Month: June 2020

“Count it all joy…” James 1:2

Hello, I am happy to come your way again. Hope your weekend was good? All too soon, we will be drawing the curtains to the first half of the year. Honestly, this has gone quick!

What a year we have had so far, judging by the first six months. None of us ever imagined or scripted this! At the end of the day, six months have gone by and it is not in our power to alter the events of the day. Within your power is your response to it.

It leads me to talk on today’s subject- joy. An overwhelming majority are disappointed in 2020; with all its issues aside, none has topped the coronavirus yet which has kept the world under siege. Some are frighteningly not looking forward to the next half, because if the first was that bad, why look forward to the second half?

I want to start with these four words that can change our paradigm as we brace ourselves for the next six months, “count it all joy”. Before I talk about joy, let us look at what it is not.

1. It is not happiness- joy and happiness are on two different tangents. Not even close! Happiness depends on the happenings, mostly good ones around you to brighten your mood. Nobody in their right mind can be happy at this time, I mean, most of us. What is there to be happy about when the news headlines and the events of the day don’t call for that.

2. It is not cackling laughter- it doesn’t mean laughing out wild and crazy either. It is not really an emotional release. Laughing and falling on the floor with tears in your eyes is not joy. It can be the effect of joy, but it is not the nature of joy.

3. It is not pleasure in pain- in this current context of the world, people are in pain- the vast majority of the world. Being joyful is not being a sadist. It is very abnormal to rejoice in the pain and the discomfort of another.

So, what is joy? I want to define it from a biblical perspective. This verse was written in Greek, so the definition of joy in that language connotes three English words: a cheerful countenance, gladness and a calm delight.

i. It pictures one who is not down but has a positive spirit and attitude because of his cheerful countenance.

ii. A joyful person is one who doesn’t have a sullen mood because he refuses to allow the external circumstances of this world affect his disposition towards others. That is gladness. Some are lashing out in violent temper tantrums. It might be the first time one is expressing his mood in that fashion, because none of us have ever been in such a tough predicament.

iii. One who has a calm delight is optimistic about finding a solution to the problem. He sees a silver lining behind the cloud. People who are like that tend to treat problems as temporary than permanent. They take intelligent, well thought out decisions, knowing a decision in a temporal situation can alter their destinies for the rest of their lives.

That is the big picture of joy. How do we receive joy or become joyful? Let me quote this Bible passage.

“We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:11‬ ‭

Walk into the second half of the year with God’s power, that comes by prayer. It is through God’s power that we experience the infilling of joy. So I end on this note, enter into the second half, “counting it all joy”.

Thank you to all my readers who promote the blog. The traffic on this blog is nothing short of incredible! Thank you again!

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Till I come your way again…

Peace & Love

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”- Jesus Christ

This quote from Jesus Christ has been the foundation of our series. It can be found in Matthew 23:23 of the Bible. Over the past two weeks, we have touched on justice and mercy as weightier matters.

The background to this quote is an extract of Jesus teaching his disciples and multitudes gathered on the Pharisees. They were religious leaders of his day, who concerned themselves with religious duties, which were not wrong, but they were chided for neglecting other things which were heavier in his estimation.

Today, we look at the third attribute in faithfulness. There are three words I want you to picture when defining this: steadfastness, constancy and fidelity. When you sum up these three words, it is safe to say, a faithful person is a loyal person.

It is easier to say, we are faithful, but let us look at some hallmarks to ascertain that.

1. It shows in stewardship– a steward is one who manages another’s property. When something is not your own, how you handle it speaks volumes to your character. Faithfulness means if something is not mine, I treat it like mine and take care of it. Do we still borrow or lend out books? I remember, it was popular for a minute. Sometimes, one can borrow a brand new book from a friend, and when returned, it comes back torn, with food stains on the pages and virtually worn out. That is a faithfulness problem. It shows in little things. There are people who rent a car and return it in such a bad shape after only a week. Faithfulness demands responsible stewardship and proper accountability to the very minutest detail.

“And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?” Luke‬ ‭16:12‬ ‭

To move into ownership, starts with faithfulness. If you don’t have that character trait, you will be a steward the rest of your life. Nothing wrong with starting as a steward, but it should be a stepping stone to ownership. How we treat people’s possessions should matter to us from today.

2. You keep at it– you don’t take the easy way out when confronted with an unforeseen issue. Most projects on paper look nice; you map out how you will move from points A to B. But the reality on the ground doesn’t always reflect what is drawn on paper. There are many unforeseen battles, moments of despair, real tough times in between points A and B. If you can’t endure the contradiction in between the points, that is a faithfulness issue. Faithfulness breeds endurance. Endurance is an attitude from a character trait. So if you don’t have character (faithfulness), you can’t produce that attitude (endurance). Many try hard to fix their ‘endurance level’, instead of checking on their ‘character’ which will produce that attitude or virtue.

