Author: Sis Mhay

In the Epistle of Jude we find a very prudent statement.

Jud 1:21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Jude implores the read to “keep themselves” in the “love of God.” The opposite, of course, would be “not keeping ourselves” in the “love of God”

Obviously the “keeping ourselves” is something that we must do, it is not something that another does for us.

Jude connects the “keeping ourselves” to “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Compare that sentiment to the sentiment of Paul in Romans 2 where he speaks how God is going to render to each person according to their deeds…

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Rom 2:11  For there is no respect of persons with God.

So with Paul we have “eternal life” to those  who “patiently continue in well doing.” So we know that “well doing” is connected to “remaining in the love of God.” Now take a look at this…

2Th 3:3  But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
2Th 3:4  And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
2Th 3:5  And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

So here we have the Lord faithfully establishing us by directing our hearts into the love of God, something in which we are to keep ourselves. By keeping ourselves, we patiently continue in well doing as we patiently wait upon Christ.

What are we waiting upon Christ for? The answer is His mercy in granting us eternal life, a hope yet to be reaped.

Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Tit 1:3  But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

Eternal life is for those whom truly love God, those whom endure temptation and yet remain faithful. Very much like a human marriage, faithfulness, fidelity and love.

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Those whom love God obviously “keep themselves” in the love of God, that love being “manifest righteousness” shed abroad into the heart by the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost given to all those whom obey God.

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Act 5:32  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Is not the New Covenant a covenant of the love of God written upon our minds and in our hearts?

Heb 10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

…which leads us right back to the mercy of God…

Heb 10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Jud 1:21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Dear reader, can you see how genuine salvation is a manifest state of having been saved FROM sin, to have been delivered from evil itself, to have been established in the love of God, something in which we keep ourselves in remaining yielded to God’s influence whereby we love both God and our neighbour with all our mind, soul and body.

So let’s all examine ourselves in all honesty and with due diligence. Are we keeping ourselves in the love of God, have we even entered into it to begin with?

Please consider.

” Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ” Philippians 4:6-7

“Don’t worry” may be the most difficult command in the Bible to keep. Every one of us has broken that commandment. We break that commandment all the time, because it’s in our nature to worry.

Jesus said it like this: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NIV). The reason why you mess up today is because you spend most of your emotional energy regretting the past and worrying about the future.

But worry has never changed anything. Worry is worthless! It can’t change the past. It can’t control the future. Worry can only make you unhappy today. Every moment of your life you spend worrying is wasted.

Worry is focusing on your fears instead of trusting God. It’s practical atheism. When you worry, you’re acting like an orphan. You’re acting like you don’t have a heavenly Father who’s promised to care for your needs. You’re thinking it’s up to you to take care of your problems. That’s not in the Bible—that’s in self-help books. And it’s just not true.

If you’re going to break that habit of worry in your life, you’re going to have to learn how to focus on something else. Fasting—where you abstain from something for a certain amount of time and let your need draw you closer to God—can help you do that, and so can prayer.

The Bible says in Romans 8:6, “If people’s thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death. But if their thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace” (NCV).

You have to choose your focus. If you’re going to think your way, you’re going to get worried, fearful, and anxious. You going to have anxiety because you’re controlled by your sinful nature. When you’re focused on God, and you have God’s Spirit in you, you don’t worry. That leads to life and peace.

The key to overcoming worry is not to say, “I’m not going to worry.” That’s never going to work, because you’re focused on what you don’t want.

The key is to change the channel. Don’t resist it. Refocus. Put your focus on God, and trust in his love and promises for you.

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” James 5:7-8

We are living in a fast moving world and we always compete with each other and whoever is the fastest wins the race. Today, innovation is evolved around speed:- Our airplane, train and car are faster compared with the past and fast-food restaurants are mushrooming because people are rushing.

We definitely save time if we work fast and we are less tired if we travel by plane than by car. If time is the essence, it will be very productive because we achieve the expected result. On the other hand, from a life development perspective, doing things fast may not always be good. If we are on a fast lane but that happens to be the wrong lane, it can bring us grave consequences.

