Discoverying Caesar

Julius Caesar is arguably one of the greatest leaders that lead the Roman empire. His unique character and disposition endeared many to him. According to historians his rise to power in 60 B.C.E was characterised by increase in wealth, academic exploits and military might by reason of his alliance with Pompey.

Human ingenuity and growth is well documented across the various era and dispensations. But all these wonderful advancements does not preclude the fact that man is inherently deficient. These deficiencies are evident in his inability to maintain whatever little gain he has made. All of man’s achievements are eroded by wars and other man-precipitated events that brings sorrow, death, disease and devastation.

The Bible is full of stories detailing man depraved nature. It further goes on to reveal that man has an inherited nature which is within his make-up to bring about man’s final distruction. This inherited nature is theologically referred to as the Sin-Nature.

This nature is seminally present in males and passed on to their offsprings. This is explained by the Bible as follows 1 Tim 2:14 “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”

The above scripture posits that man (the male progeny) ignited sin and set sin in motion because man knew he was disobeying God. The woman did not. That’s why it is recorded as” the woman being deceived.”

The Sin-Nature has areas of strength, areas of weakness and finally Lust patterns. A Lust Pattern is activated based on your natural inclination and upbringing. Some are drawn to Legalism and others Antinominianism.

Those with antinomos Lust Patterns are free spirited individuals that do whatever comes to mind. They have no boundaries. They endulge in all kinds of social vices. As long as it sounds good, they do.

Legalists on the other hand were raised in strict homes. Everything must be done according to some laid down rules and regulations. To them 1+1=2. They are realists, they are rational in their approach to life.

Faith, God, and divine dealing with man is nonsense. Some find their way into the church and are legalistic Christians. Grace doesn’t make sense to them. Their Praying, Fasting, and relative righteousness is always radiant and pleasing in their eyes.

The Legalistic Christian is influenced by his academic status, and achievements. When things don’t go his way, he begins to question his faith and belittles others around him.

The Bible makes little sense to him as he advances in his academic exploits. He gradually drifts away from his faith without knowing it.

Matthew 24:12 (KJV) “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

Iniquity is not sin but that subtle gradual erosion of the very foundation that formed the believer. It is the unseen adulteration, compromise, and seed that the enemy sows in the life of the believer. With time the believer begins to question the very thing that he stood for.

The Legalistic believer has become enlightened. As in the book of Genesis, his eyes are now opened and he gradually forsakes his first love- Christ Jesus.

The Legalistic believer’s notorious stance against the divine, sacred and holy is replaced by World views and achievements. He comes the Caesar of our time. An Antiochus Epiphany.

Prosperity Test- Grace to Save the Erring Child

We have not been told the rationale behind King David’s desire to conduct a census in Israel ( 2 Samuel 24/1 Chronicles 21) but what we know is that that singular decision resulted in the death of seventy thousand people. We also know from scriptures that David’s associates expressed their dissatisfaction with the king’s decision but all their protests did not yield the required result.

Years before the advent of King David, a young lady by the name of Hannah had discovered that human strength or ability could not produce divine good and she uttered the words “by strength shall no man prevail” to push forth her submission that God doesn’t depend on human abilities to showcase his glory. This conclusion was not arrived at easily as the life of Hannah revealed that the bare essentials needed for the walk with God were humility and love.

King David, the man whose rise to fame was hinged on his unwavering trust in the God of Israel was now conducting a census to mentally assure himself of his military might and strength before the other nations. He had forgotten that some few years back, the nation Israel had a large force of fighting men but a single individual by the name of Goliath, had reduced them to nothing.

It’s easy to trust God when you have nothing, when your strength is gone, or when the odds are against you. It’s a different story when you are prosperous, in good health and everything is working well for you. 

Second Samuel chapter twenty-four paints a vivid picture of David, who is now a king and everything around him seems to be working perfectly. David was no longer in the wilderness tending his father’s few sheep, neither was he being pursued by King Saul nor was his life is a danger for him to fain madness. David was now the king of Israel and was feared by nations close and yonder. King David was in the perfect condition for prosperity testing. God wanted to know whether David’s faith in him had reduced because of his present prosperous state or not.

