CORONAVIRUS AND CHRIST BY JOHN PIPER: COMMENTARIES AND INSIGHTS BY TSALLA EMMANUEL.

The famous Christian Hymn by Edward Mote goes "on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand". Really, all other grounds are sinking; the question everyone has to answer is “where do I stand?

The world is on a standstill, gripped with the fear of the unknown; most countries economy suffering a heavy shock; social, political and academic activities held back.  Many have died, many have lost faith and hope, many are shaking in faith, (and with so many who don’t even know faith), but one thing remains unshaken - The Solid Rock, which is Jesus Christ.

With all the chaos in the world what better foundation to stand on in such trying times – if not on Christ, the unshakeable and never sinking foundation.

Some weeks ago, as I bowed my heart in supplication to God, He took me on a voyage to His word. In the book of Isaiah, He says; 

 –“No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your glory.” Isaiah 60:19.

Light and illumination came out of the above-written words of God, and I came to the realization that the Lord is taking us (believers) on a journey where our peace would no longer rest on the systems of the world. Our hope and trust won't rest in the hands of scientists or governments to provide solutions to the darkness in our world but unto God would we look for light.

Fear, misery and gross darkness cover the earth but the Lord has a more reassuring word for us “even if the sun refuses to shine, even if the moon acts same, I the Lord will be your glory” what more assurance shall a man have when the Lord Himself is his glory.

-“See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you” Isaiah 60:2.

As I marvelled at the glorious reassurance of the Lord over us in times of trouble, I resolved in my heart that no other ground is assured of not sinking than Jesus and no other place can a man put his hope and trust than on Jesus Christ. While pondering on His words of hope and His glory over us even in the thickest of the darkness of the earth, I am reminded of the Israelites’ story in the wilderness – how the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way by day and by a pillar of fire to give them light by night (Exodus 13: 21). Oh! Such a marvellous and glorious sight of the protective hands of the Father over us even in our weakest moments – moments in the wilderness!

Here’s some light from John Piper’s book – Coronavirus and Christ:

In the best and worst of times, God’s words bring unshakable peace and joy. The sweetness of God’s word is not lost in this historic moment of bitter providence—not if we have learned the secret of “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:10).The secret of “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” is this: knowing that the same sovereignty that could stop the coronavirus, yet doesn’t, is the very sovereignty that sustains the soul in it. Indeed, more than sustains—sweetens. Sweetens with hope that God’s purposes are kind, even in death—for those who trust him.

Even in the face of the coronavirus. It comes with incomparable comfort: “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul” (Ps. 94:19). “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Ps. 34:18–19). No man can comfort our souls in this pandemic the way God can. His comfort is unshakable. It is the comfort of a great, high Rock in the stormy sea. It comes from his word, the Bible. John Piper.

What better fortress to hold unto, if not on the certainty that even in death God’s purposes are kind? Whether you live or die, the Lord will always be with you – on earth or in eternity.

Tons of people all over the world are expectant of a cure from the scientists and doctors; hoping for better measures to be taken by their government and their agents in fear of the virus being their end. Their peace has been taken away by the fear of the unknown, doubts, probabilities and uncertainties. Faith hanging upon their fears as the hope they have fades away. But why go through such torment and pain when God promises something better – certain, true and eternal. The promise of His peace to all whose trust is in Him. -“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3.

He tells us that His peace is different from what the world offers -“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid” John 14:27.

As we hope and pray for a breakthrough – for the healing for our lands. We must acknowledge that God is Lord over the pandemic and Lord beyond the pandemic. And for all whose trust is in Him, whether in life or in death, your peace is unshakable because your rock is unshakable. The assurance that your life on earth cannot be taken away until he says so is satisfying and comforting. It is on this comfort that you must dwell. Whether you live or die, there's a better promise of rest in God. Peace in the now and Peace in the hereafter.

This is absolutely the opposite for those whose dependence is not on God – those who live outside God and His promises. From the words of Ravi Zacharias “If you decide to live your life without God, you would spend the rest of your eternity exactly that way.” I would like to add that “the choice of spending life on earth with God ensures peace throughout your stay on earth and in eternity. This is different for those who spend their life without Him. For them, it is an endless pursuit of vanity on earth and an eternity of unrest."

Beloved, don’t miss out on God’s peace and rest – turn to God, rest on His rock and enjoy peace amidst the storms.

