Discerning the Love of God

Interesting title, ain’t it? Well, today I would like to shed light on why many of us are walking in the cities, in the fields, on the streets, with dissatisfaction in our hearts. There are far too many who can relate to the expression of turmoil and emotional pain. And before some of you shut this website off, calling me a legalist when I say that we should be discerning the love of God, I just want to let you know there is a mystery within these words. For those who don’t know of this prince let me introduce the mystery of this great prince’s love for you.

Does God Hate Sinners of Love Them?

I saw a recent clip that has gone viral. I don’t want to get specific, but it’s from the Reformed Christian movement and basically, they talk about the misunderstandings in the Church. These preachers remind us of the common saying, “God loves the sinner but hates the sin.”

They then explain that this saying is found nowhere in the Bible. And they go further to mention not only that this is not found in the Bible but that it is a completely false understanding of God.

Why… they say that God hates the sinner and the sin. So, not only does He hate sin, He hates the sinner. They further support their points with scriptures which are found in the Bible such as the following.

Psalm 5:4-6 (World English Bible)
For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

What’s implied from this point onwards is that only born-again, believing Christians are loved by God. Now, I completely understand their point but I can discern that the full beauty of the Gospel was not shown. This is not where they should have stopped in their explanation because there’s so much more.

Not only do they harp on this idea as if it’s a huge revelation. And these clips fail not in garnering views for one main reason. People don’t understand how nondiscriminatory the love of God is.

Remember Jacob and Esau?

So, let’s actually look not only at what the scriptures say but at what they mean. Let’s bring back that frequently quotes passage of scripture in support of God’s hatred of sinners.

But wait a second, before anything, let’s include a bit more context…

Psalm 5:4-6 (New King James Version)
For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.

When King David was being inspired by the Holy Spirit, he prayed and wrote what is there in Psalm 5. And as you read verse 7 and 8, you realize that King David makes a distinction between the sinners who God cannot stand, and sinners like him.

Note here that he is not saying that he is perfect. On the contrary, He is saying that when He goes to God’s house, He recieves a multitude of mercy. So, what’s really being said here is not that God hates sinners, rather, it’s saying that there are sinners who refuse to know God and there are sinners who decide to go to God.

We see this same princple again with the following Bible verse

Romans 9:13 (New King James Version)
13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

Does Romans 9:13 say that God hate Esau because he’s a sinner? Yes. But does that then mean Jacob’s a goody two shoes? Nope.

Discerning the Love of God

Jacob was not righteous when considered by his works according to the Ten Commandments (even though it would come later). Same goes for David. But, the difference between Esau and Jacob or the difference between the wicked people David talks about and David, is the heart.

The heart of Jacob was willing to have a relationship with God. The heart of David was after God. Esau rejected God all the time, rejected His inheritance for a soup, rejected God’s plan for his marriage, etc…

And so, God who by nature hates sin, will hate those who love sin. And there are certain people who have hardened their hearts so much so that nothing can ever convince them to turn to God. Therefore, if a person commits to rejecting the love of God without any room for change, then God’s anger will remain upon that sinner.

That doesn’t mean God doesn’t love them, but it means God hates them for not turning away from what they’re doing, and He is angry with their stubbornness. This is just like how an earthly father will be angry at his son if he grows up to betray his country and becomes an international criminal. But, deep inside, the father still has a remnant of love for the son and as soon as that son changes his ways, the father’s love will appear.

Ezekiel 33:11 (New King James Version)
11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Therefore, if you feel that bad because you think God is angry at you, turn to Jesus, accept His free gift of salvation. He paid the price for your sins on the cross so now you can enter into a relationship with God.

And when you believe in Jesus, you receive His righteousness so that He will never be angry at you again as He is with a sinner. Any sinner can become righteous if they come to Jesus. So, to conclude, God loves everyone. But, everyone has to make the choice if they want to reconcile their relationship with God or remain strangers.

Romans 5:8 (New King James Version)
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

To summarize, God ultimately loves the sinner but He hates the sin. God may be angry at a sinner for their actions similar to how a parent may be disappointed with their child. But, at the end of the day, He shows grace and mercy to those who trust Him.

Why Should You Accept Jesus Christ as Lord & Saviour

The world is a full of suffering and misery. At the same time, it’s full of bliss and pleasure. Whichever world you’re in, I want you to displace your mind from that arena and to instead focus on what matters. In this post, I want to offer you three reasons why you should accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Christianity is perfect for your mental health and I intend to convince whoever is reading of accepting Jesus Christ.

You Can’t Find Anyone like Lord Jesus

I dare you to find a single individual as influential as Lord Jesus. But here’s what’s even harder to find….

I dare you to find a person who can make the claims Lord Jesus made and then back up those claims with actions even thousands of years after the initial event.

Here are three examples of claims Lord Jesus made.

Matthew 11:28-30 World English Bible (WEB)
 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

John 8:36 World English Bible (WEB)
If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

John 10:10 World English Bible (WEB)
The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

Here’s the thing, there are countless testimonies all talking about how Christ transformed their lives. Search up “Christian” and “testimony,” you will find countless people talking about how Lord Jesus transformed their lives most of the time, miraculously. This is because He does exist and He is still loving on people today and wants them to trust Him.