In First Chron 21:1 (KJV) the bible records “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” Some years ago, when Satan instigated the Philistine, Goliath, to defile the nation Israel, David went to God. The poor and wretched David went to God. Now, the rich and famous David decided to conduct a census to know his might. Prosperity testing is directed towards those who have achieved financial security, or some high level of economic liberty.

In 2 Sam 24:3 (KJV) “And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?” Even the admonishment from his General Joab to desist from embarking on such a venture was ignored. A person disoriented from the Grace of God becomes disillusioned and divorced from reality. The divine viewpoint of life which hitherto was his yardstick for his decisions now look awkward and politically inappropriate.

The king proceeded to conduct the census and immediately incurred the wrath of God. What others will do and go scot-free, you a child of God will be punished to bring you back on track. In Heb 12:6-8 (ISV) “6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he punishes every son he accepts.” 7 What you endure disciplines you: God is treating you as sons. Is there a son whom his father does not discipline? 8 Now if you are without any discipline, in which all sons share, then you are illegitimate and not God’s sons.”

King David’s prosperity testing and subsequent punishment brought him back to his father. Everything God does is towards a master plan and that plan led the King to discover the site for the building of God’s temple.

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Pass on the Torch of Faith to the Next Generation

Clarence Manion, the Dean of the Notre Dame Law school from 1941- 1952 was accosted by a gentleman who recognised him on a flight in the early 1950’s. The gentleman wanted to know the reason why society was going from bad to worse. The law professor sat down for sometime, smiled and handed the gentleman a slip of paper on which he had written these words:

Man begins his existence in bondage,

and rises from bondage through spiritual faith,

From spiritual faith to courage,

from courage to liberty,

from liberty to abundance,

from abundance to selfishness,

from selfishness to complacency,

from complacency to apathy,

from apathy to dependency,

from dependency back into bondage.

The above words describe the rise and fall of great empires, kingdoms, States and individuals. No one is immune to this gradual degradation. From the Judeo-Christian perspective, man is a spiritual being created after a heavenly facsimile. To maintain and retain that spiritual nature, man must consistently look into the law of liberty, which is the word of God; i.e the bible.

In every dispensation, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are called upon to take a stand against perceived evil and immorality. In Isaiah 59:19 (KJV) the bible says “…When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” Also in the book of Acts, the body of Christ was called on a number of times to take a stand against happenings they thought were contrary to the will of God. 

The bible is filled with records of the genealogy or generations of people who stood valiantly for the faith. Paul once made a connection between Timothy’s faith and that of his forebears Eunice and Lois. There’s also an admonishment that seeks to discourage believers from any unholy alliance with unbelievers. 

In Psalm 16:6 (ISV) it’s written “The boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places for me;  truly, I have a beautiful heritage.” Psalm 16 is a michtam of David. This psalm is of personal value to the writer and that’s the reason why it’s referred to as a Michtam. It is also referred to as a golden Psalm and the message therein should be engraved on the door post of our hearts. 

Psalm 16: 6b “…truly, I have a beautiful heritage.” The above scripture emphasises the importance of leaving a holy or godly heritage for our children and those close to us. As Christian parents it behooves on us to pass on the faith to the next Generation. 

2Ti 1:3-5 (ISV) “3 I constantly thank my God—whom I serve with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 recalling your tears and longing to see you so that I can be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first existed in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced that this faith also exists in you.

The apostle Paul says in verse 3b “as my ancestors did” and he goes on to tell Timothy to draw faith from his forebears’ repository. For there’re certain spiritual heights that can only be attained by continuous grace encounters. 

From Clarence Manion’s stages of degradation, a person should never take his spiritual faith for granted. Spiritual faith will produce courage, liberty and abundance. But in the realm of abundance, let humility draw is back to faith.

Picture credit online.

Faith Perception Vs Faith Application

There are so many believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who think because they’ve perceived something by faith then it means they’ve applied faith. There’s a huge difference between faith perception and faith application. There are different types of perception; 1. rational 2. Empiricism 3. Faith. 

Rational makes use of the cognitive domain. It’s purely about thinking, evaluating, calculating etc. to arrive at a conclusion. The nervous energy expended in this domain to arrive at a desired conclusion is credited solely to the person that engaged it. This perceptive mode is meritorious. The person is lauded, appreciated, and on some occasions awarded. 

