He restores my soul

 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. 

Psalm 23: 1-3.

My soul.

My deepest feelings have happened here: Grief, sorrow, pain, shame and love.

I was 'acquainted with grief, and I know what it means for a heart to be broken.

It doesn't mean that it accidentally fell and got cracked and broken. In my case, it meant that it was intentionally smashed to a thousand pieces. It meant that the foundations for trust were demolished; it meant that my soul was crushed. I was still breathing, but I wasn't living... I was like a machine, doing what I was supposed to do. Doing without being. How could I be when there was no more me left?

We all know who to dial for a medical emergency. We know where to run to; we know how to respond. But what do you do when it's a soul emergency?

I had read that Psalm many times; I had memorised it. Now it was time for me to experience it by heart, literally.

That this good shepherd could reach depths that I didn't even know existed.

Depths that only HE knew existed because He created those depths, and he hovers over those depths.

His SPIRIT over my spirit, HIS breath over my fading breath, HIS heart over my faltering beat.

The gentle shepherd with the most tender caresses, the lover of my soul, kissed me with the kisses of his lips and brought me back to life.

Perhaps there is some truth to the 'Kiss of life' that fairy tales love so much.

My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flocks among the lilies. Songs Of  Solomon 2:16

Gently, slowly, he led me to my waterhole.

In the green pastures, he made me lay down. I lay down the heavy burden of my own mistakes and my regret.

He led me beside quiet waters where I wept bitter tears. I cried in, and I cried out. He listened.

He started to restore...

It didn't happen in one day or one month, and it took a while. 

He took his time, and I was where he wanted me- among the lilies.

He started to transform the way I thought about love. Everything I knew was misinformed, and everything I had learned was imbalanced.

Only He knows the truth about love because He is LOVE.

I learnt to forgive the other person, and most importantly, I learnt to forgive myself.

He started to heal me by the quiet waters, one day at a time, taking away my bitterness and filling it with pure love.

Taking away my ignorance and filling it with his light.

He didn't rush, and he didn't hurry. He took his time, one day at a time... until one day, I was ALIVE.

Digging wells: A true test of perseverance

In many parts of today's world, we turn on a tap and, voila! Water.

Thanks to technology and innovation, a lot of us don't have to worry about water. Can you imagine that thousands of years ago, digging a well was the only way to access water, especially if you didn't live close to a river!

Travel with me, if you will, to 4,000 years ago and let's join a patriarch living somewhere in the middle east in a part that wasn't his home. He has a family and servants and a flock of animals that all need water. He decides to settle in an area for a while and decides to dig a well. After much work, he and his servants find cool, refreshing water! The local villages quarrel with him over that well calling it theirs and force him to move away. He moves further away, settles and digs again. Again the villagers surrounding the area quarrel with him. He moves further away and digs again... he seems to have a knack for finding water. He finds water and this time no one disputes the well with him. He decides to settle there and build his family.

Even though this story happens thousand of years ago, there are still relevant lessons for today.

1. If you need something, you will always go after it until you find it. People define 'needs' and 'wants' differently and then place them on a scale of preference. WATER is a necessity. If you make your vision as crucial as water, you will always go digging for it.
2. There will always be opposition. No one is going to hand you your dream on a silver plate. No one. Ever. Don't be surprised when tests come, when nay-sayers come along when people talk at your back. It's all part of the vision building process.
3. You need to prove to yourself that your dream is worth fighting for. Are you going to stop digging the first time or the third time or will you go on until you dig up what you need?
4. You are going to keep moving until you get there. Do Not settle in the place that is less than the vision in your heart. Be prepared to be on the move: away from negative people, away from the place that is not 'that place'
5. There is room for you. Yes! I said it, and you should say it to yourself, "There is room for me".

Becoming clay

We all know what clay is... the soft mushy substance that is great for pottery and modelling.
Clay originates from natural rock, weathered over time until it becomes finely grained.
"Clay" caught my attention as i was learning about trust and i wanted to share that with you.
You see, the special property that makes clay very desirable to work with is its malleability. This makes it flexible, stretchable, able to be bent and formed without breaking.

