we do need help in breaking this practice,let us not be ashamed to ask.
Since we do not yet have the resurrected new bodies,let us take care of the ones we have as this would go a long way in ensuring we are in good health.
Yours Sincerely.
Grace Tom-lawyer

The Resurrection Message

".....But go tell His disciples and Peter...."Mark  16:7 New King James Version

When someone is critically ill in the hospital and approaching the final moments, the family is usually sent for. This is done with the aim of providing them the  opportunity of hearing  the last words of their loved ones  which is deemed to be very important.All the writers of the Gospel shower importance also on the concluding words of Jesus both at the Last Supper and on the Cross.It is true wisdom then to put an equal degree of attention to the message that he gives either directly or indirectly through the angels after his resurrection(Matthew 28:1-8,Mark 16:1-8,Luke 24:1-12&John 20:1-10).

In one of the very first resurrection messages,Jesus makes Peter aware that he is thinking of him.According to Mark's Gospel, the women were instructed at the empty tomb to deliver the message of the resurrection to the disciples and Peter.We all know that Peter messed up by denying  Jesus three times.Ironically,this is also recorded in all four gospels(Matthew 26:69-75,Mark 14:66-72,Luke 22:55-62&John 18:15-18,25-27) but we see the heart of Jesus reaching out in forgiveness as he ensures that Peter is mentioned.How comforting this message"...go tell his disciples and Peter..."  of a second chance must have been to Peter.Both Luke and John record that Peter of all the disciples (Luke 24:12;John 20:3-4)was the first to run out to check the empty tomb.The energy for the run must have been fuelled by the love of being mentioned personally.He is mentioned after the other disciples so that we do not put unnecessary emphasis on him but see him in the right context as another disciple(Mark 16:7).

 The Gospel  of Mark is believed by most scholars to have been written by John Mark who is said to have  abandoned the ministry with Apostle Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary trip. Things were probably too difficult and he chose not  to continue at Perga (Acts 13:13).Quite naturally,during the second missionary trip,Barnabas and Paul had a sharp disagreement on account of taking him with them and separated ways (Acts 15:36-41)but later on towards the end of Paul's ministry,he asked Timothy to bring John Mark  for he is profitable for the ministry(2 Tim 4:11).This Mark was the spiritual son of Peter(1 Peter 5:13,Acts 12:12) and tradition indicates that Peter helped him write the Gospel that bears his name.No wonder he is the only one of all the Gospel writers  who recorded the personal message for Peter.If it is true that John Mark is the writer of this gospel,I am pleased and encouraged as he pens down these words knowing how he had also  been given a second chance too -" tell the disciples and Peter"... "Bring John Mark".What a parallel of grace!.

The death and resurrection  of Christ gave us a second  chance with God(Ephesians 2:13,Colossians 2:13).As recipients of his grace,we should extend this grace (John 1:16)  to others as we consider some of our relationships in this season.As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord ,let us allow his resurrection power to visit some of our  dead and comatose relationships and  extend grace to people who may have wronged us(Philemon 1:21).

Happy Resurrection Sunday,
Grace Tom-Lawyer

Crucified with Christ

" I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me". Galatians 2:20 New King James Version (NKJV)

A close look at the first two chapters of  the book of Galatians show an  immeasurable  wealth  hidden in  Paul's writing as to the Galatian believers as he tries to show  them that justification by faith in the death and resurrection of Christ  is enough.After authenticating his apostleship(Galatians 1:12),he makes some profound statements which have been used as memory verses over  the years.One of the verses runs with the theme  of today and is one of  the tenets of our faith; the Crucifixion of Jesus.But what did Paul really mean by this verse and how can we apply it in our lives today?

In reply to the former question ,an older believer told a young believer that to be crucified with Christ means three things: 1.a man on the cross is facing only one direction 2.he is not going back 3. he has no further plans of his own.Using this simple illustration,we  can examine what it  means to be on that cross with Jesus today.

When Jesus was on the cross about two thousand years , he faced one direction.It is not possible to be on a cross and face more than one direction as the nature of the cross restricts us to one direction only, it brings us to a singularity of purpose and if any man is going to go far with God or  do anything significant  for God,he must be someone facing one direction.This means that for every decision he makes, the focal point of reference is what God says. As believers today, when we are crucified with Christ, we face only one direction which brings us face to face with Christ without distraction, so that we can be transformed into his own image (2 Corinthians 3 :18).

The second thing about the man on the cross is the fact that he is not going back. He has reached the point of no return. When Jesus was on the cross,it was too late to go back.On the way to the  cross(crucifixion), there will be opportunities to turn on back. Three  of the writers of the Gospel showed us that even Christ had doubts about the cross but as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane , he reached the point where his spirit and body submitted to God's will.(Matthew 26:40,Mark 14:36&Luke 22:42).We learn that the battle was won in the place of prayer so he was able to go all the way.

