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.  P...

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...

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 ...