A special verse in the bible tells us that God is our Father. We are the clay and He is the Potter. We all are formed by His hand. ( Isaiah 64:8)
Now, it's not that difficult to imagine GOD as the potter. He is in control of things, he directs our paths and our lives. I'd like to zone in on the other part that we don't always focus on: we are the clay. I am the clay.
This means that it is our responsibility to retain our ability to be malleable.
We have to allow the potter's hand to bend and stretch us as He pleases for His own intentions.
If you're like me, you're the kind of lump of clay that often jumps off the wheel and wants to run off because i don't particularly enjoy whats going on in the present.
The potter is working right now, in the present, shaping us into His masterpiece and if we trust his loving hands enough to stay on the wheel, we'll be pleasantly surprised when the masterpiece
is finished.

Are you restless enough?

The truly restless.

There’s a popular bible story about twin brothers Jacob and Esau.

Jacob is notoriously known for taking his brother’s birthright and Esau cried bitter tears because he couldn’t do anything about it…

Or could he?

You can read the whole saga in Genesis 27 (You should totally Check it out!)

Recently, I had a chat with my friend Abby about the ‘rat race’ that we are all in. She said she was beginning to get bored driving the same route to work every day, and we imagined doing the same thing for 30 years! Unbelievable. But yet, we do it. We all take the safe and comfortable route (myself included, which is why I started to really think about it)

This morning, I thought about the story in Genesis again, and I zoned in on verse 40. Isaac says to his son Esau “You shall serve your brother; and it shall come to pass, when you become restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck”

It gives me the picture of a powerful bull that’s chained to a pole. He’s strong enough to pull out that pole and run off, but he just doesn’t.

Many of us are like that; full of dreams and ambitions. We are passionate, talented, competent, creative, hardworking, eloquent, organized, morally pure, peace-loving, visionary, but most of us just spend our life like a hamster in a cage running around his wheel.

Earlier, I asked the question if Esau could do something about it.

It turns out that he could! And if he can, so can I.

SO, why am I thinking this way?

I’m getting restless.

Restless denotes unable to be still or quiet. However, restless can also mean not satisfied with your situation and wanting a change¹.

I am NOT satisfied with where I am and I am inquiring to now if I can do something about it.

What can I do?

“Break the yoke”, “shake off the yoke”.

What if the reason I’m still where I am because I don’t want to break the cycle?

What if I’ve grown so comfortable with it, I’m used to the routine and I really really don’t mind the rat race?

It’s up to me and no one else to break whatever chain is holding me back from living the life I live in my dreams.

It’s up to me to grow restless enough to shake off that limitation because, all the time I had the strength to do it. All along, I had the power to change my own destiny, to create my own reality.

Are you restless enough?

There’s a wonderful verse that says The whole of creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God.

When are you going to manifest?

There is no better moment than now.

So, what can I do?

1.      Find your identity, redefine yourself if you have to

I’ve written a short article on defining yourself. Truth is, we still forget who we are, because life keeps battering us into believing who we are not. Find your identity.

2.      Face your fear

What is holding you back? The victim mindset? Self-pity? Bitterness, anger or resentment? Insecurities. You can rise above all of this when you choose to forgive yourself and forgive the past enough to let it go.

If you feel insecure or incompetent, get as much training and help as you need. There are millions of resources online for free.

Develop yourself to rise above your shortfalls.

3.      Throw his yoke from off your neck

Choose to believe a different reality. Believe the reality of your dream and act it out. Live out your faith. If you believe that you can do it, go ahead and work towards it. Train yourself and don’t believe the lie anymore.

I love Maya Angelou’s poem “Still, I rise”

Believe that that his yoke is not strong enough to hold you down anymore, shake it off!

Are you restless enough?

¹https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/restless

Iron sharpens Iron

‘Iron by Iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend’ Proverbs 27: 17 (Youngs’ Literal Translation)

I especially like this translation of the verse because it gives a slightly different perspective on this verse.