Another important theme in John Piper’s book (Coronavirus and Christ) is ‘The Sovereignty of God.’ The prolific writer addresses questions and doubts as to whether God is behind the coronavirus. He emphasis on the fact that God is sovereign and all of satan’s devices or works are subject to the infinite wisdom of God. God governs this bitter season we are in and it is on this base that we should rest on His rock with the assurance that He’s in control and that everything the enemy may plan for evil against us (believers), God has an ultimate plan that makes it for our good.

Like a friend of mine said, good days! bad days! He’s God in all days. He’s God of the famine and God of the feast.

Realizing that God is in control of everything and that the pandemic (and every other thing) is subject to His will, is essential for all believers while living through this bitter season.

-“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” Isaiah 46:9–10

“To be God is to cause his own counsel to stand—always. God does not just declare which future events will happen; he makes them happen. He speaks his word, and then he adds, “I am watching over my word to perform it” (Jer. 1:12).

The Apostle Paul sums it up: [He] works all things according to the counsel of his will. (Eph. 1:11) “All things.” Not some things. And “according to his will,” not according to wills or forces outside Himself. In other words, the sovereignty of God is all-encompassing and all-pervasive. He holds absolute sway over this world.

This is not a season for sentimental views of God. It is a bitter season. And God ordained it. God governs it. He will end it. No part of it is outside his sway. Life and death are in his hand. Job did not sin with his lips (Job 1:22) when he said: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (Job 1:21)

In the presence of God, no one has a right to life. Every breath we take is a gift of grace. Every heartbeat, undeserved. Life and death are finally in the hands of God. 

Even if Satan, on his divine leash, has a hand in our suffering and death, he is not ultimate. He cannot hurt us without God’s permission and limitation (Job 1:12; Luke 22:31; 2 Cor. 12:7). And in the end, it is right for us to say to Satan what Joseph said to his brothers who had sold him into slavery: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Gen. 50:20). Be careful not to water this down. It does not say, “God used it for good” or “God turned it for good.” It says, “God meant it for good.” They had an evil purpose. God had a good purpose. God didn’t start cleaning up halfway through this sinful affair. He had a purpose, a meaning, from the beginning. From the start, he meant it for good.

In Christ we are not his dispensable pawns. We are his valued children. “You are of more value than many sparrows.” This is the secret mentioned earlier: knowing that the same sovereignty that could stop the coronavirus, yet doesn’t, is the very sovereignty that sustains the soul in it. And not only sustains, but sees to it that everything, bitter and sweet, works together for our good—the good of those who love God and are called in Christ (Rom. 8:28–30).” John Piper: (From the Phenomenon book – Coronavirus and Christ).

We must understand that our God is capable of shaking both the heavens and the earth, but His promise remains to those who stand upon His unshakable rock (Christ). (Heb 12:26-28).

Removing the virus from the power or ordination of God is refuting that He's sovereign and that He’s control – that’s not true! God has proven countless times that everything – whether bad or good achieves His glory. John Piper in His book (Coronavirus and Christ) shares of some of the marvellous breakthroughs God has achieved in time passed through devastating seasons as this; such as the two plagues that struck the Roman Empire in AD 156 and 251. John Piper also evinces this by referring to various events in scriptures, one of which was when Stephen was martyred in Acts 7:60, that led to the persecution of the church and further resulted to the scattering of Christians throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1-4), all this happened fulfilling Jesus instructions in Acts 1:8 as the Christians who got scattered were able to spread God’s word to other parts of the world.

So even what the enemy plans as evil for the world – God has written it off already as good in an ultimate plan. Just as the devil thought killing Jesus was a victory to him, God planned it as our victory. So even in the face of the pandemic, God has a bigger and better plan that is meant for the good of His people. God is in control and in due time, He would heal the world - whether through a cure, vaccine, or complete taking away (in whatsoever manner He wills). He says: “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalms 62:10

As we pray and trust God to take this sickness away, we should also strive to understand what God is doing in this season. There is so much God wants us to learn in this season – through the pandemic, but in order to grasp even a little of this, we must look beyond our pains and momentary troubles and see the eternal glory that is being achieved. (1 Corinthians 4:17)

The coronavirus is a call for the world to seek God first, a call to return to God, and a call to trust in the Lord. It is a call to re-arrange our priorities and discover what matters most in life. To understand that life on earth is not all there is and that our time here is numbered (Oh! That we learn to number our days). There’s no more room for the excuse of busy schedules and long work hours as a reason for poor or rather no fellowship with God. The current standstill affords you ample time to reflect and enjoy an intimate relationship with God.

