A broomstick used to be something that everybody, rich or poor used to have in their house here in Africa. Times are changing now sha. It’s slowly being replaced by brushes and vacuum cleaners.
However, the old-fashioned and archaic broom that lies unused in the corners of our houses can teach us a very important life lesson.
Pick up a broom. Observe the sticks carefully. Are they all equal? Definitely not. Does the inequality make the shorter ones useless? Of course not! Dare to remove the short sticks and see how useless your broom will become.
This teaches us that everyone is important and matter in making the world a better place. The sweepers who make our streets clean matter. The women who sell food items matters. That elderly woman that fries akara daily matters. In the University, the lecturers alone do not make it successful. The security officers matter. The admission officers matter. Those who sell in kiosks matter. Every arm of the society matters.
So don’t belittle yourself if you are a sweeper, akara maker or micro trader today. You can thrive right there. You might not have billions of dollars like Elon Musk or a multi-million naira business like Tony Elumelu. It does not define your worth. You are important!
Without the short sticks of broom, the long ones cannot function. Our society will be dysfunctional if everybody suddenly becomes a CEO or business owner. Therefore, wherever you find yourself, be content. Work hard, aim for the best there and use it as an opportunity to help others.
See, life is in phases. So don’t look down on anyone. The cleaner today can be a rich businessman tomorrow. The junior lecturer today can be a professor tomorrow. Life itself has its way of directing our outcomes, especially if you are a devout Christian.
One of the Bible verses I love so much is Psalm 37:23:
Psalm 37:23: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly.“
It is the foundation of my faith. It’s why I am not pressured no matter how materialistic today’s society is; make it yours too.
Things might not be how you want them to be but know you that God is directing your life, guiding your steps and leading you to your destiny!
The visit of the Magi is, in my opinion, one of the most significant events surrounding Jesus’ birth. The Magi were described as Eastern wise men. According to historians, they were astrologers who read the stars and zodiac signs.
This means that these men were not born Jews and had no relationship with Jesus. It is intriguing, however, that men who had no relationship with God were the first to present their gifts to the king, while Jews were completely unaware of what was going on.
Here are two profound lessons that the Holy Spirit wishes His church to grab from this event:
Jesus came to bring God closer to man and man closer to God
Prior to the birth of Jesus, man, Jews and Gentiles alike had no access into the presence of God. The sin of man was a barrier to man’s relationship with God (Isaiah 59:2). Man had no intimate knowledge of God and fellowship with God was enjoyed by only a few persons.
Since man could not come to God’s presence, God became man and came to man. God through Christ Jesus initiated the reconciliation process and as a result of this, we all have access into the presence and covenant of God.
The wise men were not believers. Probably they were idolaters because they were practitioners of the Eastern religion. In spite of these, the star appeared to them.
What does this star symbolize in Christianity?
The star is symbolic of light, illumination, and enlightenment. They received a revelation that a king had been born. They followed the star, which led them to the Savior’s home, where they bowed in reverence.
Do you know that under the old covenant, these men would have no access to God? They would not even be able to approach God’s presence without being killed by His wrath for their sins! But, at the birth of Jesus, they did not just approach God; they fell to their knees and worshiped Him.
This is the reason for Jesus’ birth. It is the reason for the celebration of Christmas. It is the reason we celebrate Christmas on December 25th. It reminds us that God became man over two thousand years ago in order for man to be closer to God.
And we who are not originally Jewish can worship Him because of His birth, death, and resurrection. We can get down on our knees and pray, and our prayers will be answered.
As Gentiles, we had none of these until Jesus came to bridge the gap!
Because of His incarnation, a Samaritan woman became an evangelist. An adulteress condemned to die was set free. A harlot named Mary Magdalene became a sponsor of His ministry. A Canaanite woman received healing for her daughter and three Easterners worshipped Him.
It is for this reason that we celebrate His birth! God became man and brought even the Gentiles that were far away unto Himself!