First, 'Iron by Iron':

This tells me that the only element that is competent, adequate, sufficient enough to match Iron is Iron. It can only be sharpened by itself.

We are not of the world (John 17:14). We bear a different spirit, the spirit of God and He dwells in each of us that are born by Him.

Who are the people in your circle of trust?

Choose your company wisely and keep an eye out for whom you accept counsel from.

The second perspective is 'is sharpened':

The goal of the coming together of iron is to sharpen.

Matthew Henry* tells us in his commentary on the verse that when we come together, it should not be to slander, or banter or speak ill of each other but to improve each other.

To sharpen means many things. In this context, it refers to how we make ourselves more alert, wiser, more precise or more thorough.

As Iron by Iron is sharpened, this is how we are to sharpen the face of our friends.

When a believer has a conversation with you, do they leave with a sharpened face or ears tingling with gossip? Do they leave improved or ashamed because you have spoken without grace?

*Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Photocredit: thinkradiant.com

The GOD-kind (2)

"I have given you authority" Luke 10:19
The son of GOD came and gave us authority; the right to become sons of God (John 1:12).
And then, he left.
He left us here in this realm and ascended to the heavens. But he left his own spirit here "allos parakletos". The Holy Spirit.
His first disciples received this power to be witnesses with signs and wonders following. They started a revolution!
But this was well over 2,000 years ago.
Time has passed again, just as it did after the first Adam fell and we have forgotten who we are.
We live as mere mortals under all the elements of this world; toiling night and day and reaping no reward.
The world system has battered us into conforming; we have conformed again to the status quo. Mere mortals, servants, princes on foot, defeated.
Where is our salvation now?
Where is the Spirit that was given over 2,000 years ago? Does He still move on the earth?
John 14: 17 says "He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognise him. But you know him because he lives with you now and later will be in you." (New Living Translation)
We can infer then that He is still here! Dwelling in the ones who have received him; in the ones that know him.
He is alive and present. He has not abandoned us according to his promise "I will never leave or forsake you".
There is a reason Jesus Christ said that he would lead us into all truth: He will teach us the truth of who we are in him. Even though we have forgotten, He will remind us.
So, what now? For the ones who are beaten by life's challenges and hardships:
" Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way" Isaiah 35:3 (New International Version).
Fill yourself up with hope again!

Then, renew your mind with God's truth about your identity.
You have the responsibility to be transformed by renewing your mind (Romans 12:1,2) so you don't conform again to the identity that this world tries to conform you to.
To conform means to act in accordance with expectations; to behave in the manners of others especially as a result of social pressure (wiktionary.org)
You are NOT who this world says you are. You are WHO GOD says you are!
You have the right to BECOME the son of GOD.
Take it!
Life's hardships do not determine or change what I am. They may challenge my faith, they challenge my way of thinking, but they should not change who I know that I am.
I am a son of GOD.
I may be going through a tempest but I am still a child of God.
What do I do?
I decree a thing and it is established. I speak the word that my Father spoke to me:
"The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places and I have a godly heritage"
" I and the ones God has given me are for signs and wonders"
I believe, therefore I speak. I speak UNTIL I become.

The God-kind

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name..." John 1:12.
One of my favourite animated movies while growing up was Disney's the Lion King. I remember the scene where Mufasa appears to Simba in giant cumulonimbus clouds and says to him "remember who you are!"  (In his booming voice of course)
For a while, I had forgotten who I was.
Who I am (in essence) never changes; a lion will always be a lion and a 'man-cub' will always be a 'man-cub' even though he is raised by wolves or gorillas. It doesn't change what he is.
What it does change is his way of thinking. His own thoughts about himself. So, this 'man-cub' thinks like a wolf or a gorilla and, like Tarzan, bends his fingers in and walks on all fours even though he is able to stand up tall with his head high.
The 'man-cub' remains a gorilla until an encounter that changes his entire psyche: he meets another man who thinks like a man, who knows who he is and functions in that knowledge.
According to biblical history, we are sons of Adam, the first man ever created. Adam's father was God himself (Luke 3:38)
After the fall in the garden of Eden, Adam lost his deity and we all became mortals. All of us fell short of God's glory until we had an encounter.
In the new testament gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) we read about another son of God who was not created out of dust but born of a woman. The son of God came to us; he looked just like us but he was different. He was God! He spoke as God, he walked as God and he lived among us as God. He performed miracles all out of love. His name is Jesus, the Christ. He came to heal, to seek and save the lost race of the God-kind. Since the fall, we were lost and he came to find us. He opened our eyes to a new and a living way. He came to bridge the gap himself and restore us to God's glory. We truly are God's glory.
 