But let’s first take a step back because you might be a bit confused. Let me listen to your questions…

Wait, what’s to say there is a god? For all I know, we’re lonely sentient creatures making gods to soothe our cravings for comfort?

I will grant you the fact that we as social creatures do want someone to exist beyond our grasp. We do want a higher power, we don’t want to be alone.

That’s why Buddhists in Sri Lanka tend to supplement their Buddhism with Hinduism (which has a plethora of so called “deities”) even though Siddhartha clearly told his followers to not even think about any higher power.

Accept Jesus

But just because we have the desire for a higher power, doesn’t invalidate the possibility that there is a higher power. Just because we want something, doesn’t mean it’s fantasy. What if we were designed to want that?

“Yeah, but, say there is a god, what makes Christianity any different from other religious leaders who made religious claims?”

Ah here’s the thing, unlike other religions, Christianity makes claims and then provides evidence. Islam doesn’t guarantee healing to its followers nor does Hinduism. But the God of the Bible does guarantee healing if you have faith.

My God is not silent. He refuses to be silent and He makes His mind clear all the time. Sure, he doesn’t speak audibly all the time, but I know for a fact that He is speaking. He is intervening in human affairs and I’m a child of His so I have nothing to fear.

Do you want some evidence that the God of the Bible speaks?

Go to your room, lock the door, and get on your knees. Then clasp your hands together and pray audibly. Ask if there is truly a god, and if that God is the God of the Bible, Lord Jesus Christ, then reveal Himself to you.

I have so much confidence that He will answer your prayer because He is just waiting for you to take that one step of faith in the pursuit of truth. Once you pray this, He will reveal Himself to you in the way you expect least.

No Other God Loves You Like Christ Loves you.

I want you to accept Jesus Christ not only because He is true but because He is interactive, intimate, animated. He is a real being with real desires.

Now, I’ve the smartest man say the dumbest thing saying that he believes the god of spinoza and that if there is a god, he wants nothing to do with humans since God transcends humans on every level.

That’s silly. Imagine a father telling his 6 month old baby girl he doesn’t want to interact or care for her because she’s dumb and he’s beyond her mental capacity.

Remember the Bible calls God our Heavenly Father and although He does transcend our mental awareness, He also is in love with His children and wants everyone to trust Him as their Heavenly Father.

Isaiah 55:8-9 World English Bible (WEB )
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

And yet at the same time, the Bible also tells us…

Romans 5:8
 But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

So at the end of the day, Christ tells us He loves us even though we’re far from perfect. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord, it’s the best thing you could do.

But if you’re still skeptical, my advice is to pray to the God of the Bible and ask Him to reveal Himself as Lord Jesus Christ if He’s real. I don’t know how He’ll do it, but He will, you just need to be patient.

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom

Do you take God seriously? I’ve heard many people mention God. They sometimes talk about Him as if He’s okay with everything under the sun. Still others say there’s no hope for y’all because He’s gonna condemn you for your sins. And yet sometimes, I hear people who say He’s just one of many gods and that you can become a god too. After hearing all this garbage, I realized that people don’t take God’s name as seriously as they claim to. They’re not even willing to stand at the beginning of wisdom. If they did, they’d have kept their mouth shut about what they clearly know nothing about. So, this all comes to one bold yet important question we ought to ask ourselves, myself included, “Do I take God seriously?”

“I’ve Got More Time”

Newsflash! Time ain’t on your side 99% of the time (pun intended).

And yet, we all seem to think we can take time for granted and whichever God we choose is a choice we can make tomorrow. But what if it isn’t? Are you really capable of taking such a tremendous risk?

Arrogance…

Most of us haven’t been humbled. We’re so relaxed about everything, we just go with the flow and throw caution to the wind. It’s quite silly when you think about it.

And unfortunately, this mentality leads to people giving up on pursuing God. While for others, this mentality leads them to pursue any god but the God of the Bible.

For some reason, the character of the God of the Bible seems unattractive to some people. He seems too harsh, too old, too restrictive, too unreasonable, too unapproachable.

Exodus 34:14 World English Bible (WEB)
14 for you shall worship no other god; for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Well if that’s what you think of God, may I dare to say something a bit harsh? Nevertheless, I’ll say it for your sake.

Could it just be that God seems restrictive, jealous, unreasonable, and all these generally considered negative traits because He sees things for what they really are hence why He reacts so harshly? And maybe… you’re the one who really needs God to thump your head because you just can’t see what He sees?

I mean if He is the one who made you in your mother’s womb, wouldn’t He truly feel jealous when He sees you worshipping another so-called god? I’d tell you what I’d feel in His position. Absolute rage!

Yet, too many of us spend our lives serving other gods, some dedicate themselves to New Age ideas, others become slaves of alcohol, and others obey their lustful desires.

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom

And that brings me to my main point, whether you’re Christian or not, you’ve got to take God seriously. And if you’re not Christian, take the time to reconsider your position because there’s only one way to Heaven and that’s through accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

Proverbs 9:10 World English Bible (WEB)
10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom.
    The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

The beginning of wisdom starts when you decide to fear the Lord. And fearing the Lord doesn’t mean you’re scared of him like you were of the boogeyman. It means you don’t take Him too lightly, and you honour Him in the highest regard.

Now, if you’re no a Christian, here’s what I mean by taking God seriously. Here’s your next step.