2. GOD WANTS OUR WORSHIP
There is another amazing revelation in this story! When the wise men came to Jesus, they bowed and worshipped Him. Many emphasize more on the material treasures they gave to Jesus.
However, in spite of the material value and the prophetic significance of the gold, frankincense and myrrh they presented to Jesus, they first presented a gift that far outweighs the material things.
This is the greatest gift that we can give to the God. I believe the Matthew was right in describing the Magi as wise; because they presented the greatest gift first before giving Jesus their treasures. Here’s what Matthew reports;
“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” Matthew 2:11.
Historians tell us that to fall down at someone’s feet is a symbol of obeisance and reverence. The wise men showed their reverence and submission to God first before presenting their gifts.
This Christmas, though it is good one shows love for God by bringing our material gifts, tithes and offerings to Him, the greatest and most important gift God is after is the gift of our reverence and our worship.
God wants you and me to submit our lives to Him. To live for Him daily and to honor Him in everything we do. He wants our lives to be an acceptable worship to Him.
This Christmas, let us reflect on how we lived our lives this year. Did your life and your decisions honor God? Was God worshipped in your actions?
Let this Christmas be one with a difference. I have decided to give the gift of my worship and my submission to God. That in honor of what He did for me, I will give Him all of my honor and reverence.
I believe this is what God wants from His children; a life of worship and consecration. Is it possible? Hell yeah… lol! It’s more than possible. All you have to do is make the decision and trust in the Holy Spirit that lives in you to help you do it.
The Bible tells us that, ‘there are many vessels in a great man’s house.’ It then emphasizes vessels of honor. Gift Ugochi Christopher, also known as G U C, is a vessel of honor in the Body of Christ today, in my opinion.
His songs have greatly enriched people’s lives both within and outside the borders of this country. Most importantly, they have progressed from being ordinary songs to being channels of revival and healing in people’s lives.
His songs, from ‘All That Matters’ to ‘God of Vengeance’ and his most recent release, ‘Obinigwe,’ all have a dominant theme of consecration, devotion, and absolute reverence to God. Indeed, this man has provided a fresh perspective on the importance of music ministry and music ministers in God’s work.
I was particularly stunned by the testimonies I found on his Facebook page this morning.
14 YEARS OF CANCER DISAPPEARED! After three days of listening to his song, this cancer patient testified that the cancer was gone and the wound was healing naturally!
“My neighbor has been down for three days now,” said someone who identified as Favour. “I downloaded your latest song, Obinigwe, and as I played it near him in the hospital, his fingers started to move,” he added. The testimony, however, does not end there. ‘When I stopped the song, he (my friend) passed out again,’ says Favour. So I played the song again, and he started moving. ‘His eyes have opened!’
One of the most moving testimonies I heard was from a fellow whose brother died this morning. However, as the person pondered what to do, the song ‘Obinigwe’ came to mind. The song was downloaded and played in front of the lifeless brother, who immediately came back to life.
The testimonies are numerous and continue to pour in. I believe in GUC’s abundance of God’s grace, but I also believe he is a man who has taken music beyond songwriting and song release. The calibre of testimonies received by a song; raising the dead, healing cancer, saving lost souls, and so on, speaks volumes about the intense spiritual preparations made prior to its release. Despite being released on his YouTube channel, the song has been uploaded on several blogs.
I believe that God is using these testimonies to send a message to aspiring and up and coming music ministers. This is the impact the Holy Spirit wishes to make through Gospel music! Through your music, he wishes to heal, bless, and impart souls. He desires spiritual songs that will minister to the souls of those who hear them. Make it your goal to walk with the Holy Spirit all the way to this point.
Finally, the Bible tells us that God is fair to everyone. He can do for one what He can do for the other. Do you have any need? Healing, deliverance, and so on? God has the ability to minister to you. Download and get lost in the song’s worship of God and trust God for your miracle!