Empiricism on the order hand is based on experience. It operates on the axiom “he who feels it, knows it.” There are those who use such experiences to advice others, especially their children. This perceptive mode is also meritorious. The person who went through the experience is credited as being knowledgeable.

Faith on the other hand is the only non meritorious mode of perception because the credit doesn’t go to the person expressing the faith but rather in the object or the person it’s directed towards. For example, when I make the statement “I believe in Jesus.” The merit goes to Jesus not me. 

Believing is only an act of affirmation. You can believe what your teacher said in the rational perceptive domain likewise you can believe what your grandmother said in the empirical mode. You can also believe what your pastor said about Jesus and it’s nothing but rational not faith. A perceptive action circulating around Jesus doesn’t make it faith. Whatever the pastor said is just making sense to your senses, i.e. mind. 

Faith doesn’t come by listening to some stories about Jesus. Faith only comes by building a doctrinal rational and coming to a doctrinal conclusion. What I mean is, faith is only activated when a believer connects a word of God to another word of God, gains understanding and finally comes to a conclusion fuelled by the word of God. That’s why the bible says “Faith cometh”. Faith is produced by “Faith rational”. 

The consistent listening to the word of God will create a reservoir of scriptures that will connect to each other one-day in time of need. I cannot sit here and say ” I have faith that one-day I will buy an aeroplane .” In as much add it’s a good start, I must have a bedrock of biblical doctrines in me to achieve that. It’s beyond I receive it. Shalom!

My name is Dickson Sedzi.

Picture credit online.

The Evening Sacrifice: No Temple No Sacrifice

Man holding arms up in praise against golden sunset

During the battle of Carchemish between the Egyptian army and the Babylonian army led by Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonians were able to overwhelm the Egyptian army with their advanced military might and tactical discipline.

The Egyptians realizing they could not match the might of the Babylonians began to retreat. The Egyptians had faster horses which aided in their escape, but the Babylonians pursued them until they realised it was impossible to catch up with them. The Babylonians were disappointed in their futile expedition and resolved they were not going back home without any spoils. 

It was at this moment they realised they were at a “Y” junction. The Egyptians with their fast horses had taken the right path and on the hill far away stood the nation of Israel on the left. The Babylonians not willing to go back home empty handed decided to consult their deities to know the next line of action to take. That is, whether they should continue in their pursuit of the Egyptian army or attack the Israelites.

In Ezekiel 21:21 (KJV), the whole account is beautifully captured, “For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.” 

The final decision arrived at was, the Babylonians should attack the nation of Israel. Let’s bare it in mind that the conquest against the people of Israel was not premeditated. The misunderstanding was between the Babylonians and the Egyptian army.

The attack on Israel resulted in the destruction of the temple built by King Solomon and the subsequent deportation of the Israelites to Babylon. The destruction of the temple resulted in the termination of a very important daily worship practice by the Israelites. That’s the morning sacrifice and the evening sacrifice.

The morning sacrifice began at nine o’clock and the evening sacrifice at three o ‘clock in the afternoon. But now that they were in captivity, they could not engage in these religious service. Psalm 137:1 (KJV) “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 

The Temple of Solomon was destroyed in 586 B.C. and rebuilt in 516 B.C. Then it was destroyed again in 70 A.D. by Titus and his troops. From 586B.C. to 516B.C. there was no temple worship, and from 70 A.D. to date, there has not been any worship in the temple. No Temple meant no sacrifice could be offered.

In Psalm 141: 2b (NIV) “May the lifting of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” This prophetic psalm of David envisioned a time in the life of the believer where the physical temple- planned and fabricated with human hands might must give way to the actual temple not built with the human hands (the body).

In 1 Corinthians 6:19 ” (New Living Translation) “Don’t You realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself. ” I will reiterate an earlier statement “No Temple -No Sacrifice” .

David’s declarations in Psalm 141:2 throws light on the importance of living a sanctified life. A life propelled towards the reflection of God’s integrity in the believer. David far away from the tabernacle or temple because of the threat on his life by King Saul, reached down into the crevices of his heart and pulled out the bible doctrines he had stored and created a bridge which connected a physical action to the production of a spiritual activity. That’s “the lifting of hands becoming the evening sacrifice”. David believed and knew that such an association was possible, for with God all things are possible. 