 Even the jeerings of men who wanted him to show his power and claimed they would believe if he came down from the cross at that moment did not bring Jesus down from the cross(Matthew 24:42). When I watched Jesus of Nazareth part 4 as a child, I wondered why Jesus did not simply come down so that these people could believe.But thank God for wisdom now  as I realize two things 1.Jesus  had the power to do so but  he did not use his power to defeat God's purpose , his strength was controlled(meekness exemplified ) 2.Jesus did not need to prove anything to them. The man on the cross does not need to prove anything and is content to stand the risk of being misunderstood,like Jesus he knows there is a higher purpose which will bring greater glory(Romans 8:28).Jesus's  vision of saving the world was too big for him to be disturbed with the pettiness of  now and so he remained on the cross.The man on the cross has total commitment.

The third thing about the man on the cross is that he has no further plans of his own. No matter what Jesus planned to do,he could not do it as long as he remained on the cross.He even had to commit the care of his mother to another disciple (John 19:26-28). However it is important to note that Jesus  said that he had finished the work that he had been sent to do on the cross(John 19:30).This is because on the cross, it is no longer about us. No wonder Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15  ".....that we judge that if one died for all, then all who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who  died for them and was raised".The person on the cross has no further plans of his own and is fully yielded to death.It is a life of  total surrender. 

Being crucified with Christ amongst several things will involve the three things highlighted above.But it is not something we can do by our own power ,hence Paul says further "... the life that I live now i live by  faith in the son of God who ..." This faith comes through grace (Ephesians 2:8) which we must not take for granted (Galatians 2 21). 

The extent of our crucifixion with Christ will be in direct proportion of  the grace of God we make use of .According to John Gregory Mantle, "there is a great difference between realizing on the cross that He was crucified for me and "On that cross , I am crucified with him".The one aspect brings us deliverance from sin's condemnation , the other from sin's power ".

Happy Good Friday 
Grace Tom-Lawyer 

Who is a fool?2

Who is a fool?

So today is April Fool's day where it is acceptable to pray pranks on each other till midday and my memory fails to recollect childhood April fool pranks that were played  by me or on me.,This morning, although I had a definition in my mind, I decided to check the dictionary meaning of a fool. A fool is defined as" one who acts unwisely" or "a silly person or as a person who lacks judgement" and historically, it was used to refer to a jester or a clown who was retained in royal or noble households to help with jokes Considering the stress that comes with governing people,I am sure the palaces needed something to lift up their spirits and lighten the environment.

But I would be the first to admit that the need for lightening up and laughter does not belong to the palace alone.Actually everyone of us can do with laughter and enjoy the benefits of it. I am talking of belly laughter and not the one we are sometimes forced to do in order to be polite.Although the  origin of April Fool's day is somehow uncertain, there is a general consensus that jokes ought  to be played until midday after which the person who is attempting to play the joke is then referred to as the "fool".So assuming the joke time is over,what does the Bible say about who a fool is?

The Psalmist says  that a fool is one who says in his heart that there is no God. It is somebody who has refused to acknowledge the divine for who he is, Rather  than face his conscience he   refuses to acknowledge a creator and absolves himself of any responsibility.This denial of God usually leads to a full vent of rebellious and wicked behaviour.(Psalms 14:1)    ,

Apostle Paul  also referred to the Galatian Christians  as acting as foolish because  they were trying to end in the flesh what  they had  started in the spirit(Galatians 3:1-4). The sacrifice and the blood of Jesus was  no longer enough for them an they were erroneously being coxed to add the rite of circumcision to their faith.And although we may not have the same issue they had in the first century church, sometimes as Christians we act foolishly  also and take a nose dive into  legalism in the most subtle of ways.The gentle voice of the Holy Spirit or the kind of reprimand that Paul issued to the Galatians as their spiritual father  hopefully brings us  back to track, Paul was able to help the Galatian by explaining to them the truth of the realities of redemption thus giving us a pattern that knowledge drives out foolishness.

So this April fool;s day does not only give a license for pranks but rather calls for a time of sober reflection. Are there places in our lives where we are saying there is no God or refusing to see the hand of God working behind the scene or are we just not acknowledging the existence of God himself ?Perhaps it may be that we are on the other side, having started out  things by the spirit and trying to finish thm in our own strength hence the struggle and frustration we are experiencing. but concluding in the flesh ,Be sure to reflect on this but do not forget to laugh today,laugh really hard because laughter is medicine to the spirit(Proverbs 17:22).

In his service,
Grace  Tom-Lawyer

Congratulations to all my friends and colleagues on the National Doctor's Day.