It can be a painful experience for someone if we asked them to wait and be patient. When we were children, we probably would have been counting the days when we could finish school, becoming adults and starting to earn money. However, there are stages that we need to go through if we are to develop properly as a person. These stages or phases of lifetime development are natural progression if we are to become strong mentally and physically.

Nowadays people prefer shortcut. As a result, a lot of things out there are fake, ostentatious and pretentious; what you see is not really what it is. In terms of relationship building, it takes time to build one which is sustainable based on mutual trust and understanding, and getting to know each other well. In perspective, developing true friendship is a long term process.

We also need to be patient if we are to aim for personal development. To improve ourselves mentally and spiritually, we need to learn from others and from our own experience, knowing what our mistakes are and be prepared to make amends.

In doing God’s work, success is not measured by what we see but is about how much we allow God to work in and through us. Success is not only about quantity of work but about how we conduct ourselves as worthy Christians with quality Christian living. Be patient and persevere! Do not give up but be firm on building sustainable success. By doing, so that God will provide us with the rightful reward.

“You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.” Psalms 18:36

We always hear people reminding us, “Take one step at a time, walk slowly and do not merrily walk until we forget to watch our footstep and make a mistake.” This reminder although sounds old-fashioned, is just as valid in today’s modern world.

More often than not, we hear such reminder within the business circle especially when competition is getting intense, reminding people to be careful and not to rush into
making decisions based on incomplete information. That said, there is also competition among spiritual leaders and again the advice is to “make informed judgment”.

If we are on the road, what we dread the most is pothole and trap, not winding road with twisted turn and corner. In life, what is most pitiful is to fall at the last hurdle. Therefore it is better to be safe than to be sorry by making sure we cover all angles before making a decision.

For major decisions such as marriage or making an investment, there is even more reason for us to be careful before making up our mind. In some situation when there is a need for consensus and everyone’s opinion matters, it is wise to be patient in listening to other people’s comment before making a conclusion. Otherwise all the good works that we have done will be unwound.

We often hear people mentioning success is round the corner. Be patient therefore, persevere and do not give up, we can be just one step away from reaching our goal.
Brothers and sisters, let bygones be bygones and we cannot change what’s in the past; what matters is our next step which will lead us to either prosperity or destruction. Even though the path is narrow, let us remain faithful to the Lord and trust His leading. He will grant us wisdom and understanding to live a purposeful life.

Jesus is our partner in life and He will be with us throughout the journey. Even though we shall walk through the valley of death, we shall not fear for Jesus is with us.

” That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” (Matthew 8:14-17)

” And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:35-36)

From the portion of the Scriptures above, we learn three things about Jesus.

1. Jesus is full of mercy and has compassion for the under privileged and the sick.

2. Jesus has power to heal the sick and defeat the devil.

3. Jesus manifests His love and mercy and heals the sick.

His love, mercy and mightiness never change. Indeed we are thankful to God for all the breakthrough in medical research, which has saved so many human lives, but that does not mean Jesus has stopped performing miracles similar to what He did during His time on earth.

Pray for those who are facing problems beyond their own capability to solve, those who are being overwhelmed by demonic forces, those who are sick and physically weak, that they be set free of such bondage and receive healing from Jesus. Let’s thank Him for His grace and mercy, and His name be praised forever!

He said, “…Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:11-13

Once I was sweeping the car porch, clearing the debris and the fallen leaves. After gathering these fallen leaves and piling them in front of the house, I could do either of these two things; I could have swept these leaves away from the front of my house into my neighbors’ front, not a bit worried if that could have dirtied their compound. Of course, that was not the right thing to do. What I did instead was gathered all the leaves and put them into a bin bag.

The moral of the story is we should mind our own mistake instead of shifting the blame to others. Most importantly is to realize we have made a mistake and try to make amend as soon as possible. We should not hide our mistake but dare to admit our wrongdoing and start afresh.