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
One of the unanswerable questions I’ve always had within myself is the question of my own existence. Why do I exist in an age that is plagued with Covid? Why do I exist in an age that is plagued with sexual immorality? Why do I exist in an age where abortion is considered a human right? Why do I exist in an age where homosexuality is celebrated? Why do I exist in an age inundated with inflation, insecurity and Christian persecution?
These thoughts engulf my mind and sometimes, they make me wish I was never born. Have these thoughts ever plagued your mind before?
Have you ever doubted the providence and predestining prowess of God?
Why was I born into this family?
Why was I born into this country?
Why was I born into this lineage?
Why was I born into this condition? The whys we ask fate are never ending, and sometimes, unanswerable.
However, one can take solace in the fact that nothing that has happened, that is happening or will happen to one is beyond the foreknowledge of God. The Bible says that we have been ‘predestined according to God’s purpose’(Ephesians 1:11). That is to say, our birth is not by chance. God specifically chose the geographical location, lineage and family you should be born into. There is no accident in destiny!
The revelation of this fact serves as the foundation for our primary text. Esther, the Jewish queen of Persia, finds herself in a perplexing situation in our text. Her people are on the verge of extinction due to the evil plans of a man named Haman. Esther, despite being a Jew, is flummoxed by the situation and does not act immediately.
This changes when Mordecai, her wise old uncle, approaches her and tells her the truth. One of the things he said to her stands out and is crucial in the context of this admonition. ‘And who knows whether thou art [not] come to the kingdom for such a time as this,’ he says.
Probably Esther had thought her enthronement as queen was a mere reward for her hard-work and beauty. Mordecai’s statement opened her eyes to see that her enthronement was actually a part of God’s plan to deliver the people of Israel.
She had no idea about this when she enrolled in the beauty pageantry. She had no idea about this when she was chosen to become the queen. It was at this moment that she realized that all this while, her steps from the streets to the palace had been ordained by God for the deliverance of her people.
This is a wonderful lesson and source of comfort for you as a believer. You may not get the desired answers to all of the whys you ask fate right now, but if you remain faithful to God, you will someday come to full understanding of it.
The story of Joseph exemplifies this. At the age of seventeen, the Christian icon was sold into slavery. When his friends were enjoying the warmth and comfort of their homes, he was working as a slave in the home of a foreigner. His situation deteriorated from slavery to imprisonment. Joseph, on the other hand, maintained his faith in God.
He had no complete understanding of God’s plan. Nonetheless, he was aware that God was in command. He walked by faith rather than sight. God eventually promoted him from the lowest level of Egypt’s prison to the highest office in the Egyptian political administration.
After revealing his identity to his brothers, they were sore afraid. However, he said to them, ‘God brought me here for this situation’.
You, like Joseph and Esther, were chosen for a time like this. You were purposefully brought into this world. You were born into your country and family at the perfect time.
If it was plagued with poverty, you were born there to be the bringer of wealth. If it is plagued with unbelief, you were born there to be the light to their darkened hearts. God chose you for this particular age!
That is why you are endowed with some of the skills you have! There are several pointers to the fact that there is a purpose for your existence in this time!
Therefore, like Mordecai admonished Esther, I admonish you to rise! To rise above complaining! To rise above complacency! To rise above asking the whys! I implore you to embrace the peculiarity of your purpose, to seek to know more about it. To trust in the Lord and let Him lead you into the fullness of your calling.
Romans 12:1 tells us not to be conformed to the ways of the world. The strength of the Church is in her uniqueness. Our victory is in the peculiarity of our faith and not in our conformity to worldly standards.
We might adopt their technology. We might use their gadgets. But we must be careful not to conform to their culture. Our words must not be like theirs – ours must be seasoned with the Grace of God that dwells in us.
Our lifestyles must be unique from theirs. We must be consecrated unto God. Until the Church restores her culture of uniqueness, she will remain powerless.
Apostle Joshua Selman is a Nigerian televangelist, instrumentalist, and chemical engineer. He is the founder and Senior Pastor of the Eternity Network International (ENI).