Palm Sunday:Fit for the Master's Use 1

Today ,we commemorate the Triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem(Mark 11:1-11) . In many traditional  churches, palm fronds will be used for   decoration. These palm fronds represent the fronds along with the clothes  people put on  the way  which  the colt  stepped on as it  carried Jesus(Mark 11:7-8) .Several years ago, I learnt somethings about this colt which I would love to build on.

This colt  was tied and  had never been ridden before(Mark 11:2,Luke 19:30). Until a certain  day came, when Jesus sent for the colt  to be brought. Jesus did not only give a vivid description of where the colt was but an  answer to give  anyone who might oppose its untying.The disciples found the colt exactly as  Jesus described (Mark 11:4)  and untied it.They also answered the owners who asked the reason for the untying ( Mark 11:5-6 ).The colt now loosed carried Jesus into Jerusalem thus fulfilling prophecy( Zechariah 9:9,Isaiah 62:11).There is no doubt in our minds today  what would have happened if this colt had become rebellious and impatient  and left  the place where it was tied.

Prior to being loosed ,this colt although physically fit was tied. It was not free to move about like the other colts in town.The colt  may have sometimes  wondered, if it would be ever be used as it is also  possible that  some other colts may  have bragged and boasted to it about the places they had  traveled  to and the kind of people they had carried while it remained tied  in position  and under authority(it had owners).The  man who will be fit for the master's use is a  tied man  who is disciplined(2 Timothy 2:21) with  some restraint on his life. This restraint is what Paul referred to as the love of Christ compelling us (2 Corinthians 5:14). 

When this colt was  eventually untied , it was brought to Jesus to fulfil a need  (Luke 19:31).It was loosed to serve. A man who is fit for the master's use is one who  sees and uses  liberty as an occasion to serve (Galatians 5:13, 2 Peter 2:16).I have a feeling that as this colt carried Jesus into Jerusalem ,it became the envy of all the other colts who had been free all the while.Unlike them, this colt did not step on dust but rather on palm fronds and even clothes of people who were supposed to be his masters.

It is so comforting to know that  Jesus   cared enough to know  the address of the colt.He knows ours (Hebrews 13:8) .Like the colt, there is a place where God wants us to be(Acts 17:26,Matthew 24:46).For us to be fit for the Master's use,we must remain  there , tied and  ready  until the   master sends for us to serve. 

Happy Palm Sunday,
Grace Tom-Lawyer

Use your Brains

 This article was written in honour of the Brain Awareness Week 2015,enjoy the read. 

"Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity".Romans 12:2  (J.B.Phillips)
2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God". Romans 12:2 King James Version 


Growing up, the phrase "use your brains" was usually used to alert one to not allow emotions cloud common sense.In the medical school, we were taught that medulla oblongata referred to only a part of the brain and were awed about the complex processes that  took place in an organ of its size.

This morning as I studied, the phrase "be not conformed" caught my attention in Romans 12;2.I looked it  up in a  the concordance and found out that to be conformed means "to change outwardly, to do so without thinking, just to be part of the blend , usually it does not take effort,a passive reflexively"but the next change in the verse is be transformed which means a "change from the inside out,change after being with".Conform comes from the Greek word "suscheimatizo" which is used only twice in scriptures unlike transformed which  comes from another  Greek  word,"metamorphoo"and has several references.

The reason for this  I believe is that God is interested in our consciously changing our minds(although our spirits are born-again, our minds which is the seat of our emotions is  not),in a change that comes from the inside based on the word of God. This is more likely to be permanent and if we notice carefully, in this process the verb is by the renewing of our minds. Renewing  as we were taught in Grammar is a continuous tense. It is not a once for all event, but a process that takes place on a daily basis .No matter how beautifully dressed we are today, there will always be a need to use the mirror before we step out of our houses tomorrow. This mirror can be likened to  the word of God which helps us to correct ourselves (James 1:22-24).

It is not always easy as it is actually  requires less work to conform, blend and just be part of the crowd. This may take place sometimes by the way we imbibe the world's culture and mannerisms as depicted by the media.But for any child of God to make a difference anywhere,then transformation must be the watchword. I am not advocating that we behave like weirdos although to be honest,the Christian walk will always  be a bit strange to a non-believer.

The brain is the human computer and whatever we put in is what we will get,although this might not be in the exact form as imputed.The goal of transformation is that  as we prove what is we prove what is good,acceptable and perfect,we  become like Jesus(2 Corinthians 3:18) which is the work of the Holy Spirit via the vehicle of the word of God.The more of the word of God we allow into our spirits and practice, the more we are likely to be transformed and become more like Jesus.

