Author: efoster

Jesus said to them, 

“Do not always be afraid to run out of food or clothes. Is not life more than food, and body than clothes? Look at the birds of the sky: they do not sow seeds, they do not harvest crops; they do not make reservations in the granaries … And God, your Father, feeds them. Are not you worth more than them? (…) Observe the lilies of the fields as they grow: they do not toil or spin. And yet, no one will ever have more beautiful clothes! If God cares for birds and flowers, will he not do more for you? So do not worry, saying,  “What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? What are we going to wear? “Heavenly Father knows that you need all this. Seek to love like him first. “

This part of the Sermon on the Mount emphasizes the concerns of material life that prevent one from being close to God. Jesus invites us to redefine our priorities: to choose life from below or life from above, which is life in God. When we put our focus on the material things of life, we lose sight of what God wants to do through us. Note that, Jesus did not tell them to neglect material things because they were not useful. He said that the Father knows that they need these things so that means that before we think of the need we want to ask our Father for, He already knows we need it. What an amazing and responsible Father we have! Who knows beforehand what we need and when we need it. This is why we should put our trust in God because He has us in his mind every time and knows our thoughts just as well as our needs.

The mind can be a war zone where we are battling with doubts and fears of God’s plans and promises to us. It is in our minds that we form our actions and eventually our lives. Jesus knew this and that was why He constantly told them to “take no thought…” Worry and anxiety put one in confusion and can get him distracted from his fellowship with God. Jesus talked about not being anxious about the future because since the plants and the birds are not, how much more we who are His children. We should be more concerned about His purpose and plans which is seeing that is kingdom is established on the earth. When we make that our priority, every other thing falls in place and we get to see them do.

We have only one source of security, which is God, our heavenly Father. When there are wars, the government fails, natural disasters destroy our homes, our health deteriorates, or friends betray us, God is the only one in whom we can find security. 

Our world, with all its advances in education, science and technology, is no safer than it was thousands of years ago. Something can happen at any time; and there is no security unless we put ourselves in the hand of the One who maintains eternity and who is in control of all things. 

We need to return to God, and only when we seek God, can we find rest for our soul. The psalmist wrote: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) 

The Bible says: “These trust in chariots, and those in horses; But we of the name of the Lord, our God, will remember. “They weaken and fall, but we stand up and stand firm.” (Psalm 20: 7-8) 

God is waiting to hear us call to ask for help; and if we call, He will respond. 

By being sure of God, we do not need the security of other things. God is in control and is firmly seated on his throne. That is why we can say: “God is our refuge and strength, our help in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, although the earth is removed and the mountains are transferred to the heart of the sea.” (Psalm 46: 1-2) 

Our security comes from our faith in God and not from our circumstance: “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Psalm 46: 7, 11). Our faith is in knowing that God is omnipresent, what gives us hope and security, because we know that the Lord is always with us. 

God wants us to depend on Him and we must be aware that our trust should not be in things, but only in Him. 

We have to pray for a strong faith, and that in the midst of a world full of problems and dangers, we will continue to trust that God is with us, because His presence will give us peace and joy no matter what happens. 

Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you; I do not give it to you as the world gives it. Do not let your heart be troubled or be afraid.” (John 14:27) 

There are many who live in great prosperity – they have lots of money and possessions – however, their lives are consumed by worry and fear. And there are those who live in very difficult and dangerous places, but have a great sense of security, since they have placed their faith and hope in God. 

Job lost everything, but he chose to put his trust in God. He was moved, but he did not fall. The Bible says: “Those who trust in Jehovah are like Mount Zion, which does not move, but abides forever.” (Psalm 125: 1) 

We have to have the same courage today because Jesus said: “These things I have spoken to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have affliction, but trust, I have overcome the world ” (John 16:33). Our confidence should not be moved, because we have a God who is in complete control. We must have courage, not because we are strong, but because we have a God who is strong. He is powerful and governs over everything. God has not changed, and His love will help us overcome: “Because the Lord is good and His love is eternal; His faithfulness for all generations.” (Psalm 100: 5) 

As Paul wrote: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, anguish, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger or sword? … Before, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:35, 37) 

We are safe in an insecure world because He who loves us is with us. And we must remember that our security is in eternity and not in the present, because this world is not our home. 

If we are looking only for the current circumstances we will be moved, but if we are rooted in the Word of God and in the promise of eternity, we will remain strong and no one can take that away from us. Thus “Be alert, stand firm in the faith, behave yourself, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).  And remember what Isaiah 26: 3 says: “You shall keep in perfect peace him whose mind abides in you; because in you he has trusted.”

