Divine Encounters

Day 288 Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1 - 1 Thessalonians 5:28 Life has so many distractions. Too many I should add. Many times I have left home with a plan of action but then one phone call derails the entire day. Social media doesn't help. We now have to detox ourselves of Whatsapp, FaceBook, Instagram and many others we use. Paul in writing to the church at Thessalonica gives brief instructions. This was a church that was started and before Paul could stick around to ensure that the new believers were grounded Paul accompanied by Silas had to flee to Berea at night Acts 17: 1-10 . The accusation against Paul was that he was turning the world upside down. We need more people like him today more than ever. Paul encourages the believers to not forget that Jesus is coming again and the date or day is unknown. He encourages the believers to stay ready for the return of the Messiah. The believer is encouraged to put on light and do away with every form of evil deeds. Fle

Day 287 Reading: Colossians 1:1 - Colossians 4:18 When Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians he focused on Christ and the body. The letter to the Ephesians is about what Christ has bestowed on the body. Thus we believers discover that we are sat in heavenly places in Christ from Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus. However, to the church in Colossae, he focuses on Christ the Head. Notice that Paul prays for the believer to be filled with wisdom in both letters to the Ephesians and Colossians. We all need wisdom, however, divine wisdom is more important. One of the first things that Paul speaks about is that the believers in Colossae had a faith in Christ that was spoken of. As I read this statement the Holy Spirit reminded me of the importance of having faith in Christ alone. Many today have faith in people, things, money, a gift from God and forget that faith is to be rooted and grounded in Christ alone. Faith in anyone and anything else is bound to fail. The

Day 286 Reading: Philippians 1:1 - Philippians 4:23 I am yet to meet a person without any trouble here on earth. This year has taught me a lot. I have seen both mountain tops and valleys that I didn't know existed. We all have our share of stories of trials and testimonies. In my listening to many stories of the woes of many, I have sought the heart of God regarding a simple matter. What attitude does God expect of us His children in the midst of warfare?  Paul's letter to the Philippians was written while he was under armed guard. He was a prisoner facing the prospect of being sentenced to death. Paul consistently encourages the believers to rejoice. In my Bible, and I use the NKJV version, the word rejoice is used by Paul 8 times in this letter to the Philippians.  You are to rejoice because you have hope in Christ. Irrespective of the challenges of life you are facing, don't despair that your case is hopeless. You have something that only Christ can give

Day 285 Reading: Ephesians 1:1 Ephesians 6:24 The letter to the church in Ephesus is one of my favourite books if that is allowed in the Bible. This is one book of the Bible I have read many a time seeking to understand the position of a believer. You see in this book there are three words that I believe are key to understanding it: SIT, WALK and STAND.  Paul begins by telling the believer of the place He is situated. We are not walking towards the throne, we are already sat on the throne together with Christ. Once it becomes clear to the believer that they are seated in Christ with Christ in heavenly places then every satanic agenda is a walkover. You and I have to understand that we are partakers of the inheritance that God set for Christ. We are co-heirs. Learn to sit in Christ as one who is victorious. As one sits then they are able to seek for wisdom that they may understand the depth, length and breadth of the glorious riches to be accessed in Christ.  Paul begin

Day 284 Reading: Galatians 1:1 - Galatians 6:18 How we relate with God is a matter that many have written or talked about. The church in Galatia contains a lesson for every believer. Reading through the letter to the Galatians you feel Paul was cross with the vacillations of the believers in Galatia. Paul was dealing with issues that plague the believer even today.  Many start the race well and suddenly after some time start running the race in a manner that seemingly appears to pour cold water on fire. The Galatians listened to teaching that derailed them. They soon were preaching and subscribing to a gospel that was different from the true gospel. They had imbibed a lie that the gospel required them to do works to maintain or attain salvation. As I read this I began to ask myself how many times have I allowed an opinion of men to cause me to waver from the place of faith?  Paul instructs that we believers are to walk in the Spirit so as to avoid the lusts of the fles

Day 283 Reading: 2 Corinthians 10:1 - 2 Corinthians 13:14 We all go through situations, circumstances, or challenges in life that can alter our lives drastically. I will be very personal in this blog not because I want to solicit empathy but to encourage someone.  Such moments end up being very disheartening to the soul but they can be very rewarding if pivoted in the right direction. For the last three days as I have read this letter to the Corinthians, my mind has kept thinking about the sufficiency of God's grace. Paul declared that is was of the outworking of grace that we are saved. Salvation is not because of our works but because of God's unmerited favour that we have what we didn't deserve. Jesus took our punishment, stood in our place and received what we deserved as sinners and we, in turn, received the forgiveness that we didn't ask for. Paul in Romans declared that all this was done while we were still sinners. God sent His Son to die for you wh