In His Service,
Grace Tom-Lawyer

World Water Day

 Many years ago ,during a "Miss World"competition, one of the contestants was asked :"What three items  would you take with if left on the desert?, and her answer was;.a blanket,a bottle of water and a Bible. I was very pleased at the wisdom of her answer as  water and the Word of God are essential  things.for life.As we celebrate  World Water Day today,the many uses of water in its various forms  justify  the need to mark a day for it.As important as it is , there is the likelihood that its availability in some  parts of the world might dampen our enthusiasm to celebrate it  and take it for granted.
    But Jesus never took water for granted. His ministry was identified by it(John had to baptize to know him John 1:21) and even the first miracle he performed was changing water into wine at the wedding at Cana (John 2:11). Jesus was not too busy to attend a wedding.
    In so many different ways , water is like the Word of God.The source of  both God's word and water is God(John 1:1;Gen 1:6). More of the earth is made up of water as well as  two thirds of our bodies..Just like water is essential in the process of cleaning our bodies, the Word of God serves as a cleansing agent for us.According to the Scriptures, Christ purified the Church and sanctified it  by the washing of water by  Word of God(Ephesians 5:26).

    Unlike physical water which we would always have  to go to a source to get, the word of God can become  ingrained in our hearts so that we  become the outlet for a flow of rivers of living water.This was the great discovery of the woman at the well(John 4).

As we mark this World Water day,we are encouraged to be grateful for both physical and spiritual water with an emphasis on non- wastage and the need to promote the use of pure water as it relates to the Word of God(11 Tim 2:15).

In His Service,
Grace  Tom-Lawyer

St.Patrick Day

Today the nations of Ireland and Northern Ireland and some states in America  celebrate St.Patrick and they do have reasons to celebrate their Patron Saint.He is purported to have brought Christianity into Ireland and that in itself is the most significant thing anyone can do.He explored the virgin land and must have worked tirelessly and selflessly during his time and several generations are still celebrating his life.

I am quite sure that he would not have done this thinking that there would be a day allocated to him generations after he died.It is interesting to also  note that today marks his death as opposed to his birth.which may support what Solomon said when he said better is the end of the matter than beginning. Although we may not like it, he also said better  to be in the house of mourning than in the house of rejoicing . It may probably be because being in the house of mourning sort of makes us to be sober and think.

A lot of people might argue that the celebration has changed over the years and may not be as religiously inclined over the years. Although this may be true, I will not still fail to enjoin us to celebrate the life of someone who did what Apostle Paul may have probably done during his missionary journeys.Any one who has pioneered any work before can say it is usually a time of planting , watering and harvesting.But no matter what work is done, it is God that gives the increase.

As we celebrate the life of St.Patrick today, I would like to cross examine my life once again to see how much I am doing that will remain after I have long gone. How much of my time is being spent in investing in the changing of lives. It may not seem much but the little we  do  can be given to God so trusting that he would use it to make a difference in the lives of those he affords us the privilege to meet.

Happy St. Patrick's Day
Grace Tom-Lawyer

She is......mother

She certainly did not plan her life like this. It was not something she wished even her enemies, to be left with a teenage son to take care of ,alone.Her life had been a result  of decisions made by others.One of them  had  ushered her into the joys of motherhood over a dozen years ago,another decision  had modified  her name, she was now a single mother.

Not many of us may be able to travel back in time to feel what Hagar felt as her status changed in the household of Abraham.She had come in as a slave and according to tradition, she had done this willingly having followed the family as they left Egypt at one time.But no sooner had she settled in before she noticed that there was a void in the life of her employers as her master did not have a heir.She may have prayed for them not knowing that one day she would be called upon to bear the heir and this she dutifully did as God blessed her with a son..Her son was vital in the household until the miraculous birth of his step brother.

In so many ways Hagar represents so many mothers in our present generation who have had their hopes dashed as they find themselves left at the throes of parenting,alone Although some of these fathers have been snatched out by death or divorce, a vast majority of them had simply walked away  without looking back or the thought of doing so.Truth be told,these men  were not ready for the responsibility of fatherhood,and were just sperm donors.With an epidemic of increasing"absent fathers" many mothers now have to fend for both themselves and their children and often than not, they are not appreciated. Rather they are seen as threats. Not everyone appreciates the extent of  the sacrifice  and all it entails for these women  to be both mother and father to their children,.

 But Hagar's story encourages us as we observe her  during her  pregnancy crisis. Due to the  harsh treatment  inflicted by her mistress, she ran away .only to be met by  the Angel of the Lord on her return journey.For the first time,she was addressed by her name directly whn the Angel of the Lord spoke to her.. This is important to note for out of all the twelve Scriptural references to Hagar,  it is only on this occasion in the Old Testament that she  is  called her name. Even her employers never referred to her by name,rather  she was "Sarah's handmaid",one of the servant girls, and sometimes for the single mother who is on welfare support or waiting for some hand me  downs,it is very tempting to begin to see  herself as a statistics.This need not be the case as we see God's abundant care displayed as the Angel went further .Not only did he mention her name but he made her aware that he knew her address, her employers,and even that she was pregnant. Without the use of scans,he told her the sex of her baby and even gave a name to the baby while talking about his future.How comforting that was for Hagar and for us today.