The (ENI) has a gospel fellowship called Koinonia, which meets regularly in Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State, and Abuja, Nigeria.
Have you ever been told of a miracle coming your way but after a long time, you saw no miracle?
Have you ever wondered why despite the fact that the preacher was genuine and inspired, the prophecy was never fulfilled?
“Or was he lying? ” you might have asked within yourself.
Well, he was not lying 😊
Romans 3 vs 4 says, “Let God be true but every man a liar ”.
Those prophecies were totally true. Why didn’t they happen? You ask.
Truth is, certain prophecies are not assurances that a certain thing will happen in your life! They are not.
What do I mean?
Take for example, a high ranking official in the government promises to give you a job, a well paying job.
Knowing how genuine this man is, you immediately become rest assured that the job is now yours.
Though he has promised you the job, you still have your part to play in getting it. You have to prepare and submit your CV and prove to be competent in an interview. The job will only be yours when these procedures have been followed.
Getting blissful prophecies to manifest in our lives is similar to this.
Prophecy has two major purposes,
1. Faith
2. Alignment
Prophecy strengthens our faith in God. It gives us the assurance of a better future in spite of the difficulties we may be experiencing.
Prophecy is also released to put us in alignment with God’s will.
However, that a good promise has been prophesied to us does not mean it will automatically come true.
It is not magic. You have a part to play in its fulfilment.
1 Timothy 1:18 “This charge I commit to you…. according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare”
In the aforementioned verse, Paul admonishes is that the prophecies and promises that God has made to us aren’t just released to make us feel good.
They are given to us to equip us for spiritual warfare. In the text, Paul charges us to wage a good warfare with the prophecies.
This is because there exist several powers and forces that will fight against us in our Christian journey.
This is further revealed in Ephesians 6:12;
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
These principalities and powers are working daily to bring obstacles and hindrances our way. Their mission is to ensure we do not achieve our God-given purpose.
It is with God’s revealed promises and prophecies that we pray and stop their activities. So when you see poverty in your life even when God has promised you great wealth, do not relax thinking it will come true.
The Prophecy did not come to make you relax, it came to equip you to fight for its fulfilment. Go to God in prayer and constantly remind Him of His Promise to you.
Keep declaring it in your life. Even when everything around you seems to contradict the promise, keep declaring it and praying for its fulfilment.
When we do this, we nurture the seed of Prophecy to germinate and become a reality in our lives.
What is that promise that God has given you? What positive prophecy have you received that has not come into manifestation yet?
Now is the time to go to God and remind Him of the promise and demand for its fulfilment!
Whether it is long life or business opportunities or a prosperous future, keep praying with it and expecting its fulfilment in your life.
For the first time in many years, England advanced to the finals of the World Euro Cup. After what appeared to be a curse of international football upsets, they appeared to be on the verge of victory; however, they fell short.
Sterling, Harry Kane, Saka, and Pickford’s names rang out across England as they progressed from the group stage to the round of 16, quarter finals, semi-finals, and finals.
However, this changed when Sancho, Saka, and Rashford – three African-descent footballers – all missed their individual penalty kicks.
As soon as it happened, certain white people took to the streets to deface Rashford’s images and billboards, as well as post derogatory comments about him on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
What fascinates me about this scenario is that the same way Rashford was celebrated for his dribbles and unusual goals in the English Premier League, these radical, racist individuals slandered him for missing a single penalty.
It teaches us how quickly humans forget a person’s great deeds because of a single error. It teaches me, in particular, how the average human thrives on exalting people’s mistakes over their triumphs.
It’s amazing how quickly people forget how Rashford spent millions of Euros to ensure that children don’t go to bed hungry. We seem to have forgotten how Rashford was able to overturn a British Parliament bill and secure free school meals for children.
However, this is not the main issue. The crux of the issue is what we aspirants for greatness and national recognition should take away from this situation.
1. Every day will not be a victory day
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill.