In 2 Kings 7, the bible records the faith march of four lepers who committed the future of their lives into the hands of the God of Israel. In this case, the physical bells on their legs produced a spiritual phenomenon heard by the people on the order side of faith as the approach of a mighty army.

Lift your hands, surrender completely to the God of your salvation, live an experimentally sanctified life and the evening sacrifice will show forth in your life with hordes of miracles. The Evening Sacrifice was performed at 3 p.m., Christ Jesus died at 3 p.m. Shalom! 

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CAIN, I DESIRE YOU!

God did everything possible in his omniscience to save Cain from erring to his own destruction. The energy dispensed in the creation of Cain cannot be allowed to dissipate without a fight. What kind of a father would God have been if he had left Cain alone in time of need? It was true that all the bible doctrine that Adam and Eve his parents had taught him was not assimilated and metabolized to be of benefit to Cain but God our heavenly father reached out.

The bible is filled with stories of individuals who in one way or the other vied from the path of righteousness but whose conduct had not reached the level where God himself would have pronounced curses upon those individuals. Cain, the first human to be incubated in the womb of a woman made that possible.

The Bible says in Proverbs 1.2-5 (KJV):

“To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

The presence of the word of God in the life of an individual nurtures, strengthens, corrects, directs, and chastises. It’s one thing growing up in an unbelieving family and something totally different in a bible believing family where doctrine is taught. The hope of these parents is that their children would grow up to hold as true and pure the words imparted.

Cain was raised by parents who had made mistakes unimaginable and whose wish was to transmit the bible doctrines learned face-to-face with God to their child.

Years ago, I believed the saddest story in the bible was the story of King Saul but after exposure to the life of Cain, I have re-evaluated that stance.

In Genesis 4.7 (AMP) “If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it.” 

The Hebrew word translated “sin” is the word “chata” and according to bible experts, the primary definition of “chata” is sin and its secondary definition is “sin bearer” or “sin offering”. Cain had over the years repudiated the word of God to the background. He like Esau did not place much value on the doctrine his parents taught him.

Proverbs 8.1-6 (KJV)

“Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?

                She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.

She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.

                Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.         

O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

                Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.”

God told Cain in his time of difficulty exactly what to do but because Cain had not developed a heart of understanding, he missed the divine communication.

Let’s look at Genesis 4.7 (KJV, italics mine) again:

“If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin bearer lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

The plain word from God was “if thou doest not well, the sin bearer (the Lord Jesus) is at the door”. Open the door of your heart to him.  In Revelations 3.20 (KJV) the bible records “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

God told him, if you would only believe in me, if you would only cast your cares on me, for it’s not unto him that willeth or unto him that runneth but its of God who shows mercy (Rom. 9.16).  Cain, did not open the door for the sin offering, our Lord Jesus.

Genesis 4.7b “And unto thee shall be his desire”. The Lord Jesus desires you. He wants you. In 2 Peter 3.9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

The sin bearer desired Cain but Cain did not open the door to allow him in. Because Cain, did not apply bible doctrine to his situation, the step he took was disastrous.

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NO METABOLISM BY OSMOSIS

The Greek language has contributed approximately eighty percent of the terminologies we find in medicine. Metabolism is a transliteration of the Greek work “metaboleus” which involves the chemical processes that occur within living organisms in order to maintain life. As a matter of fact, metabolism involves two distinct processes, that is, Anabolism and Catabolism. Anabolism involves the build up of complex molecules from small ones whereas catabolism involves the break down of large molecules into smaller ones.

The process of metabolism is so intricate that the organism plays no conscious part in its execution. The metabolism of air occurs with the inspiration of air through the nostrils, the trachea and terminates in the alveolar where oxygen is injected into the blood streams. With regards to food metabolism, food is ingested through the mouth, then through the oesophagus and finally into the stomach where gastric secretions are released to continue with the digestion process. The epiglottis acts as traffic system to ensure that food ingested does not enter the trachea or air inspired does not enter the oesophagus.