Day 282 Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:1 - 2 Corinthians 9:15 Before you think I want your money and switch off give me a few moments of your time. Today I find that many believers are frustrated by this topic and don't want to give. My concern is that we have become hard-hearted and moved from the position of generosity they once held. Let me ask you a question I asked myself? Have I become more of a miser as I have grown older or generous? I have noticed that many people have been hurt by people taking advantage of their generosity. Why is it important that I maintain a generous heart even when people hurt me by taking advantage of my generosity? How do I avoid the heart of a miser from becoming my heart? How do I maintain a generosity that pleases God? Tithing doesn't signify generosity. The tithe belongs to God. As I was meditating on this I renewed my commitment to being a tither. Many may not agree with tithing today due to doctrinal differences. That is not a

Day 281 Reading : 2 Corinthians 1:1 - 2 Corinthians 4:18 Recently while talking with my mum she mentioned how many people are tired of trouble. As she continued talking I kept silent and allowed her to just share her burdened heart regarding all the challenges facing her and many she knew. She knew that her son would say something to encourage her in the midst of all the turmoil facing her and her friends.  Paul faced trouble. From being stoned, hated for preaching, to being arrested on numerous occasions. He understood trouble so much that when reading through the Book of Acts I was encouraged by his attitude towards all the situations he faced. In this second letter to the Corinthians, though theologians tell us that this was actually the third letter, Paul looks at the challenges we all face in a different way. As I read the first 4 chapters of 2nd Corinthians I realised that Paul looked at the issues of life in a particular way. As I read the more I became aware that G

Day 280 Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:1 - 1 Corinthians 16:23 God has given to you and I gifts to enhance His Kingdom. God's desire is for the Kingdom to be advanced. Jesus while here on earth spoke about the Holy Spirit. He taught that the Holy Spirit would come to instruct, guide, teach, convict the believer. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven He instructed that the disciples remain in Jerusalem until they were endued with the Holy Spirit and power Acts 1:8.   The Holy Spirit's coming onto the believer changed the landscape and empowered the believers to do the works of God. Jesus had promised the disciples that they would perform greater miracles than what He had done John 14:12 . The church in Corinth is similar to the Body of Christ today. Gifted with diverse giftings that have divided many while blessing more. As I read today's passages God asked me a question? Why would Paul write about love in the middle of his exposition of the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Why

Day 279 Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:1 - 1 Corinthians 10:33 Walking past a pastry shop they had these sumptuous looking slices of different cakes. It was my first visit to the US and the cakes I saw in that shop still remain in my mind many years later. Those who know me know that I love cake. There was a slice of fruit cake, black forest, white forest, ginger and cinnamon cake, vanilla cake, and others that I wondered what was going on. The lady at the counter saw me asking questions about the cakes and came over to ask if I wanted to buy. Of course, I wanted to buy the shop however I remembered that eating all that cake would soon have me sick. I chose to pass the offer and walk away.  As I read the passage of scripture above I asked how do we flee sin or the appearance of it? Paul writing to the Corinthians speaks of God making a way out of every temptation. Now for some, they will read about my temptation for cake and laugh however God has taught me that one's weaknes

Day 278 Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1 - 1 Corinthians 5:13 Paul kept in touch with his flocks. He felt it was his responsibility to know the affairs of the brethren. When writing to the Corinthians we find that he not only is answering their questions but also dealing with issues they  had. Paul must have been made aware of the issues the believers were dealing with. He even got to know of situations where they erred by entertaining sin. As I meditated on what to write I felt I needed to highlight three things.  Firstly, as a believer understand that God has given you grace that enriches you in everything by Him in all utterance and knowledge 1 Corinthians 1:5 . This statement struck me as I read it because it became a spotlight showing me that I had not really understood all that God has given me. God has enriched me with all I require for life. Life may say something else however God desires I reinforce it in me that God has enriched me in all things. I am not waiting for G

Day 277 Reading: Romans 11:1 - Romans 16:27 What's on your mind? What do you think most about? What preoccupies your mind above all things? Your thoughts are important to God and yourself. You are the sum total of your thoughts. Yes, I know that sounds harsh but how you think will determine your life. Your thoughts give you a perception of life. How you think determines what you see. It's important to understand that if your thoughts are negative your life is negated. If all you think are problems then soon your life will only attract problems. Thoughts are magnets pulling the physical reality of our thinking. You will meet two types of people in life. Optimists and pessimists. Optimists see the bright side in the horizon always while pessimists never see good only the bad. Sometimes listening to a pessimist will make you realise that their attitude is similar to an ostrich that refuses to look up and instead buries its head in trouble. The question one must ask is

Day 276 Reading: Romans 6:1 - Romans 10:21 Life is not funfair but warfare. Children spend their time playing games and to become mature in the ways of God one has to learn to overcome issues in life. Jesus promised that challenges will come and when they do one should rejoice  John 16:33 . You may wonder why joy is necessary when facing difficult challenging times. May I point you towards the prophet Isaiah who proclaimed that joy is the bucket we draw from the wells of salvation in life  Isaiah 12:3 . I don't know how your days, weeks and months have treated you so far. One thing I know is that God is still in charge and that alone is a reason to be joyful. Paul while writing to the church in Rome encourages them that they are more than conquerors. He encourages the believer to understand that they are more than conquerors. In a world where we revere conquerors to be called more than a conqueror reveals to us how important our identity is. God sees you as more than a