There might be no cards or flowers from the father of your children and who knows you may not know the father.It does not really matter how you got into single parenthood, God still calls your name as he called Hagar's name He is concerned about single mothers hence Hagar's story is recorded.He appreciates all your labour and  knows all about your circumstances.He  loves you so much and I have written today on his behalf  to wish you and every other mother a  Happy Mother's day.


Happy Mother's Day
Grace  Tom-Lawyer

This Lent:Not Blinded by the Immediate

"We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Then he received the highest position in heaven, the one next to the throne of God"-Hebrews 12:6 God's Word Translation

Yesterday a friend of mine came to pick her daughter from my place . I offered her some food that I had prepared but she declined saying that she had the urge to eat pancakes which she intended to make when she got home,Although she loved what I had prepared, she knew that if she did take my offer,she would  not be able to enjoy  her pancakes. Jokingly but persuasively, I told her that her  craving for pancake  was a little bit late as  the day before was pancake Tuesday.As you know,  yesterday was Ash Wednesday which marks 40 days before Easter.  She finally gave in but stopped halfway sticking to her original decision. I woke up this morning and thought about how my friend practised the law of delayed gratification to an extent yesterday.We however see this exhibited completely  in the life of Jesus as we begin to prepare for Easter.

 He very much could have given in to the devils' temptation of collecting the whole world without going to the cross .That was the short cut that was presented to him during his temptations(Matthew 4:1-11) .But Jesus was not dissuaded, he did not come to do his will but his Fathers' and he knew that the cross was part of the whole package.The cost was self-denial which he painfully did..How so much like Joseph who is deemed by any scholars to be a prototype of  Christ. He also as a full-blooded young man refused the advances of the wife of his master, Mrs Potiphar(Genesis 39:1-29). No one would have known about it and probably he may have had some  kind of backyard favour now,serving as a sexual partner for Mrs.Potiphar. but he vehemently  refused all this.He had a dream(Genesis 37:5-11) and knew that God was able to establish him without compromise.It is not always that the option we have is bad,sometimes it may be  good but as is often said,the "good" can sometimes be the enemy of "better".

As we begin this Lent, let us remember  Jesus as an example of complete delayed gratification. Perhaps this season could serve as one that will enable us put things/people in our life  in the proper perspective,We would need to ask ourselves on a continuous basis   how an activity  contributes to our overall purpose.Just as the cross meant self denial to Jesus then, he still demands a daily life of  self denial of his followers(Luke 9:23).He had the Cross before him and the salvation of man was dear to his heart.Every other thing was looked through the lens of his purpose.He was not blinded by the immediate  rather had his driving passion and   purpose to do  the Father's will.
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It is my prayer that in this Lent season ,we will be moire aligned to the Father's will.

In His Service ,
Grace Tom-Lawyer

A Look at Blindness 5 ;blinded by Spiritual Lust

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.Psalms 138:8 English Standard Version
I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.Psalms 57:2 New Living Translation 


Sometime last year, there was a flyer of a programme which circulated via whatsapp and Facebook that I eventually  got to see. It was supposed to be a night of prayers or deliverance but the title was both humorous and amazing.It was titled "Give me a husband or I die".While I may not be able to judge what the intent of the organizers were, the caption probably connoted the feeling of desperation we sometimes have (trust me , I have had my times of desperation )when we are seeking something from the Lord  and while I am not against earnestly   stating specific requests before God,there is a line we  can cross when we become so consumed by our requests. We  then become guilty of Spiritual lust which is  best described by Oswald Chambers.

According to Oswald Chambers, Spiritual lust is the demand that God does it now. Somehow we manage to keep our lives on  hold, all in anticipation of the answering of a request, while everything else revolves around it.We pout and fret and refuse to see anything further apart from the need for God to answer immediately. This is not to condemn a bit of frustration    which may sometimes be  inevitable especially as  some of these desires are legitimate but when it becomes an overriding passion, then we are apt to be denied   peace and contentment.
Spiritual lust also has pride in its roots as we think this ought to  have been  done by now but the truth is that as human beings ,we are all  afflicted with a degree of blindness and cannot say for certain what will happen next. This pride takes the responsibility of wanting to run God's timetable and denies him he freedom to act at his own timing.

If life has narrowed down to one thing that we fail to recognize others or even be grateful for what we already have , then it is possible that we are being consumed by Spiritual lust which can be likened to physical lust.This usually leads to a sense of desperation that makes us do things we ought not to as  seen in the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:5-17) which is unfortunately repeated with a twist   when one of his sons, Ammon  in the name of love raped his  very beautiful half sister,Tamar.(2 Samuel 13:1-22).