It is a period for you to draw closer to God and find out in greater details His plans and purposes for you. You must use this period to reflect on whether you’ve been on the right track and if you happen to depart from this earth today, can it be said of your life that it was a life well spent?

It is also a wake-up call and an alarm to be ready for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a call to repentance, a call for us all to align/re-align our lives to God’s will.

John Piper shares in one of his answers to "What God is doing through the coronavirus?"

 “The reason God exposes us to such losses is to rouse us to rely on Christ.

"We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." (2 Cor. 1:8–9)

The coronavirus calls us to make God the all-important, pervasive reality in our lives. Our lives depend on him more than they depend on breath. And sometimes God takes our breath in order to throw us onto himself.

The coronavirus pandemic is the experience of loss— from the smallest loss of convenience to the greatest loss of life. And if we know the secret of Paul’s joy, we may experience the loss as gain.” John Piper (Coronavirus and Christ)

OUR DUTY: REDEEMING THE TIME

As believers, while we are living in this season, we have certain responsibilities and duties, the sum of which is to “Let your light shine”.

“Arise, (you reading this!) Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you” Isaiah 60:1-2

You must have been wondering, what can I do in this season that would shine forth His light? It is very simple – Express God!

You might not be a doctor or a scientist looking for a cure in this season but you definitely have a part to play as healing comes to our world, and this is expressing the true nature of God –  love.

As we put our trust and faith in God, praying daily for the healing of the sick, praying for those at the forefront of the war against the virus and also praying for the world. Let us also remember to let His glory be seen in us and through us. How? Am sure that should be your next question! By sharing God’s word of peace, His love and salvation to all around you by all means possible.

There are grieving families who are in dire need of the comfort of His word; there are many in the world who can barely feed and as a result die not because of the virus but of hunger; there are those who have lost faith; there are those who don’t know that they can have something better in life (Christ and the peace that comes with being with Him); there are those seeking for love, hope, peace and joy. The sum of it all is “there is someone out there in need of what you can give!”

"We urge you, our friends, to warn the idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but at all times make it your aim to do good to one another and to all people. Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18

Why not extend a helping hand to as many as you can and give out to those in need? Why not share His word and show others that there’s peace for as many whose trust is in Him – the peace that surpasses life on earth? Why not share love - God's love? Beyond all these I have listed, there are tons of other ways you can express God’s love in this season and ensure His glory over you is being manifested. That all men shall see Him working through you in the darkness!

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven” Matthew 5:16.

By shining your light, you not only lighten the hearts and lives of many but you also reveal God to the world. God is love and if we are His children, then we are of love since we have love in us.

“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16. 

We give up our lives for our brothers and sisters by showing love to them. Remember, Love is a verb, it ought to be expressed! This dark world needs lightening, let us all shine our light so the world can glow of God's light!

The pandemic is a call to all, to come near to the redeemer and find rest from all the worries of this world. To enjoy divine peace! The kingdom of God is Righteousness, Peace and Joy and these traits are made manifest in the lives of all Kingdom Citizens. Peace can never be taken away from one who builds and abides on the rock, who stands firm upon the word of God – The Believer!

It is my prayer that this season of bitterness passes away and at the end of it all may God’s glory be revealed!

We join in John Piper’s Prayers!

"Father, at our best moments, by your grace, we are not sleeping in Gethsemane. We are awake and listening to your Son’s prayer. He knows, deep down, that he must suffer. But in his perfect humanity, he cries out, “If it is possible, let this cup pass.” In the same way, we sense, deep down, that this pandemic is appointed, in your wisdom, for good and necessary purposes. We too must suffer. Your Son was innocent. We are not. Yet with him in our less-than-perfect humanity, we too cry out, “If it is possible, let this cup pass.” Do quickly, O Lord, the painful, just, and merciful work you have resolved to do. Do not linger in judgment. Do not delay your compassion. Remember the poor, O Lord, according to your mercy. Do not forget the cry of the afflicted. Grant recovery. Grant a cure. Deliver us—your poor, helpless creatures—from these sorrows, we pray. But do not waste our misery and grief, O Lord. Purify your people from powerless preoccupation with barren materialism and Christless entertainment. Put our mouths out of taste with the bait of Satan. Cut from us the roots and remnant of pride and hate and unjust ways. Grant us capacities of outrage at our own belittling of your glory. Open the eyes of our hearts to see and savor the beauty of Christ. Incline our hearts to your word, your Son, and your way. Fill us with compassionate courage. And make a name for yourself in the way your people serve. Stretch forth your hand in great awakening for the sake of this perishing world. Let the terrible words of Revelation not be spoken over this generation: “Yet still they did not repent.” As you have stricken bodies, strike now the slumbering souls. Forbid that they would remain asleep in the darkness of pride and unbelief. In your great mercy, say to these bones, “Live!” And bring the hearts and lives of millions into alignment with the infinite worth of Jesus. In Jesus’s name, amen."