The first things to consider is who are enemies are. Let’s begin with who they are not. They are not ministers ordained by God to show us our sins. When something a pastor says makes you think he’s been reading your mail, and eavesdropping on your thoughts, that is the Holy Spirit using the pastor’s words to get through to you. The pastor is not your enemy when he points out your sins any more than the Holy Spirit is, for the pastor is only doing what God wants him to.

Rulers and those in authority are not our enemies either. They have been set up by God to administer justice and keep the peace. We may not agree with everything a politician stands for, or every decision the president makes, but they are not our enemies. Nor are people whom God brings into our lives to point out our faults. Sometimes God uses other Christians to show us where we err. But as Proverbs says, wounds from a friend can be trusted. Do not hate those who lovingly and gently point our your weaknesses, but let them guide you into more Christ like living.

Finally, people who disagree with us on some of the finer points of theology are not our enemies either. We may argue with each other. We may debate. But we are not enemies if we all hold to the basic tenants of evangelical Christian doctrine (inerrancy of Scripture, the deity, humanity, sinlessness and bodily resurrection of Christ, the Trinity, and salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone are some of the most basic).

Just because these sorts of people are not our enemies does not mean we should not love them. We are supposed to love all these people – the pastors, and parents, and politicians, and presidents, and policemen, and those who speak with prophetic voices into our lives – but they are not our enemies.

Our enemies are those who purposefully and knowingly seek our ill-will. They have bitterness and hate in their hearts against us. They do not seek our good, but only what is evil. It is these people we are to love.

Loving our enemies goes contrary to what feels right or normal. Loving our enemies is a challenging thing.

But understand what the word love means. It is the Greek verb agapao which is unconditional love. This means that we show love to them – no matter what – even if they remain our enemies for life.

Understand though, what loving our enemies does not mean. It doesn’t mean we support them in what they do, or agree with them, or even necessarily become good friends with them. Loving our enemies means that when they hate us, we love them in return. It means that the cycle of hate, the cycle of revenge, the cycle of retaliation stops with us. You can be angry at a person for what they do, and yet still love them. Jesus was upset at the people of Jerusalem for how they abused and murdered the prophets, and yet He still shed loving tears over the city. Jesus, as always, is our best example for how to live out such principles.

He never asks us to do something He has not already done Himself. As you read through the Gospels, notice how Jesus loves his enemies. Take Judas for example. Jesus wasn’t ignorant of who Judas was or what he was going to do, but Jesus loved Judas anyway. The next time you read through the Gospels, notice how Jesus interacts with Judas. He never slights Judas. Never has an unkind word for Him. It seems at times, that Judas gets better treatments and more special love from Jesus than some of the other disciples.

This is the same example we see from God. God loves His enemies. Maybe you’ll call me a heretic, but I believe that God loves Satan. He doesn’t love the things that Satan does. He doesn’t love the rebellion that Satan leads. He doesn’t love the horrible results of Satan’s actions. But I do believe that God loves Satan. The principles of Scripture lead to this conclusion. Furthermore, Romans 5:8 says that God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Two verses later, we are told that while were yet enemies of God, God reconciled us to Himself through the death of Jesus Christ.

In our main text, we see that Jesus reads from the Isaiah’s prophecy Isaiah had mentioned before time of Him (Jesus). Several other prophets also spoke about the coming of a Saviour that will establish the kingdom of God here on earth. Jesus read from Isaiah to the people to show them that He is the fulfilment of the prophecy Isaiah gave.

Jesus came to establish God’s kingdom here on Earth and that was possible by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The anointing is God’s power in Jesus that healed men and set them at liberty.

Because of Adam’s disobedience, man died (was separated from God) and he missed out God’s plan for his life. So anyone who was born of woman came under the reign of sin and death as a result of man’s disobedience (see Rom 6:23).

Jesus came to fulfil the plan of God for man. Part of the plan was what he read out to the people to let them know that He came as a fulfilment of that plan. Jesus did not come for a particular set of people; in fact, no one was saved while Jesus was still on the earth. He came for the whole world and delivered the whole world because of love. His sole purpose was for us to be one with the Father just as John recorded when Jesus prayed (see John 17: 1-21). The anointing of the Holy Spirit enabled Him to deliver the blind, poor, broken and bruised.

As much as, he delivered men physically, having received Him we have now received the same Holy Spirit with that same anointing to do likewise. We can deliver men who are both blind, poor, broken and bruised physically and spiritually. 

The acceptable year of the Lord would mean the time of salvation. Now that Jesus died, was buried, rose and ascended to the right hand of the Father, we have now received the promise of life He spoke about before He left (see John 16:24). We have now been committed the ministry of reconciliation to do what Christ was doing while on earth (see 2 Cor. 5: 18). Preaching the message of salvation hence liberating and delivering men from the reign of sin and death. It is in that way that we establish God’s kingdom upon the earth, his rule and reign in the hearts of men. For we know that anyone who receives his message of salvation that we preached is saved forever and is one with the Father. The believer comes into the fulfilled plan of God that was before purposed from the beginning.