The truth is that there is no successful striker in world’s history that has not missed more than one penalty shootout in his career. Yet, what makes them great and successful is their ability to move on from their mistakes and continue in the journey to greatness.
Likewise, there is no great businessman, entrepreneur, preacher or leader who has not made a miss in life before. No one gets to the top without scars. But we are carried away by their flashy cars and sparkling suits that we fail to discern the scars and welts behind those suits.
David was a very great man in the Bible. He had a lot of victories and political success. But one day, David was driven away from his own throne by his very son. And as he was running, he came across one who was supposed to be his subject. Unfortunately, his very subject who paid obeisance to him insulted him and mocked at him.
I believe it must have been a very traumatic experience for David. But even as he seemed to fall from the palace to the bush, David’s faith remained in God and in the course of time, he returned to his throne even more powerful than he was before.
Therefore, do not be dismayed if you seemed to have missed a mark in your shots for greatness. Do not be dismayed if your kick seems to be out of the mark. The failures and shortcomings are all a part of the travails through you will birth a miracle!
Move on! Do not despise your shortcomings! Do not weep over your past miss when you still have hundreds of opportunities in the future. If you continue to cry over the past, you will be so blinded by your tears that walking into the future greatness God has for you will be nearly impossible.
Therefore, when you make mistakes, learn your lesson, but do not dwell on it. Recompense your past by striving for a better future and an improved performance in the next opportunity that comes your way.
2. Focus on the love from those who matter in your life.
Not everyone will like you – especially when you are Christian. But if you truly stay focused in living for Christ, God will definitely bring people along your way who will show you love and ensure you stay strong even in your darkest times.
These are people you should stay with. People who you know genuinely care for you. People who rebuke in love and encourage in goodwill. Take your mind off the haters and envious critics and bask in the love of these gems.
3. Be moved by neither the extravagant praises of people or their ridicule
I think a lot of public speakers teach us not to listen to the ridicule of people, but very few actually teach that one must not also be moved by the praises of people.
If your heart is lifted when people praise you, share your posts on social media and speak very well of you, your heart will be downcast when they ridicule and mock you.
Jesus understood this very well. He distanced Himself from men several times because of it. He knew their hearts – that those same men who praised him would someday betray him.
Thus, if you will develop strength against criticisms, you must be your own motivator. You must be your number one fan. You must be your own secret admirer. You must develop love for yourself. Correct yourself when you’re wrong and give yourself a high-five when you achieve giant strides.
Do not ever look to people for fulfilment. Look unto God. Your joy must be in fulfilling your purpose and God’s commands, not in the praises of people.
This, folks, is an art we must develop on the road to success. Do not get carried away by their extravagant praises or ridicule. Stay focused and glued on the goal!
Finally, remember that whether you win or lose is not what matters, what matters is the courage to keep going and the determination to keep shooting your shots until you get your goal!
Nicholas James Vujicic is a Christian evangelist and motivational speaker from Australia who was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of arms and legs.
He was born with incomplete limbs. According to his autobiography, his mother refused to see or hold him when the nurse held him in front of her, and she and her husband vomited after seeing their son with no limbs, but they eventually accepted the condition and saw it as “God’s plan for their son.”
None of these stopped him from pursuing his activities as an exemplary preacher and writer. Today, Nick is one of the most inspiration preachers in the world. His books has blessed the lives of many. He bags a Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy and Financial Planning in Griffith University. He won Best Actor in a Short Film at the 2010 Method Fest Independent Film Festival for his starring role as We ll.
Stephen Hawking’s experience reveals many things that anyone who is disabled should be aware of;
– Your accomplishments are more a function of your mindset than of your current state or circumstance.
Physical disabilities do not necessarily define who you are, nor do they define who God created you to be. It is essential that you begin to see yourself as great as God sees you and refuse to focus on your current limitations.
You are perfect, capable, great, exceptional, and valuable – this is who you are! The key to your success and fulfillment is hidden deep within you. You have everything you need to live life to the fullest if you set your mind to it and concentrate on the things you can do. You are God’s image, and He took his time in creating you to be perfect and wonderful (Psalms 139:14).