How I wish I could copy the whole texts of John Piper’s book – Coronavirus and Christ for you to read, it is a must-read for everyone in such trying time like this. The best I can do is to recommend that you all read and share it.

Anyone who wants a copy can contact me via my email address @ tsallaemmanuel.et@gmail.com

God bless and keep you!

Amen.

Author: Tsalla Emmanuel

Edited by: Bonet Sarah Chat

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CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE CALL

The first few days of November has been very depressing and burdensome to me. The cause of this depression might seem unbelievable to many but it is true! I have been beating myself up over "God's calling for my life"

This short piece is God's response to me and I pray it serves a similar purpose to you concerning questions and doubts you are having regarding God's call upon your life.

It is paramount for you to know, everyone's got a calling and there's no calling that's higher than another, however discovering God's call upon your life requires you to be in a relationship with Him.

Many times as Christians, we are faced with challenges that seems contrary to God's promise for our lives, our circumstances at that point does not in any way reflect God's calling. Just like Moses, God may have given you a burden to speak up for the rights of His people and it so happens that you're a stammerer, or like Gideon - you don't fit as the best option because you're timid, weak or small. Beloved, these challenges didn't hinder God then from fulfilling His will for their lives and it definitely won't hinder Him from doing the same in your life. While men saw a tender boy (who should have remained with the sheep) in David, God saw a victor - Goliath's downfall, while Joseph's brothers thought his calling was no more than a joke, God was preparing a man whose impact would not just be globally recognized but also eternal.

Beloved, everything may seem not to be working as you desire them to but God's way is not the same as that of man. He's got everything figured out! Hold on to your calling, don't lose sight of God.

The essence of Potiphar's wife temptation in the life of Joseph was to get him off his vision, for you, it may not be Potiphar's wife or speech impairment or timidity, it could be finances or even family, it could be anything even but here's what God has to say "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." Rom 8:28. 

Sometimes you need to get burnt to be able to understand the workings of the fire. God allows us to go through certain phases to be able to help others passing through similar struggles or challenges later on, He wants your life to serve as an inspiration to others, to give hope where it seems like there's no light at the end of the tunnel.

Beloved, put your hands on the plough and don't look back, God is able!
Psalms 55:22 "Cast your burden on Yahweh and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved." Amplified Bible

God bless you!

Tsalla Emmanuel

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FAITH IN THE STORMS

A few weeks ago, Jenny attempted suicide! My friend, Jennifer Idris, a recent convert to the Christian faith tried to take her own life. When I was told of this ill development, I was really shaken and lost in thoughts. Jenny was a lady who came to realize the love of God for her and had accepted the only path to God – Jesus, as Lord over her life.

It has just been three years now since her conversion and I had come to know Jenny as one filled with so much joy and passion over her just recently founded faith and walk in her new path, she had great desires to know God more and actually did seek for more of Him. This led to the reason why I couldn’t comprehend her attempted suicide, so I decided to pay her a visit and get to find out the true state of affairs.

When Jenny saw me standing at her courtyard, she quickly ran towards me and hugged me, truly it had been a while. We sat together for over six (6) hours while she narrated with tears what I’d prefer to call her ‘Night phase’. Jenny had lost her job, house, only child and husband in just a year, within that same year, she survived a fatal accident that resulted in the loss of her right eye. I was moved to tears when I heard her disheartening episodes, how could just one person go through all this in a year! But, Jenny did! You’d agree that the thought of committing suicide couldn’t be mind-boggling after such a series of mischief.

Hearing her speak with despair, I was fizzled out by her words and became short of mine. I started off by saying “It is well”. As if to make ridicule of my religious statement, she sighed! I could sense the derision in her voice, she was probably tired of hearing such statements and consolation intro. I didn’t stop there however, this was my further response to her;

“We stand the test of God’s love when we are still able to see Him and His plans even in our times of trouble, many have lost sight of God in the midst of pain because they expected an all rosy life with Him, and so, their love for Him failed when trials came.”

Just like Jenny, we sometimes find ourselves in such situations where we begin to doubt our calling because our circumstances don’t seem to fit our calling, we lose FAITH at the sight of the storms. When the wave gets too tough for us, we forget the words of God and lose sight of Him totally, the pain overwhelms us and all we see is ourselves and our pains. Amazingly, that wasn’t God’s plan for Jenny, the negative confessions and the easy road out of the storm that requires you leaving God’s hand isn’t His desire for you either.