Both the metabolism of food and air are a grace function. What I mean by that is, man plays no part in the subsequent metabolic process which occurs within the body. It is a grace function because metabolism is not a preserve of the holy or the righteous. Adolf Hitler, Stalin, Bill Clinton, Mother Theresa etc all had the same metabolic processes occurring within their bodies.

On the other hand, in as much as metabolism is an involuntary chemical process, the ingesting of food is a conscious act. One cannot wish food into his or her stomach. The necessary steps must be taken to ensure the acquisition, preparation, and finally the consumption of the food.

In Jeremiah 15.16 (KJV) the bible records the following words “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts”.

The above scripture begins with the words “Thy words were found” which is the first step in the divine knowledge acquisition. It is very important to note that the conscious effort of a believer to acquire the word of God is paramount. One must decide to know God. In Matthew 7.8 (KJV) “…. he that seeketh, findeth…”.

In Matthew 13. 45-46 (KJV) “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” Premium must be placed on the acquisition of divine knowledge.

Proverbs 18.1 (KJV) “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.”

But the process goes beyond desiring. A person must seek diligently. Hebrews 11.6 (KJV) “…for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Jeremiah 15.16b (KJV) continues with the injunction “….and I did eat them”

This brings to the fore the importance of metabolism of the word of God. It is believed that only 25% of what is taught is retained by the learner, most of what is communicated is lost. Therefore, it is important for the student or learner to jot or write down what is been communicated.

The acquisition of the word of God is a function of the status of the believer. The believer cannot be in carnality to receive divine knowledge. The reason is simple “humility is the foundation of teachability”. You cannot be taught if you are proud. This is the very reason why the acquisition of divine knowledge is a function of the spiritual status of the believer. James 1.21 (KJV) “receive with meekness…”

The word of God preached is not different from any academic information a student receives from his lecturer in school. This word from the man of God has no spiritual significance to the hearer. No one grows to spiritual maturity by listening to a sermon.

The academic exposures we encounter whiles in school be it in the sciences, arts etc. are nothing but gnosis information. Gnosis is a Greek word which means “knowledge”. The rise of Gnosticism in the early Christian era was so great to the extent that Gnostics saw themselves on a higher pedestal than Christians.

The word of God coming to the believer is nothing but gnosis (academic) information. Through faith perception, gnosis knowledge is transformed into epignosis knowledge. Epignosis means “above knowledge”. Epignosis knowledge is superior simply because the believer internalizes what is been communicated through position volition. The hearer accepts the gnosis information and by his positive volition enables the Holy Spirit to transform the gnosis knowledge to epignosis knowledge through what is known as “pneumatika” (spiritual phenomenon).

James 1.22 (KJV) “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” The doer of the word is the believer who has enabled the Holy Spirit to ignite the “pneumatika” experience. You deceive yourself by thinking listening to a preacher communicate gnosis information is of benefit to you.

Jeremiah 15.16 (KJV) “Thy words were found, and I did eat them…” Eating the word is synonymous to the spiritual phenomenon (pneumatika). This is nothing but metabolism which you initiated by deciding to “eat”. The word of God attaches itself to you because you have allowed the Holy Spirit “to do” its work in your life. This is the very reason why it is recorded in James 1.21” … the engrafted word”. It is the engrafted word that can save or help or comfort you and not the spoken word from a preacher’s lips.

James 1.21 (KJV) “receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

In 1 Samuel 17.39 the bible records the words of David referring to the importance of having your own engrafted word, when he said he could not fight in another man’s armour. My experiences with God will be of no effect to you. There is nothing like metabolism by osmosis where a person transfers his or her experiences with God to another person in order to help or redeem the person from disaster.

“And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.”

Psalm 38.4 (KJV) “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Taste and see.

For more information on the Anabolism and Catabolism aspects of metabolism read my blog LET US EAT.

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Premature Death – The Integrity Of God Stands

On May Day 2019, death laid its icy hands on my elder brother. The journey from that very day to the day he was laid to rest in my hometown was a difficult one for me and my entire family. Death is a normal human experience but when it occurs, its blow is huge and the impact lasting.

In Ghana, the death of a young person is seen as a misfortune and most often attributed to evil super-naturalism. A month ago, I was at a funeral of a family friend who died at the age of forty-three, leaving behind four children whose ages were between one month – 12 years. The atmosphere at the funeral was that of sadness mixed with anger. A friend who I had not seen in years attributed the death of our mutual friend to “family gods”. According to him, something in the family was responsible for the unfortunate incident.