No disability or circumstance can make you less than perfect; the only thing that can make you less than perfect is you.
God is still in charge and cares about your life and success; the world still needs the great star in you – so don’t settle for anything less. It makes no difference whether you can walk on your own legs or not; the world is looking for men and women with developed minds, not men and women with developed bodies. Avoid negative thoughts that make you feel less than others! You are just as perfect as God says you are His very image.
Finally, I want you to read this,
Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”
You may have believed that God had abandoned you because of your disabilities; however, God knew you before you were born or were diagnosed with that disability.
God was aware of your physical stature.
There is nothing that you are going through presently that is a surprise to Him.
In spite of your disabilities, God still chose you. He won’t discard His plan for your life because of a mere physical disability. He has a purpose for you.
In Jeremiah 29:11, God says that the thoughts He has for you are thoughts of good and not of evil. God has wonderful plans for your life, beloved, so do not count yourself out!
Instead, seek solace and comfort in the fatherhood of God. Choose now to believe in yourself! Start investing in yourself. Seek for classes to take, good books to read, opportunities to bless people even as one who is disabled. Be an inspiration and a blessing to your world like Nick Vujicic.
We at Koinonia Art love you and we believe in you!
When I was a kid, I never got to experience the full range of childhood exploration. This was due to the fact that I had extremely low self-esteem. I was embarrassed about myself, my family, and my body.
As a child, I was short and lanky, and my peers thought I was a nerd. One thing people always noticed about me was my lanky stature.
As a result, I was ridiculed and even threatened. As a result, I ceased public performance. I no longer attend parties or other public gatherings. I felt self-conscious every time I walked across the street.
People’s negative words infiltrated my mind and became a stronghold there for many years, until I began to experience a spiritual reawakening and turnaround.
I became interested in my Bible, and as I studied it, I discovered that I had believed a lie all these years.
The things I saw in the Bible about myself were the polar opposite of what I had been told as a child. I began to see myself in a whole new light.
This viewpoint was initially difficult for me to accept because my mind was already programmed to believe negativity.
It had become so accustomed to negativity that it dismissed and filtered out any positive statement that came its way.
However, as I began to study my Bible and learn more about God’s love for me, this stronghold of negativity began to crumble.
Today, I am living up to my full potential. I am a bold preacher of the Gospel; I am a leader in my organization, and there is no trace of timidity in me.
Your current situation may be similar to mine. Perhaps you’ve been told that you’re not beautiful enough.
That you’re not beautiful enough; that you’re not holy enough; and you’ve been living in the shadow of those voices. It’s time to toss them aside and listen to what God has to say to you.
You are God’s design. You are His child, and He adores you.
See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know Him. (1 John 3:1)
I recall talking with a friend who had adopted a child from an orphanage. I asked her why they chose the young lad out of all the kids. ‘I don’t know,’ she replied. I saw him and I fell in love with him.’
This is the type of love God has for us. He adores us without condition. He loves us despite our flaws and weaknesses, both physical and spiritual.
Everything changes the moment you realize and accept this truth. It changes your perspective and mindset. All that matters is that God loves you.
He regards you as Holy and beloved. Height has nothing to do with one’s ability and innate quality, whether you’re slim or fat, tall or short.
One can have a large stature and be hollow on the inside, or a very large stature and be full of massive potentials.
Whatever your situation is, learn to accept yourself. Accept your body for what it is. You would never have had that kind of body if it didn’t look great on you.
Put a stop to the intimidation. Satan will always try to use those voices to make us fearful and prevent us from reaching for success.
When everyone else is speaking with this voice, however, look within and listen to the voice of God within you.
Speak positive thoughts to yourself. Speak up for yourself! It makes no difference what your physical disability is – success is determined by what one has within, not by the shape of one’s body.
So don’t bother with plastic and cosmetic surgeries to alter your body. You are ideal just the way you are!
