Zechariah doubts what the angel of the Lord tells him and because of this, he is struck mute until the time the prophesy comes true. Mary, on the other hand, asks how the prophesy will come to pass. Once the angel explains,  readily accepts the words of the angel and says “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be done to me according to your word”. Both the prophesies come true, but in the case of Zechariah, he remained mute until the circumcision of his foretold son.

The presence of the Lord is overwhelming, and troubling when unexpected. Zechariah had been praying for a child for a long time and the Lord showed up and answered him. Probably after waiting for a long time for an answer, Zechariah had given up hope and expectations, since the time line of his miracle had passed a long time ago. He probably had even stopped praying about it and accepted it as God’s will, as many are in the habit of doing. However, God shows up, and not subtly I might add. The angel tells Zecharia of his answered prayer, and the best he could come up with is “How can I be sure of this?…” An honest response for someone who has lost hope of the miracle. But this is not how we should receive God’s word…

Mary was dutifully minding her own business, planning for a wedding, when the angel of the Lord appears to her with startling splendour, addressing her with so much favour.  She was distressed. “What have I done to deserver this”, I presume could have been thought that crossed her mind. And how can I be pregnant since I have not been with any man is the question she asks the angel. Once the angel of the Lord explains how the Spirit of the Lord will come upon her, she instantly believes and accepts the will of the Lord, putting aside any fears and repercussions of the pregnancy on her wedding and social status.

Mary’s attitude is one that should be emulated. Accepting God’s word without a grain of salt. God’s word will never fail, and what he said he will do, he will do. The Bible is full of God’s promises and all we need to do is to read and accept the Word. We should not give up hope on what we have trusted in God and has not happened, neither should be put aside the word of the Lord for anything we think we should be doing or accomplishing. No. We should humbly accept God’s word, and let God have his way in our lives for therein lies the great reward.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This is a challenge that is not easy to adopt. Our hearts may believe it, but our minds know better. There is this constant struggle that often time will leave us more exhausted than when we first began. When we are trusting God for something, we know that God can deliver, but then we we always have plan B or plan C, not knowing whether God will actually do it.

I believe the reason for this struggle is that we have not taken time to really know who God is and to have the daily constant intimate relationship we have in him.  We only interact with God on Sunday and one or twice during the week instead of constantly being in communion with him. I know that many of the decisions I make in the workplace, at home, in my social clubs are hardly influenced by God, and there are very few times that I actually take a bullet for God. This disconnect therefore puts God as one of the ways to accomplish anything, not THE WAY.

Daily communion with God, therefore, is what will give us the boldness to have faith in God in all circumstances, no matter what the outcome. This is not better illustrated than the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel 3. These guys knew God and were lived a lifestyle of God. And they had the boldness to keep on serving God even at the threat of death in the fire. What is remarkable is that they knew God would deliver them from the fire, but their salvation was in God not in coming out of the fire, and therefore they also would keep serving God if they did not come out of the fire.

This kind of faith, unwaivering faith in God, should be every believers foundation. We should keep on praying, keep on reading the word of God and keep on keeping the commands of the Lord, and the faith shall grow, giving us the boldness and confidence to know that God Can.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue“. With the tongue we can proclaim blessings from the Lord, declare the promises of God and with it we are able to preach the good news of the Liberty found in the Lord Jesus to the ones in bondage. Indeed the tongue is a small part of the body, but with it lies the power to heal the broken hearted and give hope to the hopeless. With the tongue we can inspire confidence and influence peace among the nations. Its no wonder that politicians are able influnce multitudes not with works but with words full of promises.  A word spoken has the power to change attitudes and situations. This is immense power that has been accorded to this one part of our bodies.

Yet with the same tongue lies the power to destroy. With it we break relationships and tarnish characters, engaging in well intended gossip and misinformed character analysis. We instigate violence and hatred, disregarding the well being of our brethren. With sweet words we lie and cheat, ignoring the follies of our ways. We have placed a confidence in our tongues, knowing that are able to get away with anything, so long as we say the right things.

But the tongue is simply a tool for communication, spreading what lies deep in our hearts. If we are to control the tongue, we need a transformation of the heart. Jesus stated that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks“. It is not possible to use our will power to control what we say, but it is through the transforming power of knowing Jesus, and keeping his command that shall we be able to gourd the gateways of out hearts. The Spirit of God is Power! Power to pull down the strong holds of deception and malice in our hearts to planting fruits of love and peace and understanding.