So, what are you about?

It's already the second month in the new year, reminding us how quickly time flies.
If you're like me and wanted to launch out on social media this year, you most probably would have been bombarded with trends from left, right, and centre leaving you dizzy with opinions and ideas.
So, what are you about?
If you haven't done so already, it's time to define yourself.
To 'define' is a verb (so, it's an action word) that means different things given different context. However, the meaning that particularly interests me is: 'To express the essential nature of something' (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/define).
First things first, YOU CANNOT BE WHO YOU ARE NOT.
That contradicts the very meaning of the word 'define'.
I know there are thousands of trends, especially over the internet, but you must take the time to find yourself. Find your own essential nature, your basic form- without environmental influences.
Spend time with yourself. Get to know yourself; your likes and dislikes, your passion, your voice.
Why do you want to be out there? what have you got to say? it doesn't matter if someone has said it before, you say it in your own voice.
You make it uniquely you.
So, what are you about?


 

“No man is an Island” – John Donne

As we work further into the new year, another important resource that we will need to achieve our goal is the right network.

The world is growing closer to a global village and our connections are key to our relevance and impact here. Who are you connected to right now? Now just virtually, but in the real business world.

We must have at least one mentor whom we aspire to be like and who we take time to study and learn from. Simultaneously, we should be building horizontal networks for mutual support to share information and ideas.

No matter how much we read, there is always that someone who has the little piece of information that we crucially need or has a very important connection that will be helpful to us. Make your networks purposeful this year; not only to take but also to give your time, ideas and expertise. If there are networks or relationships you had last year that did not get you anywhere, now is the time to consider reviewing those relationships. They are not worth investing your time in.

Surround yourself with like minds, with people who you admire, inspire you and vice versa.

Enjoy your journey into 2018!

Your greatest resource in 2018

As the year unfolds, we have made new resolutions or renewed old ones that we are very intent on keeping.

We are hopeful, we pray for strength but we mustn’t forget to take action.

The truth of the matter is, a huge responsibility lies with us to make this year different, to make this year count.

Why?

We have the greatest resource known to mankind, and it has been given to us to manage. That resource is TIME.

Take the time to LIVE

In 2018, we all have 365.25 days (no, it’s not a leap year😊), and 24 hours in a day. How we manage our time is entirely up to us because TIME has been given to us to control. Determine to be purposeful about managing your time.

I’m a working mum, and for me, this is a lot more demanding. I think to myself sometimes that all this purposeful living is hard work!

BUT, if you are NOT satisfied with where you are right now; if the person you dream you are in your head and the person you are right now are two different people, THEN you have work to do.

Not a job, but work to do. Your job should be about your life and not the other way round!

If you work in a very demanding job, remember to take the time to LIVE your own dream. Work hard to make that dream a reality this year.

The second resource that we all have is talent, and everyone has got at least one!

Talent is a marked natural ability or skill. You’d be surprised that whistling and finger-snapping actually take skill. There are loads of books that talk about talent and time management.

I especially love Rick Warrens ‘The purpose driven life’. Read and read a lot to guide your journey this year.

In conclusion, combining time and talent equals all sorts of possibilities! Just imagine what you could do, even with time alone.

This is your year, make it purposeful, make it count.

#yearofthebutterfly

The year of the cocoon?

I read a nice story about how the Chinese came about naming their years after certain animals. It was an interesting story, and I enjoyed reading about the significance of each animal for the Chinese.

I believe in naming special events, people, phenomena. A name is a unique identity, it indicates something, and gives it significance for you.