“We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God’s throne!” Hebrews‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭

Jesus is a good model of faithfulness. He was going to be nailed to a cross which will result in him being seated at God’s right side. I think watching Mel Gibson’s movie on The Passion will give us an idea on the torture and suffering, the pain and the shame he went through to go to the cross. Why did he have to endure such suffering? I remembered watching this movie (only once), it got so heavy on me that at a point, I had to leave and come back to watch it. I bought the DVD when it was released later, but it still has the wrapper on it (more than 15 years). Why didn’t he turn back? Was it because of the end result? Probably not, because sometimes the end result won’t encourage you enough when you are “going through it”. I believe it was more of his nature and character that drove him to endure that. He was faithful!

3. Relationships matter to them– they are loyal. They keep friendships. They put the interest of a relationship before their own needs. Maintaining a relationship is no child’s play. It will require you sacrificing your own selfish ambitions to make it work most of the time. How you treat relationships speaks to your character of faithfulness. I believe the highest level of relationship is a marital one. It will take faithfulness to stay married to one person until death. Providing is good but not enough, taking vacations together is good but not enough, going on dinner dates is also good but not enough. Activities spice up the union, but character is what will keep it going the long haul. There are many activities that will add flavor and zest to any kind of relationship, but it will boil down to character (faithfulness) which will stabilize the relationship for keeps.

As we have read these posts over the three weeks, may we be doers and not readers only. That is my prayer for you, fellow reader.

I wish you the very best of a blessed week. Please comment, like or share. Also subscribe to this blog if you haven’t.

Till I come your way again…

Peace & Love

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“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.”– Jesus Christ

Last week, we talked about the first weightier matter Jesus taught his disciples to consider. Today, let us look at the second one in mercy.

Mercy is generally seen as goodwill towards men, especially to those who are undeserving. In some quarters, it can be seen as compassion or kindness.

One of the best models to look up to when it comes to mercy is God.

1. God is described as rich in mercy

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,” Ephesians‬ ‭2:4‬ ‭

God has an abundant supply of mercy which He has shown towards us in love.

2. Mercy can be obtained from God

“Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭

The Bible implores us to come to God confidently, who is not only rich in mercy, but ready to give us mercy.

3. God is the source of mercy

“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.” 2 John‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭

It is one thing to be a giver of a thing, another to be owner and the source of that thing. God the father with his son, Jesus are the sources of mercy. To be kind and considerate, you have to go to the right source, which is God.

Now let us look at a picture of mercy from a bible story:

“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke‬ ‭10:25-37‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This story is about a wounded man, as a result of an attack by robbers. Two people passed by and didn’t care, but the third person who was an alien to a Jew, a Samaritan, attended to him, nursed his wounds, took him to the innkeeper and paid for his expenses. Not just that, but promised to pay off the remaining debt. You see from this story that mercy is compassionate; the man had pity and was willing to go the ‘extra mile’. It is not mercy if there is no ‘extra’. Jesus the story teller after his narration charged his audience to “go and do likewise”.

It is very tough, practically speaking, to be merciful. It can be inconvenient in a lot of ways, but it is possible to have the Christlike virtue of mercy.

How? Pray to God for heavenly wisdom. That is our master key to be full of mercy and rich in it as well.

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭

It is important to be just, yet also merciful. The two most times go hand in hand than against each other.

Please let me know what you also think on this? Will like to read your comments.

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Till I come your way again…

Peace & Love

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.”- Jesus Christ
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Hello, I hope you had a good weekend? Today, let us look at today’s subject on Justice. This word denotes fairness, rightness, non-partisan and a just cause.

The background of this story has to do with Jesus teaching his disciples and the multitudes about the hypocritical attitude of the Pharisees and scribes. They were religious leaders who taught the scriptures in the synagogue. Jesus actually commended them for tithing, which is dedicating a tenth of your possessions to the needs of the synagogue. Then he chided them for omitting weightier matters. In other words, giving in the temple is noble, but it is more important or heavier to focus on justice, mercy and faithfulness.

I want to look at the Bible’s depiction of justice from the book of Isaiah and deduce just a few points for our understanding.

1. The absence of justice brings oppression

“…He looked for justice, but behold, oppression…” Isaiah‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭

The Hebrew word for the meaning of oppression here is bloodshed. When fairness and equity isn’t the order of the day, you will see an oppressed society. An oppressor is a dangerous entity. He is one step away from murder- bloodshed. The oppressor bows down to justice. That is his Achilles’ heel.

2. The absence of justice promotes crook handedness

“…And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths…” Isaiah‬ ‭59:8‬ ‭

People who are crooked promote lawlessness. What is up is down; down, up! It is a society where bribery, corruption and partisan politics become the order of the day. Where crookedness reigns, is a lack of peace. Another definition of crooked is to distort or twist. Crookedness and lies are bedfellows. It is difficult to establish the truth in such a climate.

