The Heart of the Matter

Guard your heart above all else,

for it determines the course of your life “ (Proverbs 4:23 NLT)

I like to share a brief testimony that deals with the issue of the heart. I struggled as a Christian with various habits.  I knew I was free from these things in Christ but I wasn't experiencing that freedom. Until I realised that I was allowing things into my heart that don't belong there; Messages and images that reinforced such behavioural patterns. The admonition to guard your heart is key. The bible teaches that as a man thinks in his heart so is he.

Jesus tells the parable of the sower who sows the word of the Gospel in different kinds of hearts; not heads or minds. The reason some reaped a harvest and others did not wasn't because the word isn't powerful, but because the word had no space to sink into the hearts or was choked by other things. What you allow to sink in your heart matters a lot. What you focus on will determine your life. Paul advised that we focus on the things above (Colossians 3). He also said we should only think on lovely, worthy of praise things. Guard your heart and fill it with the Gospel and you will bear it's fruit effortlessly, fill your heart with the contradictions and principles of this world and you will work the works of the flesh.

The Danger of Exclusion

 "They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them." (Galatians 4:17 ISV)


There is something about humanity that eagerly seeks that which is running away from it. It is a sign of a deep brokenness on our part. We are increasingly attracted to things that are constantly unattainable or unreachable. We find the person who is disinterested in us more attractive than a person who is by our side and loves us for who we are.

I see this a lot in romantic relationships. Exclusion is used as a tool for manipulation. One party makes him/herself constantly unavailable emotionally or physically. He/she knows that it increases the other party's cravings. This drives the other party to want to pursue him/her even more.

Sadly, preachers and so called apostles have been using this same technique for millenia. In the passage above, Paul tells the Galatians that the Judaizers who had come to them were using the same tactic. They were painting the picture of a distant God; one who still had a few requirements for them to enjoy him. Of course, they were very conversant with these requirements and will be sharing it from time to time.


Tragically, once people are drawn to such messages, the cycle will never stop. The exclusion message will continue. You will always have one thing missing in your life. There will always be something you're not doing or are ignorant of that will disqualify you from God. And you're not doing the ones that you are doing well enough or long enough or something. What a shame.

To the person that has been told this kind of message. Know that Jesus loves you and has paid the full price for your salvation.  There is nothing more for you to do in order to get closer to God, just believe. He doesn't play games with you. He is always there by your side and available to you. Anyone who preaches that you lack certain steps or that you're disqualified is only seeking for you to follow them.

To the ministers who preach the Grace of God. This is a call to relax.  If you're wondering why some people leave your congregation or why your  ministry is not as large as you think it should be. Be aware that people in their brokenness are drawn to exclusion. If the Galatians who were converted through Paul and heard the Gospel of Grace directly from his mouth and deeds, if they could be drawn away by those who claimed that they needed to be circumcised.  It shouldn't surprise you that some fall away. Just keep preaching the Gospel. Some people can't handle freedom

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELIEVE?

"He who gives you His Spirit and works miracles among you–does He do so on the ground of your obedience to the Law, or is it the result of    your having heard and believed"

(Galatians 3:5 Weymouth translation)

Belief is a powerful thing. To believe is not just to give mental assent to a fact. It is to have that fact be the platform from which you live your life. It is to have your heart so persuaded by this fact that it drives your life. This is what the apostles meant when they said believe.

Many people nowadays view Christianity as some academic exercise; We just know a bunch of facts in our heads so that we can go around arguing with one another based on bible verses. But that is not what it is at all. This life is much deeper. It is to come face to face with the God of the universe and to see him for who he really is. It is to realise that Jesus is the owner and supreme ruler of this Cosmos and to bend the knee and say "your will be done". It is to receive the Holy Spirit in yourself and become conscious of the fact that your body is now the home of God himself.

This means something.  This translates into a life that cannot originate from you; A life of fruit bearing; A life where the mundane and elemental principles of this world cannot hold you or rule you anymore. This is what is meant by believe. Your life cannot be the same when you believe this Gospel. This is the promise of the Holy Spirit. Right believing leads to right living.

COME, LORD JESUS

Hello folks, how has life been treating you? Good, bad or a mixture of both? If you're like me your life has ups and downs, Good stuff and bad stuff, sometimes happening simultaneously. Well, that’s the way things are. This world is fallen and that falleness manifests itself in many ways around us.

But we have a hope, a hope that one day Jesus will return in physical form. He will set up his own government and rule the world with justice and righteousness. He will set the world to rights and wipe away every tear from our eyes. That day, we will look at the universe and see how he has redeemed the pain, the hurt, the mistakes and the evil in our lives. We will realize that he wove it all into the tapestry of his grand design and made it all beautiful. He didn’t plan or wish for you to go through what you’ve been through but he’s going to make it align with his will and everything will be alright.

This kind of thinking seems like escapism to some of our brothers and sisters. For a very long time, many Christians have sat down and avoided contact with their world. Their reasoning is that the world is only going to get worse, so lets just sit down, do nothing and wait for the Lord to come and fix everything. But that is not what the bible teaches. Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are extensions, outposts if you like, of the kingdom of God and we are to express the life of the kingdom of God everywhere around us. It is unacceptable for us to sit back, fold our arms, and watch evil reign when we can do something about it.

As a result, many people have rejected this “sit down look” strategy. Some have also gone to the extreme of rejecting the whole idea of the second coming of Christ. At least they don’t want to talk about it. But I see nothing wrong with talking about it. The same Jesus that commissioned us to be his hands and feet also promised to return to us and redeem our bodies. Like Paul states, if we have no hope beyond this life we are to be pitied more than all men. All our believing would be in vain and it would have been better for us not to be Christians at all.

There are many reasons to reflect and long for the coming of Christ. But my favourite reason is this; I long to experience the tangible, unfettered reality of being in his presence;  To be able to hold him; to share a drink with him; to hear him laugh and to see the look of approval and unconditional love in his eyes. That, my friend, is priceless. Major Ian Thomas pointed out that if we can fully tap into the reality of our union with Jesus, there will be no difference between now and our death. God the Holy Spirit has made our union real. He is not holding back in anyway. But the fact of the matter is that we do not fully tap into the reality of our union. No one can say with all sincerity that they are 24/7, 365 always aware of the presence of God or are as aware of our union as we possibly can be and feel like Jesus is always with them. Well, when He comes, we will be able to. we will see him with our naked eyes and hold him in our arms. We will realize that he was never far away, that he loves us dearly. When I reflect on this, I can live my life knowing that everything is going to be alright.

YOU ARE LOVED

You are God’s masterpiece

You are his biggest deal

You carry the very image of the Three-in-One

He knows you like you have never known yourself

He knows you beyond the lies with which you have defined yourself

He sees you and smiles; the epitome of his creation

You are the reason for creation

Everything was made for Jesus, but Jesus is all about you

Standing at the precipice of time and space, he saw you and with great anticipation  and excitement declared “Light, be!”

You are loved