For me, 2017 was the year of the cocoon. I didn’t begin the year with that name, but for me, it was a year when I literally wanted to crawl inside and just stay hidden.

Why?

Life.

Sometimes life gives you some seriously hard knocks that make you question every single thing about yourself. If the knocks are hard enough, then you question your core values, your beliefs, and your faith.

We all know the butterfly life cycle.  It's also one of my class' favourite stories (The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle). The Caterpillar eats so much food and then builds a cocoon around himself. If he had a human brain, I imagine that in his mind he would have a conversation like this:

"There must be a purpose for my existence. It can't be just eating and crawling all over the ground.

What am I here for? Why am I in a cocoon?"

Questions are very important if they help you find out why. If they show you a purpose or at least lead you on to something.

Everyone is born with a purpose which is why by default we all have dreams.

As we grow up, we learn to conform to the status quo, life beats us into being 'normal' and gradually we stop dreaming. We 'mature' and stop believing the possibility of the impossible.

Imagine the caterpillar on the ground admiring all those birds flying around him in circles before he ducks to hide so they don't eat him.

Then all of a sudden, instinct takes him into a cocoon.

Life does that for all of us; brings us into a period of incubation where we are forced to really think about purpose, to conceive dreams and ideas, to find our identity and most importantly to metamorphose - to change.

This change is tricky - it happens either for the better or for worse.

Difficult challenges in life can make you bitter, resentful, cynical, distrusting or they can make you humble, grounded, full of faith and gratitude.

When it is time, he breaks out of his cocoon and emerges a beautiful, colourful butterfly that can do what he only dreamed about before - FLY!

In conclusion, let your dreams be your north star. They will guide you to your true purpose. Challenges happen to everyone. Everyone is going through one process of change or the other so there's no need to go around acting like you're the only person who may be having it hard. It's simply life's way of getting you back to the basics of discovering your purpose, re-discovering your dreams and finding out your strength.

So while last year was the year of the cocoon, I am so pleased that this year is the year of the butterfly.

I have had the opportunity to question my core values and I am so grateful to have answered those questions.

I hope you do the same as you go through your process.

Happy NEW YEAR!

August, 2016: Prayer from a fearful heart

Dear Abba,

I know I always come giving thanks. That is how I should come into your presence.

But this morning, I feel like you’ve let me down.  I feel like I waited for you and you did not come through. They say it’s darkest before dawn and it is really dark now Abba. I can’t see anything beyond the wind and waves all around me threatening to sink my boat. My boat. Are you in my boat Jesus? Then you’re probably fast asleep just like you were in the gospels with the disciples.

I remember reading the story and thinking to myself, ‘why would anyone doubt when they have Jesus in the boat?’  (Especially after watching him feed 5,000+ people). Well, now I know… You would ask me the same question. ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ (Mark 4:40)

Yes, I am afraid. My faith falters. I heard you speak, I know your promises but I took my eyes of you and I fixed it on the wind, on the waves, on the terrible storm of uncertainty… and I couldn’t see YOU anymore. It’s not that you weren’t there the whole time. I just didn’t SEE you. I want to SEE YOU.

How will I know I truly believe you if the word is not tested? The seed in me must be proven before it brings forth fruit for you. I heard you speak. Do I truly believe that you will NEVER forsake me, no matter what comes?

It is so hard Abba, and I am just looking for some hope, that mustard seed faith, just something, anything to hold on to. A drop of hope makes a difference in the sea of despair. I have prayed, I have hoped, I have confessed your promises, I have asked for a breakthrough but you are silent in my storm. I feel so insignificant, alone, poor.

I hear you gently ask me now Jesus to look closer, to SEE.

Alright, I will follow your gaze. I see… it’s a tiny flicker of light, but I see.

Now I see, that I am pressed on every side, but not crushed. I am tested but not forsaken ( 2 Corinthians 4: 8,9)…and I am not alone in this test of faith. No temptation is uncommon and you will provide with it a window of escape, you will never put more on me than I can bear. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

I SEE YOU. I feel your hope rise in me! It’s burning… it feels like… JOY!