But why does the death of a young person generate such anger and awe, Is the death of a young person outside the plan of God? Is there any biblical basis to support the notion of death occurring without the knowledge or approval of God?

In Job Chapter two, there is an excellent biblical account of how Satan appeared before God to present his case against Job. According to the account, Satan could not hurt Job because of the protection God had put around his servant- Job. To test the veracity of Job’s faithfulness to God, Satan proposed a test in which he was to afflict Job. The test was approved, but a strong warning was issued- Satan was not to end the life of Job.

Job 2:4-6 (ISV) “Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! The man will give up everything that he owns in exchange for his health. However, stretch out your hand and strike his bones and flesh, and he’ll curse you to your face, won’t he?” Then the Lord told Satan, “Very well then, he is under your control. Just preserve his life.”

The above scripture details how Satan inquired before God when the Sons of God (Bene ha Elohim) gathered. The account makes us to know that God placed an injunction on Satan; the prohibition was clear, “preserve his life”. This scripture makes us to understand that Satan cannot take-away that which he has not provided. Human life was provided by God at the point of childbirth, and he alone could end it or permit it.

All life appears before God and only him could end it. The permissive will of God allows man to use his negative volition against him. The consequences of such negative volition would be reaped by the person who chartered that path. Romans 6.23 (KJV) “for the wages of sin is death”.

Matthew 10.29 (New Living Translation) “not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” Satan cannot end human life without God permitting it. A person’s negative volition would lead him or her on the trajectory of death. But not all deaths are as a result of negative volition.

In Mark 4.26-29 the bible records an account which has been captioned “Parable about a growing seed” in the International Standard Version of the Bible.

“He was also saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground. He sleeps and gets up night and day while the seeds sprout and grow, although he doesn’t know how the ground produces grain by itself—first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, he immediately starts cutting with his sickle because the harvest time has come.”

The above scripture paints a vivid picture of how a farmer- an expert in the field, sows a seed and after many days, goes to harvest his produce. The canvas on which this picture was painted was the omnipotence of God.

God, the farmer, the expert crop grower scatters seeds on the ground. Its only the farmer who knows the purpose for growing his seeds. The farmer harvests his crop depending on that very preordained purpose. The farmer who wants fresh corn for food would harvest that corn much earlier than the corn meant for flour. Its only the expert farmer who knows the exact time to harvest in both cases. A novice like myself, would get the timing wrong. I might harvest the corn for flour too early or the corn of roasting too late.

But when one is dealing with an omniscient God, who is the expert farmer, who scattered the seed for his preordained purpose, then we are assured that the timing would be perfect.

Mark 4.29 (KJV) “But when the grain is ripe, he immediately starts cutting with his sickle because the harvest time has come.”

When the time is ripe, God would draw his sickle and do the harvesting. No one vacates from this world without God knowing about it. And when that time comes, be rest assured that it was the right time.

Our only worry should be whether the person knew or accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Let us always be rest assured that God has a plan.

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Let Us Eat

I want to communicate a deep bible doctrine which is very pertinent to having a relaxed mental attitude towards the plan of God for your life. I would like to draw your attention to the declaration “do this in remembrance of me”. The Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist or the communion ritual; “eat and drink” to remember me.

To help me better explain things my attention was drawn to the book of Jeremiah, one must put in mind that that very book was written during a very trying period in the life of Israel as a nation. The Israelites would be taken into captivity soon, and Jeremiah was espousing bible doctrines that were supposed to build up his people but unfortunately, they missed the essence of what was been communicated.

In Jeremiah 15.16 (KJV) the bible records “When your words came, I ate them…”. The act of “eating” is so beautiful and so much loaded with both seen and unseen processes. It is said that food on the table does not nourish the body. It is when the food on the table is taken and eaten that the required nourishment is attained.

 

Why did Jeremiah use the word “ate”? I would have expected Jeremiah the writer of the above Holy Scriptures to use the word “believe”. My rendition of the above scriptures would have been “When your words came, I believed them…” and that would have made lots of sense. But what Jeremiah seeks to do here was to lay bare the mechanics behind the word “believe” and what analogy was best fit but the act of “eating”.