But God is not consumed or moved by our desperation.Rather his one consuming desire is that we be conformed to the image of his son (Romans 8:29)who was so sold out to his father's will. One of such times  just before the cross at the Garden of Gethesamane. He cried"..not my will but yours be done"( Luke 22:42).Sometimes to achieve his purpose, there might be circumstances and things we have to go through which would bring us closer to God and enhance our dependency on him.

Lust is best combated by love, a need for understanding again that God loves us .King David had so many troubles following his anointing and ascension  to  the throne. He  sometimes  had to become a fugitive but  he still held on, assured of God's love and thoughts towards him.(Psalms 139:17-18;8:4).It is our responsibility not to allow ourselves to be seperated from the love of God. It is God's personal love for us that should keep us going .So many times we quote the great chapter of faith but forget that it is through faith and patience these people received the promises ( Hebrews 6 :12) and  that some of them did not even still receive the promise(Hebrews 11:37,39) but continued to believe God.And that is what God expects as we mature. It is what differentiates children from grown ups.That rather than being consumed by lust, we have to come to the point of realization that he is all powerful and all knowing, that what we are asking him to do, he sure is able to do it  but he has his own timing and he would do it at the right time.

I must confess that I am not fully free of spiritual lust   but I have gradually learnt that God is  good and is able to do it and that at his own time to suit his purposes best and then it will be beautiful(Ecclesiastes 3:11). 

So today, just as a little reflection is there any prayer request you have that has  now turned into spiritual lust, making you not to function, it could be prayer for healing (how many turn away from God just because he has not healed  them or a loved one) or for a child, a better job or even a partner.Trust me if it is going to enhance God's purpose he will eventually bring it to pass.He is big enough to be concerned about his purpose  and sees the bigger picture.This season of love we should do a house check and make sure we are not blinded to the love of God by spiritual lust .


Happy Valentine
Grace Tom-Lawyer

A matter of hearts

This month in America has been declared the month of the heart in order to raise awareness of heart disease which is one of the major causes of death in women. But on a more global scale,this month  is also special as there is the commemoration of the  St.Valentine's  Day in  which many couples along with  those who have a romantic relationship celebrate their significant other. However for some others it could inadvertently be a  painful reminder of the absence of  that special person in their life due to death ,divorce, separation, death or disease to mention a few.

Apart from physical diseases that affect the heart, our hearts can also be affected psychologically and the fruitfulness of the Word of God in our lives is dependent on the state of our hearts. Jesus described different types of hearts in the Parable of the sower and later conveyed the meaning to his disciples in private( Matthew 13:1-23).Unfortunately , most people are not as concerned  about the spiritual state of their heart as compared to the physical or the emotional state. The pendulum is far towards the emotional state and in a month like this, when love is celebrated, the probability of needless heartaches is certain.

For those who are actually enjoying the love in the air, this is  yet another opportunity to let the people in our lives know how much we appreciate them.If you are are still shopping for gifts for your loved ones, it may be a bit difficult to imagine fully the longing of another friend who desires to just receive a card but this  is surely a good time to be sensitive to their feelings as the Bible urges us to identify with our brethren.

And for those whom this season approaches and they are yet alone, there are several things not to do. It is not  a time to quickly say yes to a last minute date whom has previously been told No severally for reasons true to one's convictions. Neither is it a time to have  another pity party for me, myself and I, where a moaning  about singleness is done .Truth be told embedded in that attitude are  pride and  ingratitude.

Pride here comes subtly as there is a reasoning  that by this time, this ought to be happening to me and I know more than God on how my life should run and secondly, ingratitude  which readily blinds us to the fact that there are many more blessings that God has given which we should acknowledge and be thankful for, starting with the gift of life .There is more to life than being in love  and if all of our self worth is measured by who loves us or if we are in love, then there is a problem that needs to be addressed.

Still unsure of how to spend the day? Well I would like to suggest that if you are the stay home type of person, by all means do so, as long as you engage in fruitful activities. This might be a good time to sow a seed of babysitting so one of your friends can actually enjoy their evening. And if you are the outdoor kind of person, it might just be time for you to take yourself out to a treat and celebrate yourself well .You have the full backing of heaven with a mandate to be the president of your fan club. There is no need waiting for someone else to do what you are unwilling to do.

So wherever this season finds you emotionally, celebrate it with gratitude and use it as another occasion to examine and guard your heart diligently , for out of it springs all the issues of life.