Adam and Eve, after they have committed a wrongdoing, instead of confessing it to God, they blamed each other instead. Not only that, they also blamed God. Men are not infallible. There is a possibility that a millipede with many legs can fall into a hole if it is not careful in watching its step. What’s more a human being with two legs who may make a wrong step in life!

Therefore, do not hide our mistakes, do not blame others for our mistakes. Be humble and accept our wrongdoings. God is merciful and He will forgive if we repent.

” Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ” Colossians 3:13

We all need God’s love. That’s why Jesus Christ came into this world. He came to show people grace. The ultimate way God does this is through forgiveness. And the ultimate way he asks you to show grace to other people is by forgiving them.

Colossians 3:13 says, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (NLT).

People often ask me, “How can I find the strength to forgive? I don’t have it in me.” I don’t have it in me either! The only place I’ve ever found the strength to forgive is in remembering how much Jesus has forgiven me. When I remember that, then he gives me the strength and grace to forgive others.

If you don’t forgive, you’re not going to enjoy God’s vision for the rest of your life, because unforgiveness will keep you stuck in the past.

Forgive—and then get on with your life. This doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be consequences for what somebody did to you. It just means that you let go of your anger and hurt and give it to God so that you can move on with God’s purpose for your life.

When that seems impossible—when you feel like you can’t be gracious toward someone—remember this: Jesus forgave you. Remembering the grace God has shown you will give you the strength to be gracious to and forgive others.

” Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ” 2 Corinthians 5:20

You are an ambassador of Christ that means that, everywhere you go, you represent Jesus.

Here are five truths that will give you confidence to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ:

Everybody has the same longings you have. You didn’t stop being a human when you were born again into the family of God. You still have the same basic human drives and desires everyone else does. That means what you’re offering to people—how to live a life of purpose—is what everybody longs for.

Everybody has the same questions you have. All those questions you have in your mind—like “Who am I?” and “Does my life have purpose?”—are from God. They’re not small questions, but they’re the questions everyone asks. And the answers, of course, are found in God’s Word.

Most people don’t really know what they believe, and they often contradict themselves. For example, some people say there are no absolutes in life. Well, that statement alone is an absolute statement. But when you share the hope of Jesus, it brings clarity to people’s lives.

Listen for the key that will open their heart to Jesus. That key is their unmet need or hidden hurt. The only way to God is through Jesus Christ. But people come to Jesus for many reasons—many times through their painful experiences.

People have excuses, but you have the Holy Spirit and the truth. You’re not alone when you tell people about God’s plan of salvation through Jesus. God is with you, but he is also working in the other person’s heart while you’re talking through the Holy Spirit.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Why you should love someone in God’s perfect timing…

You have to love someone according to God’s perfect timing because in His time, love will never fail. It will always prosper. It is bound to last through the test of time. It may not be perfect, but it will persevere. In God’s perfect time, love will not be jealous, but patient and kind. In His time, you will accept each other wholeheartedly. You will never keep records of wrongs. You will forgive each other’s shortcomings.

You have to put God as the center of the relationship, so you will be guided. Choose love over lust. Choose to be spiritually connected with each other. Choose to stick through hardships. Choose to withstand people’s judgments. In God’s time, although things will not be easy, but everything will be worth it.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
Hebrews 10:36

Endurance is part of character building and an important part of Christian living. God endured His own people for years even though they refused His words and guidance. They were a stubborn lot and even rebelled against God, but God remained patient and gave them a second chance. God was slow to anger, was full of mercy and patience because He wanted His people to be reconciled to Him.

The Christian faith is about endurance. When we are in a situation which is unfavourable and things do not happen to go our way, we are encouraged to put our trust in God and pray that His will be done in us. We therefore practise endurance in our everyday life for those who endure are patient and will not be easily enraged. Often, relationship is destroyed because of anger and everything that started well will be destroyed in split second because of one’s angry emotion. That is why the Bible says, “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

To endure, we need to have self control. Before we can win over others through endurance, we first need to defeat our lowly self.