Just say a little prayer where you ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Saviour. Why should you? It’s because you in and of your own ability cannot pay the price for your sins. When you stand before God one day as we all must at some point, you’ll need someone to pay the price for your sins whatever they may be.

Sure you might have been a good person, but a good person still must pay the price for their sins, that’s the harsh reality of our existence.

Nothing we do is granted to us, it’s all just accumulated debt. And at some point, you’ve got to pay the moral debt you owe a sinless perfect God of Justice.

Now too bad for God, He’s too kind, He’s too loving, He’s too graceful. He couldn’t bear to let your sorry posterior carry the weight of your hell. He’s given you a chance to change your fate.

Over two thousand years ago, He wrapped Himself in human flesh and died on the cross for your sins. So instead of you suffering hell after Earth, He suffered your hell on Earth as He died on the cross. I talk more about it and righteousness here.

Reject Folly! Follow Wisdom! Who is Wisdom?

Now for the born-again Christian, I carry another message. Hold strong to the convictions we read in the Bible. I talk about it here also, but, this is the point.

The point is to dedicate your life to Christ Jesus as your Lord. He is not only your Saviour, He is also your Lord.

He is the main motivator for your existence. Like come on! He alone died on the cross for your sake, He suffered hell on your behalf, the least you could do is to treat Him rightfully as King He is.

Philippians 2:9-11 World English Bible (WEB)
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Don’t just wait til you’re in Heaven to bow your knees before God, why not do it now?

Follow Wisdom, reject Folly. If there are temptations you face, overcome it through your Saviour, Christ Jesus because He is your Lord also.

You know, in the Bible, the Spirit of Wisdom is represented as a woman, she calls to the foolish that they may turn away from their foolishness and follow the Lord.

Proverbs 8:1-4 World English Bible (WEB)
1 Doesn’t wisdom cry out?
Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?

2 On the top of high places by the way,
where the paths meet, she stands.
3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,
at the entry doors, she cries aloud:
4 “I call to you men!
I send my voice to the sons of mankind.

And yet, the way we ought to start our journey on the path of the wise is by making sure to fear the Lord. So, worship the Lord, pray to Him, and read His Word. Live by His Words and follow His Spirit wherever He leads. Then, God will also grant your the Spirit of Wisdom as you start at the beginning of wisdom.

Proverbs 28:14 Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
14 O the happiness of a man fearing continually, And whoso is hardening his heart falleth into evil.

By Andre Dillon Wijesekera

God Who Knew You From Before the Foundation of the Earth

This whole post finds its foundation on one Bible verse. This Bible verse is Ephesians 1:4. It very much reveals the heart of Lord Jesus Christ, the God who knew you from before Earth’s foundation. Unfortunately, most people today fail to understand this as seen by current reactions to new court rulings in America. And what’s hilarious is that I’m not talking about reactions in America, I’m talking about reactions in Canada. Nevertheless, let’s dissect what it really means in Ephesians 1:4.

Unwanted

“An unplanned child is an unwanted child” is a lie that soaks the mindsets of more than half the population today. And if you want my opinion regarding the legitimacy of that statement, it’s a resounding NOOOO!

John 8:44 (World English Bible)
44 You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

Very clearly, Lord Jesus spoke to the people of His day and age regarding their hesitation to align with the Truth. He pointed out that they were not children of God but were instead children of the devil.

A child resembles their father and in the same way, many people today resemble in nature their spiritual father, the devil. That’s why our culture is ripe with lies killing people from the inside out. But unlike Christ, the devil does not love his children as is more than obvious when observing the state of our world.

But Lord Jesus loves this world even if the majority hates Him to the core. Yes, He is not the father of those who do not believe in Him. However, He calls for them to be His children. He is more than willing to adopt people so as long as they surrender their lives to Him. They only need to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

The God Who Knew You Very Much Loves You

And this ties into my initial point. Christ loves everyone so that even if a pregnancy is unplanned, that unborn child is dearly beloved by God. There is truly no one who is unwanted in God’s sight. That is why Apostle Paul was inspired by Holy Spirit to write the following verse.

Ephesians 1:4 (King James Version)
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

To those who are willing to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour, your destiny was already determined. God decided that He would select you, the Church to be His and that He would pay the wages.

Our sin earned us death. That’s why Christ suffered the death we deserved at the cross. He did it because He loves us! He truly is the God who knew you even before your birth. Your value as a human being predates your parents’ decisions, it lies in the heart of God.

Romans 5:8 (World English Bible)
8 But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The Scales Have Fallen!

Yet, our naturalistic and now-focused mentality as a generation has confused us. The god of this world aka “satan” has blocked the world from seeing the truth and freedom found in Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (World English Bible)
4 in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.

It breaks my heart when Christians have to be careful with their words so much so that they cannot speak the truth of God’s love. And I’m not talking of a wishy-washy love with no substance.

I’m talking of the love of God, the love that never ends, the love that stands in unison with the truth, upheld by godly conviction. This love shatters lies and yet its most rudimentary principles are so rejected by the world that we fail to agree on life’s sanctity.

To those who are reading this post and have not accepted Christ, please for your sake, pray to the God of Heaven and ask Him if He really is Lord Jesus Christ. Your prayer won’t be left unanswered. Behold the God of the Bible and when you see Christ in the New Testament, your Spirit will be revived.

All of a sudden, your spiritual eyes will see clearly, similar to what Saul experienced when He came to Christ.