God wants you to “consider it pure joy whenever you face trials”, He wants you to understand that the storms are meant to test your faith and the result of the storm is worth the storm. James 1:2-3 tells us that the storm produces perseverance, maturity, makes you complete and takes away lack. God wants you to enjoy the testimonies that are birthed from the tests. The focus isn’t the trials, rather, it is the result of it.  How I love the way 2 cor 4:17 calls it, it calls it ‘momentary troubles’.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all”

I tried to imagine how depressed and frustrated Tyler Perry must have been when all hope seemed lost. Mr Tyler had to change his name from Emmitt Perry Jr. to disassociate himself from his abusive father, he grew up in poverty and did not complete high school, he drifted from job to job for several years, and he recorded lots of commercial failures when he started his career as a producer and performer. His works and productions have been heavily criticized but something kept Tyler moving and that was faith. Tyler never gave up on his dreams or his calling, he kept pushing and today he is one of the most commercially successful African American filmmakers in history. Tyler Perry Studios is the first major film studio in the nation to be owned by an African American.

Tyler’s story serves as an inspiration to us all. His recorded success is well appreciated because it was birthed out of diverse storms he had to face. You won’t carry the cross for very long, it is momentary and it is worth carrying because of the crown that comes after it, we count it all joy!

“You have put us to the test, God; as silver is purified by fire so you have tested us. You let us fall into a trap and placed heavy burdens on our backs. You let our enemies trample over us; we went through fire and flood, but now you have brought us to a place of safety.”

Psalms 66:10-12.

Jenny, a fiction, however, depicts the life and storms many believers face, it was similar for Job, Joseph, the Israelites and even for me. While the devil thought the victory was his, God had a better plan all along, and that is to get His perfect image out of His beloved. You are God’s silver, allow Him to take you THROUGH the fire, you won’t remain there, it is just a process to get you to your wealthy place. Hang in there, don’t lose faith, trust God! I tell you, the glory outweighs the process!

Let us pray

Father, we say thank you for today, thank you for yet another digest of your words and for opening our eyes to this truth, we’ve come to realize that though the trials and troubles we face are tough, your plans for us outweighs it. Forgive us for doubting you in our past storms and give us the strength to continue the race, to never lose sight of you in the storms. Thank you Lord for hearing us, we ask this in faith through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless you! Amen.

Tsalla Emmanuel

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GOD SPEAKS

(John 16:13, Romans 8:14,16, Psalms 85:8,  Amos 3:7, Acts 18:5, Num 12:6)

“But when he, the spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13 NIV.

When one talks about hearing God or being inspired or led by the spirit of God to do or say certain things, some people seem to react weird or feel uncomfortable because they’ve never had such experience or encounter before.

We are in perilous times, where this subject has brought lots of controversies and disbelief. I was speaking with a friend and I shared with her some things God told me, she was taken aback and her response amused me. She told me, she couldn’t relate, and that it seems God doesn’t speak to her or maybe she doesn’t hear or know when He does speak. That’s the state many of us are in, we find it hard to believe that God speaks or God still speaks to His children. As a matter of fact, being led by God is what authenticates your sonship as a child of God. Being a Christian entails walking God’s path for your life, being directed by God.

The place of real fellowship with God is changing into a pool of activities, some churches end up running activities and teaching her congregation same, thus, some people no longer encounter God as He is but lives on the words of other believers.

It is becoming common to hear some preachers say ‘God is here’ meanwhile the congregation has not been led to seeing this God neither have they been shown how to access Him. It is because of these vexatious happenings that some ‘Christians’ find it hard to enjoy personal fellowship with God, thus, leading to the difficulty or disbelief in the fact that God actually speaks.

As a young man, my first supernatural experience that left a mark in my pursuit of God was when He spoke to me through a trance. That was some years ago, I just left a corporate prayer, where I interceded for direction from God, seeking to know His will for the people He had chosen me to lead.

I laid on my bed, alone in my room and was slowly dozing off to sleep, and then I realized I was caught up in two different dimensions. I felt I was asleep and at the same time awake, right before me was someone with a very bright banner and on it was shown souls with hands lifted high to God with an inscription on the banner saying PRAISE. Immediately, I snapped out of it and then realized God was telling His people to praise Him. Still, in that week, God confirmed His word when another of His servant shared to the church that God was seeking praise from His church.