In His Love,
Grace Tom-Lawyer

A Look at Blindness 4:Blinded by Greed

"But the leprosy of Naaman shall fasten upon thee,and upon thy seed for ever.And he went out from his presence leprous as snow".-2 Kings 5:27
"He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house ,but he that hateth gifts shall live".- Proverbs 15:27

This week,the World remembered one of its oldest and most stigmatized diseases,Leprosy.Although advances in Science have made some beneficial changes, it is still a cause of concern especially in India.In the Old Testament times, the priest usually pronounced the diagnosis(Leviticus 13:3,44) and lepers were isolated.The mode of transmission is still repeated contact with infected individuals however some particular individuals  in the Bible contracted Leprosy through unusual means.One of them is Gehazi,the armour bearer of Prophet Elisha(2 Kings 4:12,8:14).

It was Captain  Naaman's best kept secret(2 Kings 5:1) until his wife's maid mentioned that healing was possible in Israel for his Leprosy(2 Kings 5:3).His belief made him travel several miles to meet Elisha.He also took several gifts which he urged him to receive after he received his healing but Elisha declined (2 Kings 5:16).It is not every gift we should accept as depicted here and with Abraham and the King of Sodom (Genesis 14:21-24).Gehazi his assistant however thought otherwise.Without permission,he intercepted Naaman and collected the things his master refused deceitfully.He returned after hiding these items to his master,who unknowingly had followed him in the spirit.He got rebuked and because of his greed,Leprosy was pronounced upon him and his family(2 Kings 5:9-27).

Leprosy may have some spiritual undertone as it can also  be compared to Sin in several ways.Sin is the world's oldest  and most problematic issue.Just like Leprosy is caused by microscopic bacteria,Sin is caused by our invisible human nature.They both can be contracted through repeated contact.No wonder the Bible warns  that "evil communication corrupts good manners"(1 Corinthians 15:33).There are several presentations of Leprosy as well as several manifestations of the sinful nature(Galatians 5:19-21)
The hallmark signs of leprosy are hypothesia(an abnormally weak sense of pain,cold,heat or touch),skin lesions and peripheral neuropathy (loss of sensation in the extremities) with a pronenesss  to inability to blink the  eyes which may result in blindness.How much like sin which can begin to dull our senses spiritually and cause spiritual blindness.

Thankfully,these days free  drugs  for the treatment of Leprosy are  available and distributed to those in need via the support of several organizations.But greater still is the fact the Blood of Jesus(Hebrews 9:22) has the efficacy to cure the problem of sin and this blood is free(Hebrews 10:10-20).Leprosy and Sin both bring isolation with the latter being more severe with  separation from God, but we have been made closer by the Blood of Jesus(Ephesians 2:13).Its power is still as powerful  today as it was 2000 years ago to pronounce cleansing(Romans 5:9, 1 John 1:7;Revelation 1:5).

Nowhere in Scriptures is greed commended (Proverbs 12:9;1 Timothy 6:6).Unfortunately,it is one of the most glorified vices of the 21st Century and  has robbed many of the ability to live contently.We should therefore take  heed as in  its pursuit,there is a tendency to  become dulled and blinded to the things that really matter. Gehazi was more concerned about acquiring those items that he was ready to leave the presence of his master forfeiting the  benefits.No wonder Jesus warns that we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).As we make the Kingdom business our business and seek to remain in the presence of God(Matthew 6:33), we are unlikely to be blinded by greed.

Yours in Him,
Grace Tom-Lawyer.

.. ... .

Not for Prayer

This past last week marked the National week of Prayer

One of my friend's six year old son walked up to her room in the morning claiming he had had a very bad dream.She being a woman of prayer wanted to know what the nightmare was about so as to tackle the demons! Her son however replied that he dreamt his father became his teacher.She managed to give appropriate words of wisdom without laughing but you would certainly agree that that was not a case for prayer.

Just as the young child's request sounded funny,there are some times that we actually pray about something when we ought to be doing something about it.There are somethings prayer will not do and it will be irresponsible for us to expect it to.

One of the first things is that prayer will not offer an apology to people.It is alright to offer an apology to God in prayer but it is foolish to think that the place of prayer is where apology to our
fellow o men should be offered.Pride usually hinders us from apologizing wholeheartedly.It is an act of greatness to apologize genuinely without apportioning blame to others.

Another thing prayer will not do is it will not say hello to others.It is amazing how we can be praying for others and never even acknowledge them with a word of greeting for various reasons ranging from being in the spirit or too spiritual to be bothered about such carnal things in quote.Although Apostle Paul was a busy minister and prayed a lot in his Epistles, he always seemed to have time to extend greetings to others  and this leaves us in no doubt that when he was with them physically, he greeted them.Sometimes we could just be hiding under a cloak of maliciousness by saying we are praying about somebody/something and refuse to associate with them .People may never know how much we labor for them in prayer but might be able to appreciate our God better if his children are nice enough to just say hello.