Acts 9:18
18 Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized.

There is no greater love that can be found aside from the love of God revealed in the Holy Bible. And there, Christ stands with open arms yearning for you to realize your value in His eyes and to not only know He is the God who knew you but the God who knows you.

The God Betrayed Many Times Over

When it comes to betrayal and Bible, the first person who generally comes to mind is Judas Iscariot. He’s the one who betrayed Lord Jesus in exchange for money. But God did not have to come to Earth as a human being in order to be betrayed. He’s actually been betrayed many times throughout the Bible. Now, I’ve talked about how God conquered betrayal in this linked post, but, consider this post a sequel which will focus more on another aspect of betrayal.

A Wicked People

The people of Israel shown in the book of Exodus and the way they behave are generally thought to represent human nature. And the scary thing about human nature is that the human nature depicted in Exodus is generally not positive.

One observation that’s enough to summarize the fabric of people in Exodus is the following verse.

Jeremiah 17:9 (King James Version)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

The interesting thing noted in the above verse is not that the human heart is wicked. No, no, no… Rather, it’s the idea that the heart is desperately wicked. What this means is that the human heart by nature is doomed to be wicked, it has no choice but to be evil.

And so, that is why after God brought Egypt to its knees in order to rescue Israel from its slavery, they started participating in idol worship.

Exodus 32:1 (King James Version)
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

Betrayed Many Times

God was so angered with Israel that He told Moses that He should start over again by destroying them.

Exodus 32:9-11 (World English Bible)
Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people. 
10 Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation.”
11 Moses begged Yahweh his God, and said, “Yahweh, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 

God used this opportunity to express His anger against Israel to the point of destroying them but He knew Moses would plea for Israel. Thus, even though God said He would destroy Israel, He also knew Moses would ask Him to not destroy Israel. This means that He was only expressing His rage at Israel’s betrayal.

Exodus 32:12-13 (World English Bible)
12 Why should the Egyptians talk, saying, ‘He brought them out for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth?’ Turn from your fierce wrath, and turn away from this evil against your people. 
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’”
14 So Yahweh turned away from the evil which he said he would do to his people.

Redeeming Love

However, God was betrayed many times and this was not going to be the last. Israel kept on complaining about God and were never truly appreciative of what He did for them.

Now, up until this point, it’s often misunderstood that God is just angered by Israel’s betrayal. Although true, this is not the only aspect of betrayal experienced by God. He also seems to be hurt by Israel’s betrayal.

Let it be clear, however, that whenever I say God was “hurt” by Israel’s betrayal, it means that He was disappointed in the love reciprocated towards Him despite His care for Israel. This perspective is made clear by the book of Hosea.

In the Book of Hosea, God tells Prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute in order to prophetically depict God’s relationship with Israel. And this is where God really shows Israel the emotional side of how their betrayal has affected Him.

Hosea 1:2-3 (World English Bible)
When Yahweh spoke at first by Hosea, Yahweh said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution and children of unfaithfulness; for the land commits great adultery, forsaking Yahweh.” So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and bore him a son.

Redeeming Love Continued

Furthermore, Gomer betrays Hosea and has affairs with other men. But, see the comparison God makes between Gomer and Israel in the following passage.

Hosea 3:1-3 (World English Bible)
Yahweh said to me, “Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as Yahweh loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.” So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley. I said to her, “You shall stay with me many days. You shall not play the prostitute, and you shall not be with any other man. I will also be so toward you.”

This passage shows God is hurt by idol worship as a husband is hurt by adultery. And even then, God still loves those who betray Him as He tells Hosea to bring Gomer back.

Now, as of the time this post is being published, a movie has been released called Redeeming Love. It claims to be a retelling of Hosea, but, according to the summary I read, it can’t be. This is because the movie is about a helpless girl who is forced to sell her body.

But, that is not what the book of Hosea is about, it’s about a man who loves His wife despite her willingly betraying him. It’s about God loving a people who willingly betray Him by worshipping other false gods.

Conclusion

Now, you may have been betrayed many times by other people. But you must know that God has been betrayed many times more than you. Even today, God blesses people and they forget Him once they’ve received His blessings.

Yet, the real question is if you have betrayed God? I know I have. I’ve done terrible deeds which prove the wickedness of the human heart. I didn’t love Him first, but He loved me first.

1 John 4:10 (World English Bible)
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

And yet, He forgave me and He is always there for me even when I’m at fault. Moreover, I reciprocate His love as I love Him for how good He has been to me. Therefore, if you’ve betrayed God whether it be by idolizing money or other gods, the one true God, Lord Jesus Christ awaits your return to His loving embrace.

What Does it Mean to be Zealous?

Zeal is a strange word. Many people don’t know what it means. As a matter of fact, until I actually started reading the Bible, I didn’t really know what zeal meant. So in this post, it is my sole goal to reveal what does it mean to be zealous. I believe this will bless you and will prove useful to you in your life. Therefore, continue reading this post so you can enjoy the benefits of this newfound understanding.

What Does It Mean to be Zealous?

Y’all must first understand the definition of zeal. I talk from the perspective of a Christian as there is no more important form of zeal than the zeal a Christian ought to have. Zeal is what makes a person enthusiastic/excited for the Lord. It describes the picture of a Christian who is motivated to seek God and to love Him with all their heart.