Aside from this experience, I’ve been privileged to hear from God through other various means which have truly expounded my understanding and knowledge that God is limitless.

Have you ever thought about prayer as a time you get to relate with God, to talk to Him and hear Him talk and not just going to His presence to make noise and then return back to your routines? You should not see prayers as an activity but as an interaction, we should be deliberate and sincere in our prayers. Communication is a two-way thing, we commune with a living God when we pray, a God that listens and speaks. When you go to God, you’re meant to find peace. What some people do is synonymous to appearing before a King, echoing the normal praises and greetings, then they begin to shout and scream one request to another, after which they don’t wait to hear or listen to what he has to say but walk out immediately they’re done screaming.

When Jesus tells us in Matt 11:28, to come to Him, those who labour and are heavy laden and He will give us rest, He wasn’t telling us to come scream and leave, He was telling us to come and dwell. It’s in the dwelling that we’re refreshed, it’s in His presence we’re reassured. We get the solutions to our problems when we go to Him. The rest is a product of His presence, and His presence can only be made manifest when the heart truly seeks Him (Isaiah 29:13).

God wants a genuine relationship with man, His desire is to have real fellowship with you, not one predicated on or restricted to an activity that isn’t deliberate. He wants not just your words but also your heart. Understanding and faith are gotten and built when our ears are opened to listen and our hearts willing to receive from God.

The voice of God never went mute, it is you who stopped listening (Psalms 85:8, Romans 8:14,16, Amos 3:7, Acts 18:5, Num 12:6). God does speaks, and there are diverse means in which He communes with His Children.

Prior to the coming of Jesus, the prophets were the conduit pipe God used in communicating with man. Fortunately, Christ restored the relationship between man and God and therefore making it possible and easy to hear the voice of God and receive direction (Heb 1:1-2, Heb 10:19-20, John 14:6).

Before Jesus left, he made a promise of the comforter, the Holy Spirit  (John 14:15-18). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God that is in every child of God, also referred to as the Spirit of truth that gives you guidance in life. The leading of God in your life is what confirms you as His Child, and the Holy Spirit (still the spirit of adoption) is the means in which He leads His Children (Romans 8:14-16).

Without the Spirit of God, we are like horses or donkeys which lack understanding and must be forced to do the will of their owner. Well, God isn’t interested in slaves, He can’t force you to have a relationship with you, He can’t direct you if your heart is not open to Him. You must be deliberate in seeking Him and walking His path.

Psalms 32:8-9 tells us “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.”

God is ever willing to walk with you and direct your path. The question is, are you are ready and willing to listen to Him, to be directed by Him?

There are numerous ways God speaks to His children and some of them are:

Inner Perception: This is the primary and the most basic way in which the Holy Spirit may lead most people most of the time. It is an internal witness, a supernatural knowing and understanding. In 1 Samuel 3:8, Eli did not hear the voice of God when God was calling Samuel, however, he perceived that it was the Lord who called Samuel. To perceive is to become aware of something by a supernatural understanding. Jesus at the course of His ministry on earth, perceived at so many times the state of the people’s heart and their comprehension of His teachings (Matt 16:6-8). Some Christians get led through this means but fail to realize it is a divine direction. For example, you hear people tell you after an examination that it was the specific place they read that came out. Ordinarily, they shouldn’t have known where the examiner would decide to examine them from, but the Spirit of God was able to guide them accordingly.

Inner Voice: This is divine communication by the voice of the spirit. (We most times refer to it as ‘still small voice’).  Peter was directed by the inner voice in Acts 10:19, when the Spirit ministered unto him, informing him of three men who sought him. Sometimes while engaged in deep thoughts, a voice so soft and calm might be heard. This voice guides us and teaches us the will of God, provides answers to questions and direct our paths. Due to the subtleness of the voice, people do miss it at-times or misconceive it for their thoughts. (Isaiah 30:21, Kings 19:11-12, Rev 2:7,17 and 29). I was studying the scriptures one evening, specifically Ephesians 3, when I heard the voice of the spirit telling me Jesus Christ is the reflection of the greatness of God. For you to hear the inner voice, your spiritual ear must be alert. The gauge to test the genuineness of the voice heard is the word of God. It must never contravene God’s word.

Audible Voice of God: In this situation, you hear a voice that appears so loud that it even seems to you that it was heard by the physical ear. However, it can be spiritual to the spiritual ears. It can also be physical to the physical ears but people won’t hear the content and it can also come in such a way everyone hears it just as it happened with Paul on his way to Damascus before his conversion (Acts 9:3-7). What Samuel heard in 1 Samuel 3:3-10 was the audible voice of God but Eli couldn’t hear it. The audible voice of God could come in different forms, all to the glory of God.