Exercising our faith is therefore the only hope that we have at taming the tongue,by daily meditating on the Word of God. Then shall we be able to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth, approaching with confidence the throne room of Grace. Jesus came to the world to teach us the way, the only way, that transforms the heart, enabling us to communicate love and liberty.

Did I not place all my hope in God?  Did I not cast all my cares upon Him? Nay… my ambitions defined me, my trust lay in my strength, and my hope lay in my abilities. My future was far removed from God, and my salvation was to come from mammon. Vanity ruled my decisions and I forgot that God is my light and Salvation.

Yet the Lord has not forgotten me. I have not lost sleep even for a night in my distress. Yes, the Lord gives his beloved sleep. God never forgot me. God did not lead me to the path of destruction, but has given me a hope and a future.  I shall wait upon Him and He shall renew my strength. Weeping may endure for this night but rejoicing shall come in the morning.

My focus shall therefore shift. I will not be consumed in following the vanities of this life. I will focus on God, the author and finisher of my faith. He has created us in His own image, to love and serve him. My heart shall sing of His praises, for His promises are yea and Amen. I shall cease to lament of what I lack, and acknowledge what God has done for me, for His ways have been true. I will seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and everything else shall be added to me.

Praise be to God the father, creator of all things…

Praise be to Jesus, the Son of God, who died for me…

Praise be to the Spirit of God, my comforter and friend.

God has plans to proper us. But for us to enjoy this prosperity we have to shift focus form chasing after all the things that money can buy to seeking the kingdom of God, daily. Jesus taught us that the birds of the air do not constantly worry about what to eat, and drink or where to sleep, yet they are well taken care of. How much more then us, created in the image of God? Prosperity in God’s eyes does not only include financial freedom, but it is wholistic in nature. It means that you prosper in health and in relationships as well as the works of your hand. And more importantly that your soul prospers.

When we set our minds on the things of God, then God in his might and strength is able to ensure that we have a peace that will surpass all understanding. Yes we shall still be surrounded with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, deadlines will still need to be met and meetings attended. However, In the midst of all this, we shall have the strength to cope, and we shall be able to smile. We shall have a joy that can only come from the Father above, because that is what God does.

God gives you stability when you feel like the earth is moving around you. God give you calm when the storm is raging. God gives you comfort when sorrow overwhelms you. And God give you hope, when all is lost, when life has ceased having meaning, when our eyes can see nothing but destruction. With God we are secure.

The action by this group is questionable. Whereas it is well within everyones rights to believe what they believe regarding any religion, I think there is a place for common courtesy, especially when lives are at stake. I also know that we are in a spiritual battle that can never be won carnally.

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul cautions that we are not in battle with flesh and blood, but against rulers of the dark world. It is spiritual warfare and we cannot overcome with tactics of the world. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Paul also reminds us that we do not wage war as the world does, but the weapons of our warfare are divine, demolishing strongholds and every thought that sets itself against the Knowledge of God.

As Christians, we should rely on God to be effective in spreading the message of love and redemption, the message of hope that stems from obedience to the Word of the Lord and submission His commands. I believe that it is not our effort that will bring hearts back to Christ, but it is the message of love and repentance that we preach; and faith. Faith that the word of God is not null and void, but will accomplish all that it is meant to accomplish; to open peoples hearts to the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord is the power behind every message that is preached and it is the Spirit of God that enables the word of God to grow in peoples hearts.

Such radical actions are somewhat a testament that good old fashioned prayer and faith does not work. Yet this is what Christ called us to do to pray and spread the good news to the ends of the earth. Carnal means will win carnal battles, but can never be used to win Spiritual battles. Our enemy is deceptive, dragging the Christian into his territory of operation where the Christian is laid bare, not knowing where to go next. But we must be much more cunning and fight the good fight of faith, the fight of righteousness and truth.

God is mighty to save and in that we must believe.

God has called us to Fear Him and to be humble. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. Wisdom entails taking two steps back and calming down. Wisdom entails seeking the Lord in prayer for answers on what needs to be done. Wisdom is ensuring that the Lord’s name is glorified in every circumstance.

The Laws of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple. The word of the Lord has uplifted my spirits, and has reminded me that our hope is in God. Everything else that were are chasing will follow us if we take time out from ourselves and acknowledge that prosperity and happiness comes only when we wear humility and the fear of The Lord.

The Spirit of the Lord is our compass as we wade through the complexities of life. Only with this Spirit can we truly learn to fear God and can we display humility. In our own strength it is oftentimes difficult to get off the high horse, especially when we think we are right. However, the Spirit of God enables us know that pride will only lead us to destruction.