It’s the part of you which refuses to compromise your God-given morals/convictions. It’s the part of you which wants to walk and commune with God all the days of your life as His loyal child. Let me give some examples to clarify what I mean.

First, let’s look at the example of Lord Jesus flipping tables because it’s most commonly talked-about example whenever the topic of zeal comes up in sermons.

John 2:15-17 (World English Bible)
15 He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables. 16 To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”Psalm 69:9

To give some context, the pharisees (religious leaders of the time) were selling animals in God’s temple when they should have been ministering to the people. They thought to themselves, “it won’t matter much if we just pocket some money selling sacrifices to the people.” This error showcased their disrespect for the sacred; their sacrilegious behaviour disgusted God to the core.

Hence why Lord Jesus openly showed His anger at what they had done. Now, there’s something interesting which Holy Spirit included when writing this passage. He quotes Psalm 69:9.

Lord Jesus Christ is my God! Now the Question is Who’s Yours?

Psalm 69:9 (WEB)
For the zeal of your house consumes me.
    The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

The Bible says that those who reproach God reproach the speaker. What this teaches us is that zeal comes when you understand that the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, that God, is YOUR God!

And by being your God, He is the reason why you’re here. You answer to no one but Him. It is to the name of your dear Lord and Saviour alone, Jesus Christ, that you bow your knee.

So, whoever disrespects your God, disrespects you because you belong to Him. A small-scale example which I may include is when I was trying out a popular TV show a few weeks ago. It seemed very interesting and had quite a good storyline. But, it then had a scene where it openly disrespected my God, and blasphemed the name of Lord Jesus Christ. It was at that point, I turned it off and decided to never let myself be entertained by it again.

Now, zeal is by nature, an authentic expression of love towards God. You don’t fake it until you make it. Zeal is supposed to be genuine, it’s supposed to be authentic, it can’t be faked. If it’s faked to please others, then, it’s not really zeal, it’s deception.

The Danger of Being Lukewarm

Furthermore, Lord Jesus gave us a warning in the last book fo the Bible concerning the lack of zeal in the Church.

Revelation 3:15-19 (WEB)
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.

As it reads above, He says to not be lukewarm. Being lukewarm means you couldn’t care less about your relationship with God. It’s the type of person who’d let an insult to God slide. Now, don’t get me wrong, this person might not necessarily be bad.

Instead, this person might be a good person who’s zealous for others, who is zealous for human rights, the environment, and so many other important things. And as a human being, I do understand how many well-meaning people are trapped by complacency and lukewarmness.

The reason behind this is we take very few things for granted. We don’t take human rights for granted since we know the price paid for our freedoms and privileges, by soldiers. We don’t take the environment for granted because we’re scared of natural disasters and how they may worsen if we waste natural resources.

But, the odd thing is that we take God, the most wonderful, lovely, important person in the world, for granted. And we’ve got no excuse for this crime.

There would be no freedom, there would be no environment, there would be nothing without God. We’d be doomed to eternal suffering (Hell) if it were not for the grace, love, and sacrifice at the cross of Lord Jesus Christ.

And yet, we as a generation, have become prone to skipping Church, cancelling Bible-reading plans, and turning our precious Lord’s name into a cuss word. Lukewarmness is ugly and it’s disgusting and it happens when we become so comfortable with living our lives without God that we forget Him.

Therefore, my friends, don’t become complacent. Don’t forget the heavy price your loving God paid for you. Let there be no hint of lukewarmness and instead, set yourself ablaze with passion for the things of God.

If you know you’re lacking zeal for God, here’s what you should do. First, ask Holy Spirit to give you zeal for Him. He’ll put that desire in your heart through His Holy Spirit. Then, start reading the Bible consistently and regularly worship the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:13 (WEB)
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Furthermore, this ain’t an easter bunny egg hunt. You can’t call quits after spending a day seeking the Lord. You’ve got to seek the Lord with all your heart. This means it’s got to be a lifestyle. How that looks with regards to prayer, Bible-reading, and worship is between you and God. What matters is that you’re consistent and that you are putting in an effort to commune with Him. Zeal is the by-product of your relationship with God!

By Andre Wijesekera

Who Really Is the Captain of Your Boat?

You’ve got to know the captain of your boat. What I mean by this is that all of us are led to make the decisions we make, to feel the emotions that grip us, and to act the way we act. And if you don’t know who’s driving your life or who is controlling you, you’ll never be free to think or act the way that most benefits you. Please continue reading to find out who truly is the captain of your boat.

A Glance at Your Life

First, you may want to know that your life is controlled by someone. As I’ve already made abundantly clear in the introduction, your life is never out of control. It may be in chaos, but ultimately, there’s someone responsible for that chaos. Your life is always in control although potentially unsatisfactory.

Galatians 6:5 World English Bible (WEB)
For each man will bear his own burden.

There’s a responsibility that ought to be taken. If you find yourself in drug addiction, you didn’t just end up there, you made decisions that led you to that point. And the same goes for one who’s found financial success through discipline as well as wise decision making. So, look at your life, and you will clearly see who I call the captain of your boat.

Concludingly, it is quite easy to realize who is the captain of your boat by glancing at your life.

Everyone’s got a captain for their boat. And in this post, I want to focus on three sorts of captains. The three possible captains in charge of your life are the following: you, the devil, or the Spirit of Lord Jesus Christ.