Now I give thanks. You have not forgotten me Abba, You are with me. You are carrying me. Even to my old age you carry me. What blessed assurance.

Thank you Abba, for with you, I will get through this.

I lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help. All of my help comes from The LORD (Psalm 121).

Thank you that the fear in my heart did not stop me from coming to you. Thank you that you receive me despite the fear in my heart. You receive me, and you give me peace.

The storm is still here. But now, I see you. That’s what happens when I come to you. You refocus my eyes.

And now I hear you rebuke the wind and the waves “Peace! Be still”

I will be still and rest in your loving care for me.

Your favourite girl,

Maz.

MAN...KIND

When it comes to relationships, feelings and emotional stuff, men have always been less complicated than women.
A man is a man, no matter what colour you paint him - White, Black, Yellow, Brown ... even if you painted him purple,  he'd still be a man!
As a teenager, I remember girlish discussions about what type of men were more romantic or sensitive or committed, and we based it naively on colour. The truth is, a good man is a good man, irrespective of colour and the same goes for a not so good man.
I wonder what influenced our thinking then? What made us judge men by fickle things as colour when there are more important fundamental criteria such as personal values, beliefs, faith, family.
I like a man with the right values.
In light of the racial events happening in the west,  I wonder why we still judge people by colour... when we are all just men!
Is it the media?  Could it be stereotypes? Or is it just our own intimidation?

Momma's "Mufasa Moment"

If you're a fan of the Lion King, you'll definitely remember the very dramatic and life-changing part where Mufasa comes to Simba in his prime and says to him " REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!" ( I just love that James Earl Jones voice :) )
It was at that point where Simba really got carried away living a FUN life, but not a FULL life.
So what's momma's own moment?
Being a new mom, and fairly new wife,I'm at the point where I'm engrossed by everything about my hubby and baby... and I'm loving every moment of it.
Well, I was going over my older posts on Facebook today, like years ago... and i thought wow! Did I really write that! and why did I stop? and what happened to my mind! :)
Its really easy to get carried away by our new roles as women, wives, mothers... and somewhere in the busyness of it all we forget who we are as individuals, as persons. We forget that thing that made us uniquely who we are. I remember saying jokingly to my hubby that I was getting old! and it all makes sense now. I can't stop being ME... just me, not wife or mother, but just ME. And that is the FULL, FUN life.
Here's the catch though, we have to actually take out that time for ourselves... and that may mean longer hours :) But if we can give our quality time to every member of our family, we can give quality time to ourselves as well.
Don't forget the things that put the spring in your step or the sparkle in your eyes! Take some time off today to do them :)
Keep dreaming!

NOAH'S DAY ... XXXBC

I have had this picture from Ron DiCianni as my cover photo on Facebook for a while now... i think it speaks for itself.
I was only inspired to write about it this morning following the incredible events that have happened worldwide regarding homosexuality, Adultery and policymakers.
Yep! What was abominable to mention 20 years ago is now legal and of course there's a huge backlash, but sadly, it will get even worse.
I asked myself if we were silent and just let it happen? No, we weren't silent. But now, more than ever its time to start BEING about it, instead of just talking about it.
So, what does Noah's day have to do with it?
Noah's ark is a biblical story of how the earth was destroyed by a global flood with only 8 people surviving.
In this period, there was all the immorality that we see today, and worse actually.
The thing is, once a person decides to go down the path of self indulgence and casts off restraint, he can pretty much do the unimaginable... up until he self destructs. And that's what people did back in Noah's day.
The flood was judgement for how evil the world had become... now even though the flood was imminent, there was a way that was open for the ones who believed a flood was coming and wanted to escape it : THE ARK.
For over 100 years Noah built that gigantic ark along with his family. Imagine what everyone around him thought! I imagine they thought he was "hearing things", "crazy", "what could possibly happen to us?!" It was a bizarre concept. Strange... until the rain came.
Another story of judgement is the popular biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by fire. The catch in this story is the same as Noah's. There was a way of escape. How? Abram asked GOD if he would spare the city for 10 righteous men, and God said he would... but there was none, save Lot.
They continued life as usual until the fire came.
The story of Jesus' return and the rapture is almost like a cliche... but it is real. There is a judgement for the unrighteous but the righteous will be saved because there is a way of escape
"For God so loved the world that HE gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life".
In Matthew 24, Jesus gives a clear detailed account of the signs that will happen that point us towards the end of this age. What fascinates me is that he speaks truly and decidedly... like "take it or leave it". You choose.
People didn't listen to Noah's warning as he built the ark, they didn't change their ways but continued to go deeper in sin. Today, the message has gone forth to the world to change their ways and be saved from judgement because JESUS is coming back to take his own, His righteous ones.
We still have the choice today, like they did back then. Reconsider and repent or go on indulging in our selfih pleasures until one day, that day arrives.
The choice has always been ours... chooseLIFE