So let go and let God be the Lord of your life. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, fear Him, and He will lift you up

I am a Christian, and believe that God came to us in the form of a man, died on the cross and rose again in glory 3 days later. I believe Jesus is God. I believe that in Jesus we have life abundantly and liberty without limits. I believe that Jesus is the only Way, the Truth and the Life. I believe He is way to the Father, the mediator and the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. I beleive that Jesus is now enthroned as Lord of Lords and King of Kings

I believe in the Spirit of the Lord. I believe the Spirit is our comforter and Joy. I believe that the Spirit of the Lord is the source of all goodness and gentleness and love.

I believe that God the Father, the Son and Spirit are One God.

Why do I believe? Because I know  Him. I have a relationship based on fear and love. A two way relationship. I have seen the hand of God many times. I have seen with my own eyes the deliverance of the Lord. God has not been an absentee God in my life, but he has walked with me daily and I know that He is there and I have decided not to be the absentee one. I talk to God and he hears me. Without him life would be meaningless, without purpose, without direction. I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, how then can I turn away and live a life without God? It is impossible, having tasted of the goodness of the Lord to turn away from it.

God is the King of kings and Lord of lords, in whom I shall put all my trust!

Foresight, on the other hand, is quite of a blind spot in the grand scheme of things. If only we knew how things would turn out in then end, we would not spend time agonizing on what path to follow. We are constantly faced with decisions, oftentimes contrary to each other, yet both are somewhat what we have been hoping to pursue at one point or the other. It would be nice if the options would come at different times, better yet when they are needed, but there is almost always a collision in the agenda of our lives. So how does one decided which path to follow, without taking one and later wishing you had taken the other route?

This calls for a leap of faith; and TRUST.

“Trust in the Lord in all your ways, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct your path” (Prov 3:5-6). God assures us that He will direct out paths if we trust him in all our ways. We need to let go of all fears and control and let God move in our lives. God is not shortsighted as we are. He knows the beginning from the end. If we let God lead us in all that we do, He is faithful and just to give us what we need. Therein lies out comfort. We need to stop obsessing on what we cannot see and set our eyes on He who takes care of all our needs. At the crossroads of our lives, God has promised to come to our rescue.

One interesting character is Solomon, son of David and Bathsheba. God loved Solomon when he was born and he was destined to succeed David as King of Israel. Now Solomon was a young man full of wisdom before his years. When God appeared to him at night and asked what He can do for him, Solomon simply acknowledges the enormous task ahead of him and requests God for wisdom to rule the Israelites justly. God is amazed by this requests, He honors it and also blessed Solomon with untold riches and wisdom. Kings from all over the world would come to see who this wise king is.

Solomon then builds a majestic Temple for the Name of the Lord and another one for himself. When the temple is completed 7 years later and the Arc of the Covenant is there, Solomon dedicated the Temple to the Lord and says a very long prayer for his people, whose central theme was for God to forgive his people. Portions of it goes  “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin… and if they have a change … and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul .. hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you…” ( 1 Kings 8:46-51)

Solomon pleads severally to God to forgive his people when they sin, but turn away from sin and ask for repentance. He knows that definitely this is how the Israelites will behave; forgetting the decrees of God and doing their own thing. But Solomon just pleads that  God will constantly and repeatedly hear their cries of forgiveness.

This is the nature of man. Constantly forgetting the good ways of God and option to follow the hearts rebelling. This is also the case with Solomon. In all his wisdom and wealth from the Lord, he still did not follow the decrees of God; not to marry from the other nations and not to worship the other Gods.  Moses repeatedly warned Israel not to fraternize with the neighboring nations as they would make them turn away from God. Yet Solomon does that very thing and ends up worshiping foreign Gods. An this makes God angry, and he tears the Kingdom away from Solomon. (1 Kings 11)

It is simply human to stray, but this is no excuse. Consequences will follow. However, we also need to have a repentant heart. God is not so far away as not to hear our cry. He has made his dwelling place amongst us. He is reachable, and must not be forgettable.  In our weakness we need to return to God who covers a multitude of sin. The strength that we need to live life pleasing to the Lord is does not come from with us.

No amount of wisdom can shield us from overlooking what God requires from us. What is needed is obedience, a broken spirit and a contrite heart. These the Lord will not despise. His mercy and grace surrounds and is ready to deliver us from all our iniquities.