Put a stop to the timid voices! They will always be there for you! People will make fun of you if you are thin. People will make fun of you if you gain weight.
People will make fun of you if you are short. People will still make fun of you if you grow tall. So don’t let other people’s perceptions of you shape your own!
Turn their stones of mockery into a push for success as they hurl them at you. Never go back to respond to them! Maintain your focus on the task that God has assigned you, and complete it with joy.
Finally, live a positive and optimistic life. Fall in love with yourself on a daily basis – look in the mirror every morning and speak genuine words of affirmation to yourself.
Allow positivity to serve as your filter, allowing it to filter out negative thoughts and voices in your head.
Hosea 2:7: “Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, For then it was better for me than now”
God used the metaphor of a husband and wife relationship to speak to Israel in the preceding passage. They had abandoned God in favor of idols and carnal desires, and they were on the verge of facing severe punishment for their sins.
When a believer abandons God’s work to do the work of the flesh and the enemy, that believer is like a bride who has abandoned her husband for another. Jesus referred to Himself as “Our Love,” (Revelation 2:4) and we are referred to as “His Bride” in the book of Ephesians.
Since we are His Bride and in a mystical union with Him we must ask ourselves if we are faithful to this marriage with Jesus. It is critical that the believer performs a constant heart check to determine whether he is conscious and faithful of his union with Christ.
Just as when a lady gets married, her groom places a ring in her middle finger as a reminder that she is married no matter where she goes, when Christ married us in faith, He gave us His Holy Spirit as a sign in our hearts to remind us that we are married to Jesus and that our lives must be lived for Him alone.
Some believers, however, have grieved the Holy Spirit and have lost this consciousness. Instead of living in devotion to Christ, they have joined forces with sin and demons. They have abandoned their first love because they were deceived by another, who poses as a true lover.
However, the Bible teaches that Christ is the only true Love. He not only loves us, but He is Love Himself. Jesus embodies all of love. Love is the essence of His Being and the driving force behind His nature and actions. Only Jesus can truly love us, bless us, and give us the kind of future we desire.
If you have not been faithful to Jesus, in your fellowship with Him, in your obedience to His commands; if you have not been faithful with Jesus, now is the time to return to Him, repent of your unfaithfulness, and renounce any ungodly union you have had with the world or with the voice of the flesh.
Every unfaithful Christian, like the prodigal son and this unfaithful bride, will eventually realize that Christ is the better husband. Some, like the prodigal son, will realize this here on Earth. Some, however, may not have the opportunity to repent here and will only come to that realization in hell.
Nonetheless, it is not God’s will for anyone to perish. He desires that we repent and serve Him in true love and faithfulness. So let us return to the Lord. Let us repent of our disobedient actions and recognize that only Christ can truly love and bless us.
The next verse is also of utmost priority;
Hosea 2:8 She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold– which they used for Baal. (NIV)
The starting point of spiritual complacency is in the failure to acknowledge God for the blessings He has bestowed on us. Archbishop Trench says,
‘How prone are we all to ascribe to chance or fortune those gifts and blessings which indeed come directly from God–to build altars to Fortune rather than to Him who is the author of every good thing which we have gotten. And this faith of men, that their blessings, even their highest, come to them by a blind chance, they have incorporated in a word; for “happy” and “happiness” are connected with “hap,” which is chance; how unworthy, then, to express any true felicity, whose very essence is that it excludes hap or chance, that the world neither gave nor can take it away.’
The unfaithful bride used the gifts given to her by God to serve idols. We must not be like the bride, who failed to recognize God as the source of all her talents and gifts.
Let us make it a habit to acknowledge God as the source of all blessings in our lives, both rare and common, even the breath in our nostrils.
This is what God expects of us: fidelity to our relationship with Him. Keeping His commands in the face of pressure and temptation to disobey. Let us walk this path of faithfulness so that, in the end, we will be known as the Lord’s faithful bride.
KOINONIA ART 