In Pilate's court

In Pilate’s court, an innocent man was condemned to die a torturous death. He had been given the 39 lashes already – a scourging with razor sharp whips that tore into his skin, and his head was adorned with a crown of thorns… he was starting to look like pulp; bloody pulp.

What was this man’s crime against his own people?

He called himself the Son of God.

He said he was the forgiveness of sins.

He said he was The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

Some people believed him, especially those who had been with Him, who had touched him, who he had healed and delivered. But those who didn’t believe him were more influential in the government of the people.

If he were the son of God, why didn’t he call down the host of heaven to slay his accusers!

He had said to his disciples earlier that this was the reason he came to the world; to give his life. No one could take his life from him, but he willingly gave it. “Greater love hath no man than this; that he would give his life for his friends”.

He was condemned to be crucified, and to Calvary he went to die for the sins of the whole world.

No other reason than love. Greater love.

On the cross he took our sins, being punished for the debt he did not owe. We owed in righteousness, he owed nothing for he was perfect. But he exchanged our sin for his righteousness on that cross where he died.

This is what he meant when he said he is The Way. There is no other route to perfection, to righteousness, and ultimately to God except though the sacrifice that he made on our behalf. We simply cannot be perfect enough, no matter how hard we try.

3 days after his death, he rose again! … Unbelievable?

The intriguing thing about this man was the boldness with which he spoke and the things which he spoke. For example, he had told his disciples earlier that he would go to the capital city and die and rise again. Who says that?

He called himself the son of the Almighty God. Who claims that?

He called himself the forgiveness of the world’s sins. Who takes that responsibility?

Nobody.

Just him.

His messages were simple but hard to believe because they were incredibly true! They pierced to the innermost being and shook your foundation. One writer said “These messages of Jesus Christ are for the will and the conscience, not for the head. If you dispute the sermon…with your head, you will blunt the appeal to your heart.”¹

That is why you must come to Jesus Christ as a child, not as an adult. You must listen with the heart and believe this man Jesus. Truth is it’s all or nothing at all.

Now, we know that when we believe Jesus, we receive eternal life and have found the way to The Father. What if we do not believe? What if we reject Jesus?

If we reject Jesus, we automatically accept another way. There are other ways, the way of Philosophy, legalism, doctrine, rituals and rites, idolatry, self-love and self-righteousness, pride, witchcraft, cultism, etc. but where do they lead to?

They are all our own efforts to be perfect or powerful or fulfilled. But let’s face it; in our own strength and mental capability, we can never be perfect enough for a Holy God. And if The Way (Jesus) leads to life, all other ways lead to death.

If we love our family and friends, we would want them on The Way and that’s why we tell them the good news: Reconciliation with God the Father because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Rejecting Jesus is not a good option.

His own words in John 3:16-21

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.   19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."   NIV

Only Jesus could say words like this with such boldness and certainty. This explains why he gave himself up to a tortuous death; that there would be a way for you and me to escape condemnation.

It all comes down to this question; will you believe in the Son of God?

Will you pray for others to believe if you believe already?

Rom 10:8-13

But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."   12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 

NIV

References

¹ Oswald Chambers (1963) My utmost for His highest; July 1 The inevitable penalty

Picture from Ron Dicianni