What an amazing Saviour! It is indeed the acceptable year of the Lord.

The Father is an eternal God; that means that anything He does or gives is forever and does not run out because it comes from Him. That is who He is. The life He gave us in Christ Jesus is a valuable gift that never fades away. It is called everlasting life because it is truly everlasting. This is because the Father is an eternal God who is not bound by space or time. So His deeds and gifts are eternal. His love, mercy, grace, blessings, protection; the fullness of His life is forever.

The reason there is so much strength the believer can ask God for at anytime, and not exhaust Him, is because God never depletes. He is beyond time and so has no end. This is the amazing thing about salvation; how that the Father came to share His life with us because of His love for us.

The Father’s strength is so inexhaustible that no matter how many people will need it, He is ever willing to give it in its full measure.

One of the many beautiful things about God is that anything that comes from Him has the power to sustain itself for as long as we need it. The gift of the Holy Spirit was given to us at salvation and it is that same spirit within us that gives us the ability to know and fully express all that we have received in Christ Jesus. (see 1 Cor. 2:12). So the strength of God in a believer has the power to sustain the believer who has asked for strength.

At times, life throws at us so many challenges that get us weak and almost helpless. Jesus said in John 16:33 “…In this world, ye shall have tribulation…” Jesus already confirms here that this is sure to happen. So we need to understand that the believer will go through challenges of life. That is part of life. But the last part of that same verse is my favourite part, it says “…:but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” So as long as we are still in this world and we live in his earthly body, we would always have challenges but the good news is that God our Father wants us to overcome these challenges. We cannot run through these challenges by our own strength but by Him who has overcome for us already. This is so much easier than doing it ourselves.

The latter part of this verse says that even young men get tired. This is because it is not about your physical strength because that will eventually run out with time. But the strength of God is ever available for the believer. God wants you to rely and on Him for strength, that’s why He has made it readily available for your use. When you rely on God’s strength, you conquer all oppositions of life that stand in the way and you live a victorious life.

The last part of our main text describes those who put their trust in God, their strength shall be renewed like the eagles. An eagle does not fly when suspended in the air. It simply plucks its wings with the current of the wind and once it does that, the eagle soars all through the flight. God does that same thing for the man in Christ who depends on Him for strength always. No matter the challenges or obstacles, God’s strength is far greater than it. Seek God’s strength today and begin to soar like an eagle.

In the passage of second Corinthians 4, the first few verses talk about humility and transparency. In Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, he explains that we as believers have received the work of ministry in God’s mercy and so it is expected that we are truthful and honest in how we handle God’s word. In its simplicity and its pure form. Changing the message to include things are not true is dishonest and not of God.

Moreover, God watches us and so do people. The right impression you give people matters a whole lot and when you handle the word of God as you should, people would want to hear you and can perceive that you are a person of integrity. When we are diligent with God’s word, we are able to show others that we are honest and good – in our speech and in our deeds.

In the further verses, Paul makes us understand that people who do not have God cannot understand the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that we preach. This is because their minds are in the dark and it has made them blind to the light which is in the gospel. When we preach the good news to people, we want them to know Jesus as Lord. This is not about us but the one who has sent us. That is what the gospel is all about.

The light of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has shined deep in us and this light is in Christ’s face. Because in Christ, we see how great and good God is. The only way to know the Father is by His son – Jesus Christ, who came from His bosom (see Heb. 1:1-3).

The life that the message of the gospel gives is a very valuable gift that we have received. Although as weak (like clay pots) as our bodies may be, it cannot be compared to magnitude of strength we have on our inside. It is this strength that keeps us whole; that makes us never lose hope, never alone, never forsaken and never destroyed.

When we take this message all out, we become a witness for people to see how God is changing us even in our weak, human bodies. We are not perfect but on the road to being better and better as our perfection is found in Him. The way it is obvious you believe in something is how well you speak about it. It is not just something you think in your head but it is something you want to tell others about. A man’s beliefs can be measured by what he says repeatedly.

We become true followers of Christ by leading men to God. This is only possible when we take the message all out to people.  As we get to share the good news, we are being changed by the day and people come to know God more and more and share Him to others as well. There are troubles and challenges that we will go through during our time here on Earth but these are meant to prepare us for the greater things that God wants to do in our lives and so we focus on what we cannot see for now compared to what we can see. For the things we see and go through will eventually have an end but the beauty of the things we do not see is that they will last forever.