3. Justice promotes deliverance, safety and rightness

“Thus says the LORD: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come, And My righteousness to be revealed.” Isaiah‬ ‭56:1‬ ‭

The word salvation in this text means deliverance, safety. The word righteousness means rightness. Rightness denotes one who is upright and fair. Where justice is present, the captives and the oppressed experience deliverance. There is also safety and security; people are comfortable knowing the law works- not only on one side, but for all. Orderliness is promoted. Corruption is airtight in such a space. One of the enemies of a democratic society is nepotism. Everyone deserves to be treated rightly, equally and fairly.

So you may ask, how does justice become prevalent? Accepting a personal responsibility to be just and a corporate responsibility as well, like the government. That is why it is important to vote. Righteous leaders promote justice which will make it easier to operate your personal principles of justice. A citizen is not higher than the government of his country, so when there are two conflicting values, guess what? The government will win!

I pray today you have learnt something valuable that will stay with you.

I dedicate today’s post to victims of injustice suffering in whatever shape, sphere or form. It is very likely that in your lifetime on this earth, justice could be an illusion. But the God I serve is a God of Justice and will grant you your heart desire. Faint not!

“The Lord set up his throne to bring justice, and he will rule forever. He judges everyone on earth fairly. He judges all nations honestly. Many people are suffering— crushed by the weight of their troubles. But the Lord is a refuge for them, a safe place they can run to. Lord, those who know your name come to you for protection. And when they come, you do not leave them without help.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭9:7-10‬ ‭

I want to thank all my readers for promoting this blog. Last week’s topic brought traffic to the site which increased by 69% at the end of the week. Thanks again.

Please like, share, comment. Subscribe to this blog too if you haven’t.

Till I come your way again…

Peace & Love

I hope your week went well? On this side of town and to a global extent, the world has been protesting about police brutality in light of the unfair, brutal and racist killing of George Floyd.

I was shocked to see Germany undergoing a protest for this cause. Maybe after all, the world is indeed a global village. I think the pandemic awoken us to that reality.

The ugly head of racism seems to rear its head every now and then. Can it be eradicated completely? I don’t think so, but we can bring it to a minimal effect where it will have less notoriety and less power to harm the civics and the basic decency of human society.

I know one of the unhealthy ways to deal with racism is to promote colorblindness. That is so hypocritical and very unreal. The truth is, we are unique with different skin tones and melanins and different backgrounds. It has to be realized, recognized and appreciated. Our differences should complement each other, rather than driving a wedge between us.

Racism happens because of the conditioning of the human heart. The human heart in general is wicked, where every thought or evil imagination springs from. If you are reading thinking, “this can’t be me… virtually impossible”. You are the one I am talking to. We have to stop overestimating our goodness and morality, and accept the reality that our hearts can conceive such a thing. With that mindset, we will work hard on the condition of our hearts.

Let me leave you with this quote from the Bible to ponder on:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:9‬ ‭

So in Nelson Mandela’s quote, is a remedy to racism: the heart has to be taught how to love. The best tutor on love is God. We all need to surrender to God’s unconditional love and experience it. It is only from that vantage point, that we can effectively practice the God kind of love which will silence the voice of racism.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” ‭‭I John‬ ‭4:7-8‬ ‭

Racism is also a systemic problem. It has crawled into the high corridors of power like governmental positions, business positions and in law enforcement positions etc. I think when it comes to systems, there is none as strong as the government. So the root to this issue is to exercise your vote as a citizen. Let your vote speak in every election year. Be a voice and determine who occupy sensitive seats of power. It breaks my heart to see people not voting and exercising their right, and later they complain about the ills and misfortunes of society. In fact, they are part of the problem. When you cut the source of oxygen in the tank, the fish cease swimming. Never underestimate your vote!

Each and every person reading this should be a change agent and have zero tolerance for racism. When we stand as a united front and protest this vehemently, we will shake the core foundations of this very evil thing. Protests (peaceful ones) brings an awareness that there is a problem. It will sometimes aid in discussions with power brokers to effect change.

I am tired of seeing people, particularly black lives being racially profiled and murdered senselessly. It has a racist tone, and until we call it what it is, we will never get to the root of this issue.

This is my two cents for today on this topic, and hope to see justice served for all victims of racist attacks and murders.

I will keep on using my little platform to write on this and shed more light on this evil thing. You also have a platform, use it for the common good of society.

We say no more to racism!

We are fed up!

We will not relent in our fight until there is change!

Please share, like and subscribe to this blog if you haven’t. As usual, I look forward to reading your comments and feedback.

Till I come your way again…

Peace & Love