Words for Life Articles

This joyous Christmas season we celebrate the birth of our Servant King - Jesus.  From the time of His birth He was declared and revealed to us to be King.

Matthew 2: 1 - 2

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, ^[a]wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

Yet this King did not come to be served and waited on. He came to serve God the Father, and to serve humanity. He came to serve you and I.

Key Scripture:

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Our mouth is a special gift from God that He has given to us. It is a powerful gift and a multi faceted gift.  We use it to eat, to speak, to pray, to confess, to declare, to decree, to cry, to proclaim, to preach, to teach, to bless, to praise, to worship, to communicate etc.

One very important reason God gave us our mouths is to praise Him

To praise the Lord is a command that God gives us His people. We are commanded to praise God. It is a command that He expects us to obey. It has been said that there are approximately 250 commands and declarative statements about praising God in the Bible

Acts 16:25-33

25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

Many times, some of us find it difficult to be a blessing during the times of our difficulties. For some people their circumstance determines whether they pray or praise God.

In this scripture we see Paul and Silas humiliated and persecuted for setting a young girl free from the bondage of divination. The bondage of a slavery to a false god. Paul and Silas were wrongly accused and locked up, chain and barrel. Yet in the middle of their imprisonment and predicament, they prayed and sang praises to God. Paul and Silas were able to pray and praise God because their joy was not conditioned by their situation.

Whilst laying on my bed, I saw in my mind’s eye, how many of us were walking past the numerous harvest field without any care in the world.

I saw myself in the midst of this harvest field but I was oblivious of it. Many of us in the 21^st Century do not even have a clue as to what a harvest field is.

When we look around us, on the bus, on the train, in our work places, in classrooms, at restaurants, everywhere we go, we see lost and broken people. We see a harvest field but unfortunately, we have become too preoccupied with everything else but the harvest field.

Jesus said to His disciples in John 4:35

³⁵ Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

John 8:31-36

³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  ³³ They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

For many years as an unbeliever, I went to church because my mother wanted me to. I went because it made my mother happy. I went because it felt good. I knew all the lingos; I did everything Church goers did. I sang in the choir; I was involved in church drama. I was loved by my parents, I was loved by the church, respected by my peers. I knew some scriptures; I took part in Christian drama. My life on the surface was a success, but deep inside I was a wreck, a man with little confidence.

Many of us might know someone like me, or some of you were like me. We went to Church but still had issues we were struggling with.

About two thousand years ago, Jesus confronted people just like me, they did everything to please God and people but they were far from being happy.

They were slaves to culture, tradition, sin and were very religious and when Jesus confronted them with truth and freedom, it was  difficult to swallow.

For them and many people today the TRUTH presented to them went over their heads.

Yet there is only one truth that can set us all free and that truth is the knowledge of the only begotten son of God, Jesus Christ.

James 1:2-4

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Modern teachings in Christianity has tried to teach that Christians are immune from suffering. I am baffled and perplexed by this sort of teaching, as it totally contradicts scriptures and the teaching of Jesus Christ.

The Bible is actually full of scriptures and events which shows suffering and persecution will be part and parcel of the Christian believer’s life here on earth

Jesus in John 16:33 said this to his disciples.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  

Jesus was saying that as long as we are in this world, we are not immune to affliction, agony, anguish, distress, excruciation, hurt, misery, pain, rack, strait(s), torment, torture, travail, woe etc. However, He also went on to say that He has overcome the world, and as a result, we have become overcomers. I will say it again, because Jesus has overcome the world, we have automatically become overcomers.

Every one of us have been created by God for a purpose. You might not know or have discovered what that purpose is but you were not created just to occupy space.

Our lives sometimes are filled with numerous activities that we become completely oblivious of what our real purpose is on this earth. We are sometimes driven by the demands of life and lose sight of God’s greater purpose for our lives.

We must stop and evaluate our daily routine to realise that God’s purpose for our lives are not just about us, but it also encompasses the lives of others around us and beyond - at home, school, work, in our businesses community, city, nation and even beyond our nation(s).

The Bible says in the book of Jeremiah 29:11

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God says He knows the plans He has for you. That means you were not just created to have a home, education, have children etc. God’s plan for your life is a lot more than these things. The truth is that God has a purpose for everyone.