Words for Life Articles

Isaiah 37:30

30 “This shall be a sign to you: You shall eat this year such as grows of itself, And the second year what springs from the same;

Also, in the third-year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.

A believer in Christ I believe has three seasons in his or her spiritual walk. I am of the conviction that for us to go forward in the Lord we all have to go through these three stages in our walk.

My study of the life of Moses brought these to light. Moses was raised and lived in a palace for 40 years (season 1), in the wilderness for 40 years (season 2), and led the Israelites for 40 years (season 3).

21 years ago, in my time in the Bible school, one of my lecturers told us a story about his three daughters that has remained with me for years. He had three daughters. The youngest was ever running ahead of him, very independent. The middle one had a habit of dragging her feet behind, bored with everything around her. However, the eldest would hold her father’s hand chatting, asking questions and keeping step with her dad.

For 430 years the children of Israel were in Egypt, and for part of the 430 years they were slaves in the hands of a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph.  Exodus 1:8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. This Pharaoh made the lives of the children of Israel unbearable, they were used and abused. The children of Israel had no voice and no deliverer, but the children of Israel continued to cry out to God for deliverance. For years it felt as though their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had abandoned His people.

Then God raised a young man, an Israelite in the palace of Pharaoh as a deliverer for the children of Israel.

The word of the Lord was clear: I have heard the cry of the children of Israel and I have come down to set them free.

Hebrews 12:24

24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Lewis Edgar Jones was born in 1865 and died in 1936

In 1899 he wrote one of the most popular song about the power of the blood – “There is power in the blood”. The wordings of the song go like this.

1 Would you be free from the burden of sin?

In Ephesians 4:11 -12 Paul writes to the Ephesians Church saying that, Jesus-

11 He gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints, for the work of service, and for the building up of the body of Christ,

These gifts we have come to know and recognise as the ascension gifts and commonly referred to as the Five-Fold Ministry. After the crucifixion and the resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven to take His place at the right hand of the father.

As the executive ruler of the universe and as the head of the Church, He released gifts to the body divided into five great capacities, when we break these gifts down we will realise that Jesus Himself operated in all these gifts.

1 King 18:41-45

41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.”

So, he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”

44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’

45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.

There are two stories that I have heard over the years that have been a blessing to me.

1 Peter 3:15

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

I recently had someone ask me “why do you Christians sing and dance”. In short, the person wanted a reason for my hope. What makes you happy? What is it that keeps you going? Why do you still trust God with everything you are going through?

What reasons are there for the hope we have in Christ? I am sure you and I will have many reasons for our hope in Christ Jesus.

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus" Phil 2:5 NIV

In Philippians 2:5, we are encouraged to have the same mindset as Jesus Christ, who even though he was God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped or behold. It says he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, he humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus Christ through his actions, attitudes and interaction with everyone exhibited specific mindsets. As believers, being like-minded or having the same mindset as Christ means thinking, believing, behaving just the same way Christ would in every situation. Let’s take a look at some of these Christ mindsets.