And it’s time, you find out which of those three captains belong to you because until you know who’s your captain, you’ve got no control over where your life’s headed. Your life could be headed for disaster for all you know, unless you truly meet the captain of your boat.

John 13:16 World English Bible (WEB)
16 Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither is one who is sent greater than he who sent him.

As the Lord Jesus Christ says in the scripture above, a servant is only as great as his master. In the same way, your ability is limited by the one leading your life. And it is absolutely imperative that you understand this lest you become ignorant of where you’re headed.

Two Phony Captains

Now, of the three possible captains, two of them come as a package. I label them as the two phony captains. And please make a note that these two captains come as a package, they don’t come separately.

These two possible captains are known as you and the devil. Unfortunately, it is quite the challenge to discern these two fellows. Most of the time, people mistake their captain as only themselves.

Furthermore, people often believe that their captain is them. These people often make statements such as, “I am the captain of my boat, I make my own decisions and I’m proud of them.”  or, “don’t tell me what to do because I’m capable of anything when I put my mind to it.”

However sincere these people may be, they are naive. They don’t understand that if they alone claim the rights to their life, they are actually under the influence of a demonic authority. And do you know why?

It’s because demonic spirits are extremely effective when it comes to convincing anyone that they’re on your side. The thoughts you hear in your head are all too often not yours. And so, there are two phony captains whom you can choose to be the captain of your boat. You, and ultimately, the devil.

No one ever actually says, “huh, I think it’s a good idea to ask an ancient demon to be my captain.” Rather, people fall into the trap of thinking that they alone control their life when in actuality, there’s much more going on behind the scenes.

Ephesians 6:12 World English Bible (WEB)
12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The One Worthy of Being the Captain of Your Boat

Therefore, I make my plea to you so that you ask one person to be the captain of your boat. Ask Lord Jesus Christ to be the captain of your boat. He alone should guide and uphold your life.

The Word of God promises you that Lord Jesus Christ will never lead you to disaster. Instead, He will lead you to peace, blessings, and an established legacy.

Isaiah 46:4 World English Bible (WEB)
Even to old age I am he,
    and even to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear.
    Yes, I will carry, and will deliver.

But, to make Lord Jesus Christ your captain, you’ve only got to do one thing. It’s simple and let’s not complicate it. That one thing is to surrender to Him.

God came down to Earth in the form of a human being, Lord Jesus Christ. He healed the sick, showed God’s heart for people, and blessed everyone He interacted with. Religious leaders could not tolerate His truth nor His goodness and so, decided to twist the ancient Roman government’s arm to crucify Lord Jesus Christ.

Moreover, God decided to let Himself experience hell on Earth by being crucified in the flesh so that when you put your trust on Lord Jesus Christ, the hell you deserved would no longer await you.

Lord Jesus Christ died for you to give you hope and a new life. And when you entrust Him with your life, He will not disappoint. Just accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and surrender all of your life to Him.

James 4:10 World English Bible (WEB)
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Allow His Spirit to lead you and be sensitive to what He says in the Bible. To every gentle steer, He makes, yield to Him.

Romans 8:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Giving Thanks To Our Heavenly Immanuel

I’m sure that if you’ve read the title of this, some questions are bound to arise. To clear things up, this post is meant to point out three conduits by which giving thanks to God is possible. And in the title, I mentioned God as our Heavenly Immanuel. The reason being so that we can remember the title given to Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:23, which is “Immanuel.” Immanuel means “God with us,’ and since we’re going to thank Him, we should remember who He is. He is with us.

Giving Thanks Through the Heart

Firstly, thank God in your heart. All deeds start with the heart and appreciation does not violate that expectation. Whether you bless or hurt someone, the intention starts within your thoughts.

Colossians 3:2 World English Bible (WEB)
Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.

And so, I urge you to thank God in your heart. Just think to yourself, “Wow, God you’re so good, thank you for loving me.”

Now, I can imagine if some grow skeptical of what I’m saying. But, here’s the thing, you just need to remind yourself of who God is.

God is the one who came down to Earth as a human. He came as Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, since you and I have erred, we’ve done things that forever separate us from God, who is utterly perfect.

So, He let Himself be tortured and crucified by angry people who could not stand his life-giving miracles, jaw-dropping wonders, and breathtaking healings. Lord Jesus Christ bore the cross to give you an opportunity at another chance.

A chance to trust Him with all your failures and destruction as He suffers your punishment on the cross. Therefore, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

You’ve just got to remember and believe what He did for you, and no matter what state you’re in, you’ll feel a sense of gratitude.

His love for you means that if you’re currently in a state of bliss, His love is to thank for. Or if you’re in a season of disappointment, let the love of God console and comfort you.

The main point of this section is to make you understand that it doesn’t matter where you’re standing, God loves you deeply. Therefore, feel your heart’s drive to thank God for His meaningful love.

Romans 8:27 World English Bible (WEB)
27 He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.

Thanking God Through Words

Next, use your words to express your appreciation to God. God is real. And it wouldn’t hurt to tell Him that you’re grateful for all He’s done. Like any other person, God should hear you speak to Him.

When you express gratitude to a friend, family member, anyone else for that matter, you tell tell them, “thank you.’

In the same way, say “thank you,” to God.