Thirdly,prayer will not stop the process.Most things in life take time and the spectacular is usually the norm.Not matter how much we pray,a pregnancy will still take nine months.Being in a haste is not a sign of spiritual maturity or of our trust in God(Isaiah 28:16).God will not shortchange the process just because we prayed and the Bible rightly states that it is the steps of a good man that are ordered by the Lord (Psalms 37:23).Bishop T.D. Jakes in support  has rightly said "God does not order elevators".

It is true that we have been told to pray about everything but there are some things that prayer will not do.It may be that in addition to our prayer, we need to add an apology, be more friendly and actually say hello to someone.Prayer will not overthrow the process.So before we start to pray about anything,let us be sure to ask ourselves sincerely if our request   is for prayer alone,prayer and deeds  or not for prayer.

Yours in Him,
Grace Tom-Lawyer

A Look at Blindness 3:Blinded by Religion

In an era where suicide bombings and the activities of terrorist groups such as the Boko Haram are rampant, the killings of the cartoonists in their office by some Muslims in Paris two weeks ago still astonished many.These extremists  were furious at the portrayal of the Prophet Mohammed  by the cartoonists and decided to inflict punishments themselves.Fortunately even fellow Muslims have condemned their act and dissociated themselves from such inhumane behaviour. Nevertheless,it is important to realize that  these extremists may not have started out with murder in mind.Gradually and with increasing degree their intolerance for others built up  until murder became an option to support their cause.They are a modern day warning of the dangers of religious blindness.

This is what happened to the Apostle Paul, who did not start out killing Christians.Being a Pharisee he was so consumed with keeping the Law that when the Church started, he opposed it so vehemently.The first time we see him in Scriptures he is holding the coats of those who were stoning Stephen, the first martyr to death(Acts 7:58)  and he progressed from a supportive role(Acts 8:1), to a leadership role(Acts 8:3). In this later role, we find him  on his way to Damascus(Acts 9:1-3)having collected  letters  from the High priest so that he could arrest Christians there.Luckily a dramatic conversion  led to a change.

It is also possible that  as Christians we may become blinded by religion and  religious ways and thus refuse to change ineffective previous  patterns  or embrace novelty.Sometimes it may be our own preference or denominational  style of doing things that we have turned to a law and  a standard by which we  judge others.People who are not following our self imposed laws are then likely to be condemned with their reputation at stake.Sadly,it is not sin that is their offence.They have not just followed our own set of rules,feeding our egos while we are bereft of our blindness.

Religious convictions are so strong that sometimes in a bid to follow them,there is a tendency of being blinded.Paul had this problem with some of the churches(Romans 14:18-23 ,Colossians 2:16) and he used the Scriptures to convey the truth to them.Other spiritual disciplines such as prayer and being led by the Spirit are aides  to the recovery of sight from religious blindness.

Yours in Him,
Grace Tom-Lawyer

A Look at Blindness 2

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me.He has chosen me to tell good news to the poor.He has sent me to tell prisoners that they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again.He sent me to free those who have been treated badly".-Luke 4:18 ERV Easy to Read Version

"When there is no vision,the people get out of control ".Prov 28:19a CEB Common English Bible


One of the effects of the anointing is recovery of sight to the blind.The sight of the inner eye or the mind is more powerful than that of the physical eyes.The Spirit of the Lord is able to open the eyes of our minds also to see as God wants us to see.This sometimes comes through the ministry of the word(John 17:17,Romans 12:2,2 Corinthians 3:18)

Helen Keller  was  a famous lecturer ,political activist and author who became blind and deaf at the age of 19 months.She was once asked what was worse than being blind and her response was: "The only thing worse than being blind is to have eyes but no vision".How sad but how true that the presence of sight in  physical eyes alone does not automatically translate to sight of the mind; vision.

With vision comes  direction and a sense of purpose towards a goal.According to Proverbs 28:19,absence of vision causes people to get out of control.This means that vision brings boundaries of what we can  and cannot do thus allowing us to focus our energy on profitable activities.Fortunately,these days we have teachers in the church who  are gifted in the practicalities and there is better emphasis on the "how to do it". We are no longer just shouting and claiming it , rather we are now at a "see it, write it and work towards it"( 1Corinthians 15:10,Habakkuk 2:2).

Even the Bible encourages us to write the vision(Habakkuk 2:2) So if you have not written anything,now is the time to do so.If it is not written down, the chances of achieving it is slim.Also  writing  it down makes it easier to identify things that are not in line with it and we should never be afraid to say No to such things.The next step after writing down is to take practical steps towards it.Failure to do this only leads to deception(James 1:22).God blesses what we do(Psalms 1:3),not what we are planning to do.

Yours Sincerely,
Grace Tom-Lawyer