The Wonders of His Cross

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Introduction
The value you place on something or someone determines what you get out of it. If you place high value on your relationships, you will get the best out of them, and this is literally true for virtually everything in this world. Apostle Paul in the scripture above expresses the high premium he placed on the cross of Jesus. George Bennard (1873-1958) in his classic, the Old Rugged Cross, said he would cherish the old rugged cross; for him the cross of Jesus Christ holds a high attraction. Below are some reasons why we should place a high premium on the cross of Jesus where was crucified:

The cross is where both the compassion and judgment of God collided: Because sin had to be punished, Jesus had to become man to pay the penalty on our behalf for the sins of mankind. God because of His love for mankind dealt a hard blow on Jesus on the cross for mankind to be saved (Romans 5:8). On the other hand, the anger of God on sin was also displayed at Golgotha where Jesus died. God couldn’t behold the sin Jesus bore on that cross, so He turned away and pitch darkness fell on the land from 12 noon to 3pm (Luke 23:44-45).

The cross is the place of salvation: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). The cross of Jesus is representative of the bronze serpent pole that Moses erected in the wilderness. The Israelites were being bitten by snakes and the cure for the snake bite was for them to look up and behold the bronze pole (Numbers 2:4-8). The cure for the toxic power of sin is to look up and believe in the cross of Jesus.

The cross is the place of crucifixion: “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be SLAVES OF SIN”(Romans 6:6). When Jesus hung on the cross we were united with Him, and the old Adamic carnal nature in us was crucified with Him. Every true child of God is no more in captivity to sin. We are no more under the tyranny, rulership and control of Mister Sinful Nature. We are no longer under obligation to obey our old sinful nature (Romans 8:12).

The cross is the place of death: “And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last” (Mark 15:37). Jesus died on the cross around 3pm after being nailed to the tree for six hours. The more we value and embrace the cross, the more the allurement, pleasure and fascination of the world wane. Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:14 said, “Because of that cross my interest in all the attractive things of the world was killed long ago, and the world’s interest in me is also dead” (TLB). When we fix our gaze on the cross, its attraction trumps the attraction of the world; likewise, when the attraction of the world fascinates us so much, we get distracted from the cross and its wonders.

The cross is the essence of Christianity: Without Good Friday, there wouldn’t be resurrection morning. Because Jesus rose, every child of God has the hope of resurrection. The same power that went into the grave and brought Jesus out is still available till today to help us live godly lives, rout out demons, heal the sick, revive dreams and businesses, etc. There is hope of eternal life because Jesus rose.

Conclusion
What attraction does the cross of Jesus hold for you? Receive Jesus today and visit the cross daily. Have a blessed new month!

Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
www.rccgpittsburgh.org

The Nature of Godly Trust

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion which cannot be moved but abides forever. (Psalm 125:1)

There is a thin line existing between faith and trust in God. Faith in God is active, always seeking to gain control of situations and circumstances; trust is passive, relinquishing control of situations to God, being still and waiting for divine intervention (Psalm 46:10). Faith emphasizes the now or present reality, while trust transcends time into eternity. Faith, at times, could be an event, while trust is more of a process. Prophet Elijah through confidence in God called fire down from heaven and slew 450 idol worshippers at Mount Carmel. Few moments later, this great prophet was running from Queen Jezebel who threatened to kill him for slaying the 450 idol worshippers. Prophet Elijah demonstrated faith in God on an occasion, but a total lack of trust in God when he ran away from Jezebel (1 Kings 18 & 19). Below are some characteristics of TRUST in God:

Trust is commitment: From time to time, new born babies are brought to church for dedication. These babies are being committed and entrusted to God to keep and ensure a blessed future for them. Likewise as Christians, our souls are entrusted to God to keep and ensure a glorious destiny for us in Heaven. Jesus is the Bishop and Shepherd of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). A trusting heart relinquishes control of things beyond him or her to God.

Reliance on God honors Him: God was displeased when King David counted his army to assess his military prowess over neighboring countries. He looked away from God who really was the secret to his military successes. God felt dishonored, and hence decided to punish David (2 Samuel 24). Men trust in different things such as money, good education, good health system, social connections, etc. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in men” (Psalm 118:8).