Philippians 4:6-7 World English Bible (WEB)
In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to GodAnd the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

The scripture above says to thank God as you pray and inform Him about your situations.

And although your immediate situation may not look the best, things will change. That’s a promise from God.

Matthew 6:34 World English Bible (WEB)
34 Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

Plus, being anxious about nothing as you thank Him for taking care of it solves the issue of anxiety. Once you’ve done everything you could such as setting up your business, or teaching your children what’s right and wrong, thank God as you place your desire in God’s hands.

Thank Him for being with you. Giving thanks to Him verbally is not going to go unheard. Your words will not fall to the ground, instead, they’ll ascend to the ears of God like a sweet aroma.

Proverbs 16:1-3 World English Bible (WEB)
16 The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.
All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes;
    but Yahweh weighs the motives.
Commit your deeds to Yahweh,
    and your plans shall succeed.

He’ll take care of the rest. After all, His hands are bigger than yours.

Giving Thanks Through Actions

Finally, giving thanks to God through your actions is something that you must never forget. Your actions show God where your heart is.

For example, a person who lies constantly shows everyone that his/her heart is in a place of confusion and deception.

On the other hand, a person who lives in honesty regardless of its consequences upon one’s self shows everyone his/her heart is in a place of integrity.

Colossians 3:17 World English Bible (WEB)
17 Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.

Therefore, God sees whether you appreciate Him or not through what you do. And the choice to do what you want belongs to no one else other than the person reading this post. That’s you.

But, how do you show gratitude to God through your actions? You show appreciation by allowing His Spirit to enter and transform your life.

Romans 12:2 World English Bible (WEB)
Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

And His Spirit will convict your heart to do what pleases God. You can please God by avoiding evil no matter how tempting the proposition.

Also, you can please God through charity in Lord Jesus’ name and being a reliable neighbour to those God placed in your life.

Mark 12:30-31 World English Bible (WEB)
30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’Deuteronomy 6:4-5 This is the first commandment. 31 The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’Leviticus 19:18 There is no other commandment greater than these.”

To tell you the truth, only you know where God is leading you. And so, thank God by obeying Him through your actions.

Galatians 5:25 World English Bible (WEB)
25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.

In conclusion, thank Immanuel, Lord Jesus Christ for His love for you. Hold onto His love and thank God through whatever means possible.

By Andre Wijesekera.

How to Fear the Lord According to the Bible

The word “fear,” has an predominantly negative connotation in today’s world. And what I mean by that is that if someone was to randomly scream the word, “fear,” in a room with people, some negative image will come to the minds of every person in that room. But then, what does it mean to fear God? And how to fear God? This question will be the focus of this post, so continue reading.

Who is God?

Does the fear of God mean to be terrified by Him? Before I tackle this question, let me clarify some things as I don’t want to cause any confusion in this post.

The God I’m talking about is the God of the Bible. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the God who came down to Earth 2000 years ago as Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus Christ healed the sick, freed the demon-possessed, and performed miracles, too many to count.

John 21:25 King James Version (KJV)
25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

And how did the people of that time treat Lord Jesus Christ? Well, the religious leaders got jealous of Lord Jesus and they used the people’s herd mentality to pressure the ancient Roman government of that time to crucify Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 23:23 King James Version (KJV)
23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.

But, do not think for a second that this event was unforeseen by God. No, on the contrary, God knew that people are corrupted, and He allowed Himself to be tortured and crucified by His own people.

The reason for this is because you and I have all sinned. We’ve all messed up somewhere in our lives. And since God is holy and perfect, He cannot let us into Heaven because we are imperfect.

Thus, we need atonement. That atonement is Lord Jesus Christ dying on the cross for you and me. When He bore hell on Earth at the cross of Calvary, we can accept His sacrifice, and forfeit the destruction awaiting us in our afterlife. He is the God I am talking about and the only God who I know. So, if you haven’t already, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

John 14:6 World English Bible (WEB)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.

Terrified by the Lord?

Now, to actually deal with the question, what does it mean to fear God?

Genesis 20:10-11 World English Bible (WEB)
10 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife’s sake.’

Well, it certainly doesn’t mean to be terrified or petrified by Him! I mean, look at the first time this phrase is used in an English translation of the Bible.

The first time this phrase was used in the Bible was in the above verse, where Abraham hid the fact that he was Sarah’s husband to Abimelech since Abraham thought there was no fear of God in Abimelech’s domain.

Does this mean that Abraham was scared to tell Abimelech that he was Sarah’s husband because Abimelech was not terrified by God? No, it means that according to Abraham, Abimelech did not care about God’s laws or respect God.

But, let me get this straight. If there’s anyone you should be terrified of, it’s God, and God alone. Now, I want you to read this slowly, otherwise, you will get really confused.

God does not want you to be terrified of Him. God does not want you to see Him as a danger. But, if you should be scared of anything or anyone, God is at the top of the list, not the devil. And that is because God is the most powerful being to exist.

So, if you’re thinking of going against God or doing something evil to another person, prepare yourself for the consequences. God looks for everyone’s best interest, and He will stop evil through whatever means necessary.

Matthew 10:28 King James Version (KJV)
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

This should give you confidence because if God is on your side, then there’s absolutely no one to fear. Even after death, Heaven awaits you.

Continuing on, the fear of God is when you respect Him as your God. When you respect Lord Jesus Christ as your God, you will have convictions that restrain you from doing things He does not like.