Day 275 Reading: Romans 1:1 - Romans 5: 21 Paul was not just a preacher but also a writer. He wrote two-thirds of the New Testament. His writings form the basis of a lot of present-day teachings. As we go through the letters it amazes me how this gentleman wrote many letters while under guard. He was a prisoner and that did not deter him from fulfilling the mandate of God over his life. Today, the church suffers from a weakness where believers are not able to carry on serving God because they are prisoners of satanic agendas which range from sickness to the issues of this life. Paul wrote caring about the state of the church. If we all today wrote our lives with such an attitude and care for others the world would be a better place. You wonder why I use the word 'wrote', because our lives are writing history that others will read your life story and I pray it makes great reading. The Book of Romans gives the theological understanding of the work of the cross. Paul

Day 274 Reading: Acts 21:1 - Acts 28:31 We live in a world where influencers are critical to brands. For any brand to become famous it must allow influencers to help advocate for it. Few people are known to have influenced the Kingdom of God like Paul. Paul was an influencer who propagated the cause of the Kingdom. The Book of Acts records how the gospel spread from Jerusalem to the known world. We the believers of today are continuing to write the chapters of the Book of Acts. God has not stopped moving on earth and His Kingdom is advancing more than ever. What lessons have I learnt from the Book of Acts? Be willing to proclaim the gospel to everyone. Many times we are unable to preach the gospel to high ranking people. Don't be arrogant and forget that we all are in need of salvation and the status of man should not be a hindrance.  The power of God is needed for the salvation of mankind. Miracles are not to puff the preacher up but to magnify God and thus dr

Day 273 Reading: Acts 14:1 - Acts 20:38 Suddenly I have faced challenges getting this blog going out continually. I have made the choice to keep the faith and keep fighting to have truth sent out to many that it may inspire you the reader to love God more than ever. I have maintained my joy in knowing that God is in charge of all scenarios no matter the challenge. Paul and Barnabas went around Europe and Asia Minor preaching the gospel. Everywhere they went they were bold in proclaiming the gospel. Reading through the Book of Acts one of the questions I have asked myself is what was the gospel Paul preached. He declared that Christ rose from the dead. Any message of the Cross that doesn't speak of the resurrection is half-baked. Jesus had to rise to conquer death.  All were called to repentance. Christ had judged the enemy and man now had to turn from sin and return to God.  Paul declared that the grace of God was the reason we all could come to become children of

Day 272 Reading: Acts 9:1 - Acts 13:52 God is a God of details. Information in the Bible is not given to fill space. There is always a reason for something. While Stephen was being stoned to death a young man was receiving the clothes of others who took part in the stoning. That young man is named Saul. Saul soon is a terror to the church and is given permission by the High Priest to round up the Christians and persecute them. Many of the new believers were of the Jewish heritage and thus this new found faith was threatening Judaism. Saul's mandate was to eradicate these people and ensure the faith he believed in remained intact. On this journey to Damascus, Saul has an encounter that changes his life. God will meet you in the most unlikely of places. No case is too hard for God. Every time I read the story of Saul's conversion am encouraged to know that Jesus cares so much for the soul of everyone. It doesn't matter who you are wherever you are God will reach

Day 271 Reading: Acts 5:1 - Acts 8:40 Only 120 disciples encountered the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day. By the time Peter had preached the Word of God 3000 souls were added to them. The Bible records that daily the church saw an increase. As I read this statement my heart was stirred to ask what does God use to increase a church? The Holy Spirit. Without the aid of the Holy Spirit, we cannot see growth in church or personally. The power of God is released by the Holy Spirit and this draws people to God. The Holy Spirit is not pointing people to the vessels being used. His role is to point people to Jesus and no one else. When we take the glory the move of God stops. Many believers have seen the power of God. Even more, can tell you of how it used to be but now cannot see the power of God. The main reason being that the fire needed to maintain the move of God is lost because we give the honour due to God to a man. Simon thought he could buy the gift of the Holy Spirit and dis

Day 270 Reading: Acts 1:1 – Acts 4:37 Welcome to the Book of Acts. Every believer living today continues this book. Luke the writer of the Gospel of Luke also writes the Book of Acts. Luke being a medical doctor writes with detail. Each miracle or story told is filled with detail. I can almost imagine him interviewing the participants to get a picture to present to the reader. Jesus while walking on earth kept speaking about the Holy Spirit. In the Book of John Jesus reveals the purpose of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist while announcing Jesus had stated that Jesus would baptise people in the Holy Spirit. The word baptise in the Bible reveals an immersion and not a sprinkling. Jesus is the Baptiser in the Holy Spirit and fire Luke 3:16 .  Why do we as believers need the Holy Spirit? ·       Power for our witness . Jesus directed the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. This power would enable them to do exploits. ·