Revelations:  Revelations could come in different forms, it could be through night dreams, trance or vision.

Night Dream – That which we see when we are asleep, just like the angel of God revealed to Joseph, Herod’s future plan to seek to kill Jesus (Matt 2:13). Any dream that is contrary to the word or the will of God must be averted and resisted in the place of prayers. Sometimes the purpose of our dreams is for us to avert or resist them with prayers. I ever had a dream and in it, I saw my friend crying out to me for help, telling me I wasn’t caring. When I woke up, through the help of the spirit I was able to understand what it meant and so, I picked up my phone and called, I didn’t even bother greeting or asking any question, I just started off praying against sickness and declaring her whole, then I ended the call and later that day, she called to tell me, she woke up that morning feeling ill but after the prayers, she was well. Dreams could also come as a means of warning us, a friend of mine once shared a quite complicated dream of hers with me and some possible interpretations of it, but by the spirit of God, we were able to discern that God was warning her not to go off track or to be swayed away by the allurements of the world. As children of God, we shouldn’t disregard dreams except it is not in alignment with the word of God. Also, there are satanic orchestrated dreams just as there are divine dreams, so you are to be careful not to interpret any dream as divine direction because there are also times where our subconscious brings back at night that which our eyes or hearts were fixated on during the day. (Eccl 5:3)

Trance – Just as I shared in my experience earlier, trance is a state of insensibility to external surroundings, at that point you’re unconscious but your passion and ability to function remains and you’re still able to retain memories.

Most times it occurs after an intensive prayer session. When you retire to a serene environment, you unconsciously enter into a trance, where you seem to be half asleep and half awake at the same time (Acts 10:9-10).

Vision – The spiritual and mental pictures are seen with the person’s physical sense or senses intact. It could occur with your eyes closed and also with the eyes open, just as it happened with Daniel and Ezekiel (Daniel 7-8,10 and the book of Ezekiel). You may see mental pictures that are so vivid and easy to comprehend, other times, it may be unclear pictures that can be confused with imaginations. At different times, I have been able to confirm spiritual revelations by servants of God through such mental pictures that were revealed to me, displaying in a pictorial form their revelations or prophecies.

Tongues Interpretation: This is the ability to be able to interpret tongues (to be able to comprehend spiritual language), the source of praying in the spirit becomes the channel of understanding with the mind. Interpretation of tongues is a spiritual gift, not all have, the spirit of God gives us different gifts, all from God and to His glory. To some the spirit gave the word of wisdom; to others the word of knowledge; faith; the gift of healing; the working of miracles; prophecy; discerning of spirits and other different gifts. These gifts are given to man as God wills, they’re for edification, growth and benefit of the body of Christ. I was privileged to be in a prayer meeting one night and then playfully, we started rapping in tongues and the Holy Spirit took over the meeting and so many could not stop speaking in tongues, the understanding of a few were opened in that gathering and they began interpreting the tongues that were uttered and God’s words to us were communicated accordingly with confirmations. The gift of interpretation of tongues is a very important gift because it enlightens or interprets the words of the Spirit and also educates the believer on that which is being prayed for by the Spirit. (1 Cor 12:10, 14:2-17).

Through the Word: It is very possible to be led by the word of God (Scriptures). You could be directed to read a passage by the spirit of God, you could stumble on a random scripture that answers a pressing question, you could even be spoken directly to from the pulpit when the word of God is being expounded or discussed.  Sometimes you find yourself nodding or maybe orally reacting to scripture when you come in contact with it. It could even be a known scripture but at that very moment it answers your heart’s question, brings peace to you, brings light to your life or enlightens the eyes of your understanding (Psalms 119:130, Eph 1:18, Psalms 119:105, James 3:17).

Prophetic Direction: This is God’s direction or word through a man for you. This is when God speaks to His Prophet concerning you (1 Kings 13:11-25, 2 Kings 5:1-15). It could be a confirmation of God’s words for your life, it could be an instruction, a prophecy or anything. However, do not become so dependent on Prophetic directions that you fail to hear God for yourself, it endangers and can hinder your spiritual growth. Receiving prophetic direction is good but it shouldn’t be your primary means of hearing God, build your relationship with God, that a Prophet’s direction serves mostly if not always as a confirmation to you. Also, you need to be careful not to take in any message, every word that is contrary to the word or the will of God should be totally rejected.