Deuteronomy 10:12 World English Bible (WEB)
12 Now, Israel, what does Yahweh your God require of you, but to fear Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, and to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

How to Fear God

So, how do you fear God? You fear God by respecting Him and obeying Him.

Psalm 33:8 World English Bible (WEB)
Let all the earth fear Yahweh.
    Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

To fear God means to stand in awe of Him. By standing in awe of Him, I mean to be in a state where you marvel at the goodness and love of God.

To fear God means to honour His love for you, and turn away from evil. Don’t do bad things because they benefit or pleasure you, turn away from them because God loves you!

Proverbs 3:7 King James Version (KJV)
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

Furthermore, God blesses those who fear Him. When you decide to respect God, God will make sure that you lack nothing in your life.

Psalm 34:9 World English Bible (WEB)
Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints,
    for there is no lack with those who fear him.

And another thing that comes with fearing Him, is wisdom. Once you commit to honouring God above all else, God will give you the wisdom that is relevant in your situation.

Psalm 111:10 World English Bible (WEB)
10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom.
    All those who do his work have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!

So, what’s the conclusion? Fear God by honouring and respecting Him. And turn away from ways which you know aren’t right because ultimately, God loves you.

The Difference Between Superstition and Faith

Don’t tell me there’s no difference between superstition and faith. Because the sad reality is that many people, especially skeptics, like to brand faith as just another representation of superstitious belief. So, in this post, my goal is to outline the difference between superstition and faith to clear up all the confusion within our minds. And if you have questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section.

Superstition

What is superstition? Because if we’re going to discuss the difference between two things, we need to know what the two things are.

Superstition is the belief in the supernatural out of ignorance or fear. An example of superstition is when one carves a wooden humanoid figure and then prays to it for prosperity.

Isaiah 44:17-19 World English Bible (WEB)
17 The rest of it he makes into a god,
    even his engraved image.
He bows down to it
and worships,
    and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me; for you are my god!”

18 They don’t know, neither do they consider:
    for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see;
    and their hearts, that they can’t understand.
19 No one thinks,
    neither is there knowledge nor understanding
to say,
    “I have burned part of it in the fire.
    Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals.
    I have roasted meat and eaten it.
    Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination?
    Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”

Why is that superstition? It’s because the wooden figure is something someone makes which cannot hear their words, thus, being an ignorant belief.

Another example of superstition is the sacrifice of human beings to avoid the wrath of deities. This is superstitious because the person who practises such superstition is jeopardizing someone else out of fear that disobedience to their deities will incur punishment.

Now, the million dollar question is… does Biblical Christianity follow the path of superstition?

My answer to that is “no, quite the contrary.” And I’m going to explain how instead, the God of the Bible forges a new path to follow Him, a path called “faith.”

It’s not superstition, because the God of the Bible does not want you to believe in Him out of fear or ignorance. Let me prove this in the next section.

The Difference Between Superstition and Faith

Firstly, He does not want you to believe Him out of fear. That’s why He almost always says “fear not,” whenever He approaches a person in the Bible.

I mean, look at the verse below, the first thing God told Abraham in his vision was to not be afraid. God always makes it clear that He is the last person in the world to associate with worldly fear.

Genesis 15:1 World English Bible (WEB)
15 After these things Yahweh’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

Secondly, the God of Abraham does not force you to believe Him out of ignorance, although, He does expect you to trust Him when things don’t make sense. And I’ll explain the latter part of what I said in the next section, but, for now, here’s an example of Him warning us of ignorant superstition.

Jeremiah 7:31 World English Bible (WEB)
31 They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I didn’t command, nor did it come into my mind.

God was so upset with the people who burned their own children as a sacrifice to idols, and He even admitted that such a deed had never presented itself as a thought within the omniscient mind of God!

Ignorant human beings thought that by murdering their own children, they would please deities of their own making, this is something God cannot stand.

Faith

So, how does God want you to believe in Him? It’s quite simple. And we better not muddle it with our theories, laws, and superstitions. We better see it as He depicts it in His Word.

He wants us to believe in Him by faith.

Ephesians 2:8 King James Version (KJV)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

What’s faith? It’s the belief in the God of the Bible where you trust Him through what He said in His Word (the Bible), and you know His grace and love.

His grace was revealed when God came down to Earth in the form of a human being as Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross so that instead of God punishing you for your blunders, He would be sacrificed for you.

John 3:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Lord Jesus Christ healed the sick, delivered the spiritually oppressed and blessed so many people during His ministry, but the religious leaders out of jealousy and fear, decided to crucify Him. Yet, this was all part of God’s plan to make the sacrifice for those who trust Him as their Lord and Saviour. I talk more about it in this post.

Therefore, put your faith in Christ Jesus as your Lord and Saviour to enter a relationship with God Almighty.

Faith is not superstition. It is the trust you put in God that He will do what He said He would do. It’s the acceptance of the creator who designed you and formed you in your mother’s womb. It is the realization that you’re significant and that you hold value in the eyes of your Heavenly Father.

This faith in Christ Jesus does not depend on your circumstances. If things aren’t going well for you, you must still trust God because He will make all things turn out for your good.

Faith is just another way of saying that God wants you to trust Him just like how you would trust someone in any other relationship. The difference between superstition and faith is tremendous so trust God; place your faith in Lord Jesus Christ.