Soυl oғ Iroɴ

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.

   I Thessalonians 4:11 

Devotion to God is not merely limited to your private prayers in the morning.  Devotion to God is faithfulness in every sphere of your life.  Every hour of every day your work is to be sincere–Colossians 2:23 says, "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."

God is there Monday morning in the office.  God is there at home as you take care of your children.

I write this in honour of my dear uncle, Stephen, who went to be with the Lord a week ago. He lived such a godly life that inspired many to be better Christians.

We have a great God whose love for us is beyond measure. As His dear children, how do we live? Do people who live around us see the reflection of His grace and love in us? Do people see kindness, gentleness and holiness in us? Do they see a faith so strong that even in times of rough weather you are immovable because of your faith in Christ? Does your life inspire them to follow Jesus?

Paul boldly wrote, ” You must follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1

How could he make such a statement? He knew that in hard times and always, Christ was foremost in his life and he lived such an impeccable life that glorified His Saviour and Lord.

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you." Isaiah 44:22

Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. He forgives all our sins and remembers them no more. God wants you to return to Him so that He can bless you.

The Father is waiting with outstretched arms. He wants to redeem you and make a covenant with you, through the blood of Jesus Christ. He will be your Father and you His beloved child. He will care for you like no earthly father can.

According to the standards of this world, you may have everything. It's no use. You haven't done what God wants you to do. You have gone in the way that seemed right to you; the end of it is destruction. If you return to Jesus today, He will refresh you.

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:13-14

All of us have experienced betrayal and backstabbing from friends or relatives who we thought were loyal and faithful.

David faced persecution and threat from King Saul, so much so, he had to run for his life. He hid himself in caves and had to live like an outlaw for a long time. How hopeless the situation felt! This must have been devastating for David since he had done nothing wrong to deserve such treatment. But David remained confident. He knew his God, that He would never fail him.

If you are in a similar situation, take heart! Wait for the Lord! Hold fast to His promises.

The Lord will keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life. Psalm 121:7

The world is one chaotic and dangerous place to live in. But when you are under the Lord's care, there can be no safer place than the shadow of His wings.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1) He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.( Psalm 91:4) If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. (V-9-10)

Weary from travelling, Jesus rests by a well when a woman from the nearby village arrives to draw water. Perceiving her spiritual condition, Jesus strikes a conversation with her. He says, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. John 4:13

Inside every human heart exists a God-induced craving—a spiritual thirst—that only Jesus can satisfy. Jesus Christ is the fountain of living water. He is the only one who can quench our thirsty souls. Anyone who believes in Christ, and receives His salvation, will never thirst again. They can avail of the inexhaustible supply of pure and “living water”.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

In these verses Jesus describes our function as God’s people. In one word it is influence. When we live according to God’s word, we will have a profound influence on the world we live in.

Luke 19:10“The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.”Jesus entered the world to save sinners. When we read the Gospel of Luke, we see Jesus reaching out to men and women, young and old, powerful and forgotten, demon possessed, and the sick. He came to save sinners and those who were lost. He came to save you and me.

Israel was involved in the worship of Baal, divination and even human sacrifices. God finally used the Babylonians to chastise and discipline His people by taking them into exile. (2 kings 25)

God is gracious and merciful, but He is also holy and just. This means that He had to confront sin, which destroys the people He loves. Unless He turns the hearts of His people from their wicked ways, they will not only harm themselves but also miss out on His wonderful plan for their lives. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He doesn't want any of His sheep to wander away and be devoured by the wolves.

To us a Son is given...and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”

(Isaiah 9:6)

What a wonderful truth to remember and cherish that Jesus Christ is God's ultimate gift to mankind. Oh the magnificence of what God has done!!! For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

When the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers,  to give you–a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,  houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant–then when you eat and are satisfied,  be careful that you do not forget the LORD.”

– Deuteronomy 6:4-12

.When the LORD fulfills His promises and blesses us we tend to become comfortable and forget the LORD.

The Word of God counsels us to:

“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.”

– Isaiah 55:6

The danger of not spending any time with the LORD is that the longer we do so, the less we will come to depend on Him. Consequently we will not call on Him because we have grown distant from Him

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

PSALM 95:6

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.

MATTHEW 2:2

The long awaited Christmas Eve is here at last. Everyone's busy with preparations for the great day, the frantic last minute shopping, setting up the gifts under the tree...so on and so forth. What is it we are celebrating? There is no doubt that the Baby whose birth we celebrate was no ordinary Child. He is the Son of God...but there is more. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

It is clear that when the Magi came to Jerusalem, they were seeking a king. Their gift of gold, indicated that they understood the one they would find was royalty. This year, let us remember to give Jesus a very special gift- our worship.

Oh come let us adore Him!

The coming of Christ to the world is the best news the world has ever heard.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). The city of David is Bethlehem. What happened in Bethlehem was nothing less than an astounding miracle, the birth of the Son of God-A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

We desperately need a Saviour, don’t we? When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to Joseph, he said, “Give Him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

That’s why Christ came—to be a Saviour for everyone who will turn to Him.

He is the Saviour, He is the Lord, and He is the Christ—the one sent from God. This is the heart of Christmas. God loved us enough to send His only begotten Son.

You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 The Lord encourages us to seek Him with all our heart and all our soul. If we do pursue Him with everything within us, He promises that we will find Him. But how often we give excuses, I am too busy, I have so much to do, I cannot wake up early…so on and so forth. Seeking God through prayer makes a profound difference in our lives. Through prayer, children of God have seen great victories, deliverances and healings and so much more.

Jesus looked at Simon and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Peter.” (which is translated, A Rock).

John 1:42

Look what confidence Jesus expressed when He saw this unschooled, ordinary fisherman!

Later, when Peter denied knowing his master, his best friend, Jesus never once mentioned his failure to him. Jesus never scolded Peter for denying Him.

Jesus gave him the task of feeding His sheep. Jesus gave Peter a second chance to mend his ways. The trust that Jesus had on Peter gave him something to live up to.

Are you being too harsh on someone who has failed you or hurt you. It could be your child or a sibling, a friend or a relative. Would you be gracious to them and give them a second chance to prove themselves. Think of how many chances Jesus has given you, though you failed Him time and time again.