The ways in which God speaks to His children can never be exhausted, He could decide to speak to you through stones or even through water. Countless times, He has spoken through diverse means, He has spoken to His servants through situations or activities (Jer 19:3-6), I suffered a great storm a few years back but God still uses the experience to speak to me till date, the glory of the Lord was greatly manifested at the end of the trial and the pains were nothing compared to the glory it brought (2 Cor 4:17), God spoke through a burning bush to Moses (Exodus 3:2-10), through an animal (Num 22:27), through the stars (Matt 2:2), through angels (Luke 2:8-12) and lots of other inexhaustible means.

Sometimes we limit/restrict the way God speaks to us by expecting to hear from Him just through the method we’re familiar with and fail to take cognizance of the other times He tries communicating with us. God can never be exhausted, likewise His ways.

Deliberately seek God and He would reveal Himself to you, never limit Him, His ways are not the ways of man and His thoughts are not our thoughts. God is good to those who come to Him.

God bless you!

Let us pray!

Lord, I appreciate you for your word, I thank you for this fresh light and understanding you’ve given me today, I ask that you search my heart as I deliberately run after you today, reveal yourself to me and help me continue life’s journey with you. Thank you Jesus; In Jesus name,

Amen.

Tsalla Emmanuel

 GOD SPEAKS

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Silas Cherry's Response to "YOU MADE THEM UNCHURCHED" - THE CULTURE AND THE UNCHURCHED

Jesus always had interesting answers for the questions asked by the Scribes and Pharisees whose intentions were always to either corner or ridicule him and the gospel. Look what he said to them in the story of the adulterous woman:

"Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."(John 8:7, ESV)

and they all turned around and left.

Can you imagine what would have happened to her if Jesus had said "Let him who is without adultery among you be the first to throw a stone at her."?

This is what makes Christ different from us, instead of saying the same thing as him we choose the latter just to demonstrate our own righteousness.

The Pharisees and Scribes were self-righteous people who thought that they had achieved the fulfilments of their religious lives and did not need Jesus to tell them more but here we see them turn around and leave in shame; an acknowledgement of their guilt and unrighteousness.

What makes them better than us? Instead of dropping the stones, turning around and walking away, we create categories of sins and try to squeeze ourselves into the categories of "smaller sin", "tolerable sin" "different sin" or "better sin" so that we can castigate and condemn the rest but isn't the consequence of every sin the same?

Where did we even get this idea about categorizing sin?

How can we ever forget Romans 3:23-24 - we have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory, are justified freely by grace through the redemption by Christ Jesus?

I think that Jesus continuously calls us to a renewal of our fellowship with him through the lives of these "unchurched" people; our encounters with them should challenge us to be faithful witnesses but it is very easy for us to become self-satisfied or self-righteous in the process that we miss out on this call of faithful witnessing.

As people on this Christian Pilgrimage,  comparison denies us the benefits of looking at our own lives through the mirror of God's word, the absence of which makes us unchurch people.

Our tendencies to accept others as part of the body of Christ and saved by his grace (like we all are) can only come when we realize that the words of Jesus "I have come to call sinners" (Luke 5:32) is always directed at us and not the young guy who smokes or drinks, the lady who sleeps around or gossips, the man who steals or kills, the woman who lies or commits  adultery, the student who cheats during an examination or the employer who does not pay salaries to his employees.

Weeding out the self-righteousness that lurks within us is so difficult but necessary in preaching this gospel of Christ we profess and believe. The way we can rechurch the unchurched isn't by preaching repentance to them at all times but telling them how God's grace and mercy lifted us from the dirt to a place of fellowship with him; how we also need Jesus everyday of our lives as we try to become holy like him; admit that in our days of rest and unwillingness Jesus gives us strength to yield to his "follow me".

Christianity isn't exactly about the one who is perfect or better than others, Christianity is about the one running the race and helping others who fall rise again or better still, holding their hands and bringing them along; Christianity is about imitating Jesus who although was without sin, forgave the adulterous woman and in his kindness gave her a chance to repent.

Christianity is the culture of Christ.

I‘m really happy that you read to the end and I’d love it more if we build a community of God’s people by sharing lessons we learn as we journey through life with Christ as our anchor. Kindly drop a comment and help build another.

God bless you.

This post was inspired by a blog post written by Tsalla Emmanuel titled “You Made Them Unchurched” . Click here to read: https://tsallaemmanuel.blogspot.com/2019/03/you-made-them-unchurched.html?m=1

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