 

Digestion is said to begin in the mouth where saliva secreted from special glands begin to break down some food components. The digestion process involves what experts call metabolism. Metabolism involves chemical process that breakdown food molecules into forms the body could use.

 

Metabolism involves two distinct process; Anabolism and Catabolism. Anabolism or biosynthesis are chemical process that occur within the body to help construct new cells. These new cells are used in repair of worn-out body tissues. Catabolism on the other hand, are chemical processes that help breakdown cells. Anabolism and Catabolism are opposite chemical processes which are very essential for the proper functioning of any living organism.

 

Jeremiah 15.16 (Berean Study Bible) “Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and my heart’s delight. For I bear Your name, O LORD God of Hosts.” The word of God performs two distinct function in the life of the believer. The Anabolic function deals with building structures that enables the believer develop capacity to deal with the vicissitudes of life. The anabolic function enables the believer to grow spiritually from Spiritual baby through to Spiritual adulthood. This function equips the believer with the knowledge and wisdom needed here and in eternity.

 

The catabolic process on the other hand, breaks down any preconceived idea that is carried from ones cultural, academic, or religious background. The catabolic process is explained in 2 Corinthians 10.5 (Berean Study Bible) “We tear down arguments, and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

 

The above-mentioned metabolic processes are essential in helping the believer in his/her “believing” journey. Until, false beliefs are catabolized, new and better doctrines cannot be assimilated to build us.

 

Anytime we approach the communion table we must bear in mind our Lord’s admonition “do this in remembrance of me”. The regular study of the word of God, meditation on the word of God are essential in the journey that is set before us as we traverse the devil’s world. Come and let us eat!

 

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The Cosmic Believer

The cosmic believer is a believer a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ who by negative volition is under the dictates, influence of the devil. They are indistinguishable from the unbeliever from their modus operandi. In Romans 8.28 (KJV) “…all things work together for good…” This scripture is referring to the believer not the unbeliever or the cosmic believer. A true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is in love with God as a result of the reception, retention and recall of bible doctrine. To love God, one must first know God. A person cannot know God apart from the word of God. To know the word of God, one must be taught daily. It is through the daily in-take of the word of God that one comes to the appreciation of what God has done and as a result, love naturally exudes from the heart.

To fully comprehend who the cosmic believer is, we must go back to eternity past to understand how it was set in motion. The modus operandi of Satan before and after his fall is exactly what is used in determining the cosmic activity of the cosmic believer. Before the fall of Satan his behavior was that of rebellion towards the plan of God. After the fall, his behavior changed from rebellion to antagonism.

The cosmic believer is from the above divided into two stages; the cosmic one believer is rebellious to the word of God. The resultant effect of that rebellion is sin. Most believers sin because of the blatant disregard of the word of God. In Ephesians 4.30 (KJV) “and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption”. The cosmic believer by ignoring the word of God and going on negative volition is hereby being described as grieving the Holy Spirit.

The cosmic two believer is antagonism to the word of God. Most cosmic believers at this stage display constant hatred and antagonism to the word of God. The reason is simple; they have realized that the word of God will not or cannot succumb to their wiles and caprices. The word of God will not be altered to accommodate your wishes and shortcomings. The Justice of God will punish all disobedience because God is not a respecter of persons. In 1 Thessalonians 5.19 the cosmic two believer is admonished “quench not the Spirit”.

The presence of the Spirit of God is a restraining force against the influx of Satan and his horde of demons. The cosmic two believer is at the very edge of being demon influenced if he or his remains on that trajectory.

Habakkuk 2.1 (KJV) “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved”. The believer is always admonished to be on his or her guard to punish all disobedience. 2 Corinthians 10.6 (KJV), “And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

When Habakkuk retorted in the above scripture, he was telling believers to always be in a position to screen whatever belief they have from the standpoint of the word of God. Your arrogance will only expose you to greater harm and sadness. Whatever joy a cosmic believer has is pseudo and it will fade in the day of adversity.

The cosmic one and cosmic two believers can make amend and come back to the loving arms of God by simply confessing or naming their sins to God. God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness. Shalom!

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