"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" (NLT) Romans 12:4-5

When believers gather in the name of Christ, we are not alone; we have great company both on the celestial and terrestrial level:

"No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel" (NLT) Hebrews 12:22-24.

This is an enviable privileged meeting in the assembly of celestial beings. Beloved, as ministers of the new covenant, we never walk alone (2 Corinthians 3:6). If we knew just a sliver of the spiritual and physical blessings we get from our fellowship as a spiritual family, we will never forsake the assembly of the saints (Hebrews 10:25). Yes, we will understand why the inspired writer said

"I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord" (NLT) Psalm 122:1

Godly fellowship from first principles - Sharing || More

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (NIV) 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Bible reading: Acts 4:19-20; 23

We live in a perilous world now. Paul cautioned Timothy about the last days and the need for all Christians to remain faithful to God regardless of the perils of this contemporary world. We must remain faithful to God because he is faithful to us; He is not leaving us weary. Hebrews 10:23 tells us to “Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful”.

Our faithfulness to God must not only be about what we stay out of, but also what we must do. When Peter and John were brought before the high priest, and elders, (Acts 4:19-20; 23) they made profound statements about their faithfulness to God. That also gives some practical steps to follow in order to be faithful to God.

1. They were in the sight of God (Acts 4:19) – in all situations, acknowledge you are in the sight of God. That way, you will be mindful of what you say or do.

2. They reasoned with their detractors (Acts 4:19) – do not let your detractors convince you. Challenge them with your faith in a respectful manner.

3. They declared what they do, that is, speaking the things they have seen and heard (Acts 4:20) – make clear what you stand for based on God’s word.

4. They joined their companions and reported to them (Acts 4:23) – share your story to faithful Christians who can encourage you.

Beloved, sometimes the detractors are not other people, they are ourselves, our desires and motives. In such instances, talk to yourself and pray for strength to stand for the right thing.

It is very important you find faithful friends in the Lord with whom you can share daily happenings which affect your faithfulness. Such people can give you the needed advice and encouragement to stand for the truth and right things all the time. Without such encouragement from fellow faithful Christians, Satan may have his way one day. In fact, Paul admonishes us to exhort one another so that no one is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12-13). This is why we should always try to be present at church meetings so that we can stir up love and good works among ourselves (Hebrews 10:24-25).

In conclusion, I would encourage us to always remember that as Christians, our faithfulness must at all times be to the Lord.

Faith-an essential ingredient in following Christ || More

“Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the net.” (NIV) Luke 5:5

Bible reading: Luke 5:1-11.

Simon Peter’s faith in a man he barely knew was so amazing. His first encounter with Jesus Christ was the very day he trusted Christ so much to honour what he was told to do. One day, Jesus was preaching to a crowd close to where Peter’s boat was. So Jesus got into Peter’s boat (there was no account of the fact that Jesus asked Peter’s permission before getting into the boat) and then asked him to push the boat a little off shore and Peter obliged. Then Jesus sat and preached to the crowd. As I read this first encounter Peter had with Christ, it was clear to me that Peter was one polite gentleman. How many of us will allow a total stranger into our boat without permission and then go ahead and push him a little off shore just because he asked as to? Well, this is not the focus of this devotion but worth thinking about.

Peter did not know Jesus Christ but trusted Him anyway. All he knew about Christ was a man who gathered the crowd and taught them. However, when this same man asked Peter to cast his net into deep water for a catch, Peter told him how hard he had worked and caught nothing but since He, Christ, says so, then he will. Am sure if we were in Peter’s shoes, we would brush aside Christ’s instructions because we would be thinking, “but this man is even not a fisherman so why must I listen to him?” But Peter listened to Him and he witnessed his first miracle with Christ!

For us, we know Christ and we are His followers but how many of us fully trust in Him? How many times have we doubted that He is capable of handling that problem we have? How many times have we gone ahead of Him to solve our problems in any way possible because we think He is delaying? How many times have we forgotten that He exists? How many times have we told ourselves that our challenge is impossible to overcome because we have worked at it with everything we have? Hebrews 11:6 tells us it is impossible to please God without faith and since following God requires pleasing Him, it is important our faith be as strong as that of Abraham, Abel, Enoch and Noah (Hebrews 11:1-12).

My prayer for us all is our faith be and remain as a solid rock in Christ Jesus-Amen! God bless you.

Commitment by challenge || More

"’Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us? "(NIV) Matthew 19:27

Humanity in the quest to achieve happiness and freedom from uncomfortable life situations has tried to use all physical means to achieve pleasure. Man will always pursue what it takes to attain happiness on earth. Mankind has been trying to bypass God to achieve our own desires.

God demands commitment from man to prove our loyalty to him because he created us for himself. Our greatest satisfaction can only come from a deep relationship with God. We are created to crave for our Creator, and anything less will not satisfy. Commitment demands wholesome and unconditional surrender of our whole being to the greatest King of the Universe, God. Commitment to God is more than verbal confession of our faith, it demands action. All the great people of God in history showed commitment to God by action. Abraham was one such example of people who demonstrated commitment to God.

Apostle Peter challenged Christ concerning what the Apostles benefits will be for committing themselves to him. The Apostles left everything to follow Christ. What are you willing to sacrifice to show your commitment to Christ? Can you challenge God on anything because you have committed something to him?

Don’t be deceived by the world that you can achieve your purpose in life by neglecting God or relegating him to the background. Commit your life to God in a special way than before and have the basis to challenge Christ for what you deserve. Challenge God today by your commitment.

Gird up the loins of your mind || More