Understanding God engenders trust in Him: Because Job understood God’s ways, His covenants and dealings with him, he trusted God implicitly in his travails and troubles. As a result, he made statements such as “even though He slay me yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15) and “I know My Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). Job was unshaken in his belief because He understood the ways of God.

Surrender and trust are partners: The more one surrenders to God, the deeper the trust he or she exercises in Him. Apostle Peter slept off in a prison knowing he would likely be killed by King Herod after the Passover celebrations. He was not deterred or moved, despite the threat on his life. This was possible because he was totally surrendered and submitted to God. His assurance of deliverance by God was total because he was in God’s perfect will.

Trust is an inward matter: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). Trust in God is cultivated as we set our mind on God and His word. This trust manifests as inward peace in trouble times; restfulness in times of turmoil and great danger; Godly assurance when we hear bad news. Anxiety and trust don’t coexist. Worry and trust also don’t coexist. When worry is rife in our lives, it means we are not trusting God.

Conclusion
Those who trust in the Lord are described as well watered gardens whose leaves are green all seasons through. They are described as the blessed of the Lord (Jeremiah 17:7-8). They are unmoved and unshaken, and are like Mount Zion which cannot be moved. Where is your trust?

Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
www.rccgpittsburgh.org

Setting God Centered Goals

A man’s heart plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NKJV)

A goal simply defined is a target or desired end. Christ centered goals are goals mainly sourced from the word of God. These are goals we set that are in alignment with God’s will, His power and the prosperity of His kingdom. They are goals that bring honor and glory to God.

God allows His children to make some decisions regarding their lives even though He can sovereignly overrule. The Living Bible in Proverbs 19:21 says man proposes but God disposes. We are to have goals that we subject to God’s will. It is okay to make plans counting on God to direct our steps (Proverbs 16:9, TLB). Below are some salient points about goal setting:

Goals Are Important In Life: Goals are the roadmap to progress. A wise man said nothing is dynamic until it first becomes specific. Until you can define your desired end, forces of progress may elude you. It’s amazing how before you set date for an event everything is in a stalemate but immediately the date is set things begin to move fast and fall into place. Setting goals motivates and set things in motion.

Goals Should Be Written Out: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets that he may run that reads it” (Habakkuk 2:2). The fact is that whatever we focus on in life magnifies. Whatever you set before your eyes is magnified in your mind. God asked Abraham to focus on the stars of the firmament and not on his childlessness. God was trying to advertise his future to him and needed Abraham to ingest and internalize what He was planning to do in his future.

Goals Should Be Verified: As you draw up your goals, you must also state the reason why you want them accomplished. For example if your goal is to be married in 2015, the reason for the marriage shouldn’t be that you are getting old and therefore willing to settle for anybody available. The reason should be God glorying and should come from a desire to be in partnership with a godly spouse and to fulfill God’s will for marriage. Always ensure your motives are in line with Heaven.

Goals Don’t Fulfill Themselves: One dictionary definition of goals is the end towards which effort is directed. Some Christians erroneously feel that their goals all depend on God for actualization. We are co-laborers with God in bringing our goals or dreams to fruition. The question is what can you do to bring those goals to fruition? Do you need to go back to school? Do you need to learn a new skill? Do you need to seek out a mentor? What do you need to do to bring the goals to reality? The questions you ask determine the answers you get. Our effort is very much necessary and expedient in order to realize our goals. Note that your goal(s) carry a price tag which only you can pay.

Your Goals Should Have An Eternal Perspective: Setting God centered goals are only possible if we keep the divine eternal perspective. We should realize that just as we have expectations from God, He also has expectations of us. Everything I’m trying to achieve in 2015 should have a divine purpose attached to it. As a Child of God you don’t own yourself. You have been bought with a price, so you are expected to glorify God in all you do (1 Corinthians 6:20). As you do God’s will (e.g. winning souls for the kingdom), God will perfect all that concerns you.

CONCLUSION: Goals help us to be focus. Many people don’t accomplish much because they are scattered and doing many things at the same time. Goals also help us to live our lives not by chance or happenstance, but by design. Your goals are only as big as your God; your goals tell your perception of God. If you truly believe God is capable of doing all things, your goals will be lofty, transcendental and glorifying to God.

Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
www.rccgpittsburgh.org

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