Don’t Just Accept. Confirm!
Posted on September 6, 2016 Leave a Comment
As Christians, we should not just receive the word given to us by other Christians or men of God. We should search the Scriptures and ask God for understanding to know whether or not what is taught is accurate.
Acts 17:11-12 states as follows:
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore, many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greek, prominent women as well as men.
People who are eager, ready, excited, enthused to hear about God’s Word are described as open-minded and fair-minded. The Bible says that such people receive the Word with all readiness. We should be excited to receive the Word of God as followers of Christ. We should not shut ourselves to it or be eager to dismiss it at the first instance. We should also be open-minded about receiving the Word because we never know how the Holy Spirit may minister to us through the Word. Let us try and be like the people of Berea more than those in Thessalonica.
The Bible is however mindful that some people may misconstrue the Word and substitute the Word with their own opinion or some other form of teaching which may not be in accordance with the Word. So while we are encouraged to receive the Word with all readiness and eagerness, we are also expected to confirm the Word we receive with the Scriptures to know whether what is taught or preached is true.
The New Living Translation Bible says it as follows:
They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
I can bet that if Paul and Silas were teaching and preaching today, most of us will not even bother to check to see whether or not what they were preaching was true. It is important for us to search the Scriptures to confirm every word of God we receive. It is also important to note that the searching of the Scriptures is not a one-time, one-off thing but a daily activity. Thus, everyday we must search the Scriptures to confirm the Word we have received from men of God. It is only through these activities – receiving the Word readily and checking the Scriptures daily – would we end up believing the Word that is preached and taught.
In other words, as a result of being open-minded about the Word and receiving it with much eagerness and checking the Scriptures to know if the Word is true or not, we will believe the Word. Also, believing the word was not limited to on tribe/race/class/sex etc. The Bible says the Jews believed; so did the Greeks as well as men and women. This is a clear example of the Word of God not being a discriminator of persons.
So, let us be ready and eager to receive the Word of God and when we have received the Word of God, let us search the Scriptures daily to confirm that what we have received is true.
#AdvocateForChrist
Written by Kow Essuman, Esq. ACIArb
The author is a barrister; qualified to practise law in England and Wales, New York and Ghana; an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in England; a Global Shaper (Accra Hub) of the World Economic Forum and a firm believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Cloud Of Witnesses
Posted on August 28, 2016 2 Comments
On Friday, 26 August 2016, I shared the word of God at a Methodist Youth Camp in Aburi on the topic, “Jesus, our focus: the young Methodist in a fast changing world.” The anchor verse was Hebrews 12:1-2 and as I ministered, I learnt a lot about running the race of faith. And what I found out was amazing.
We have a cloud of witnesses including Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, cheering us on to win the race. They want us to win the race and do you know why? Because without us winning, they cannot reach perfection and they need to reach perfection. This is what Hebrews 11:39-40 says:
“All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.”
Hebrews 11:39-40 NLT
Wouldn’t you want to reach perfection with all the people of faith mentioned in the Bible? I know I would. So my prayer is for God to give me that endurance I need to run the race of faith and finish it for His glory.
I will share my article on running the race of faith shortly.
#AdvocateForChrist
Written by Kow Essuman, Esq. ACIArb
The author is a barrister; qualified to practise law in England and Wales, New York and Ghana; an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in England; a Global Shaper (Accra Hub) of the World Economic Forum and a firm believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Upheld By God’s Righteous Omnipotent Hand
Posted on August 17, 2016 Leave a Comment
I was listening to this hymn – yes, I am a hymn person. The hymn is titled “How Firm A Foundation” and it is Hymn 85 in the Latter Day Saints hymn book. What I was listening to was sang by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the third stanza just stood out for me. It goes like this:
“Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.”
This stanza is based on Isaiah 41:10. It reminds us that God has got our back. It tells us not to be afraid because God is with us. In fact, we should forget about all our concerns, distress and anxiety because God is with us.
God reminds us that He is our God and He will give us the help we need in the times we need help. He promises to strengthen us, help us and cause us to stand. In these times and especially living in this world, there are many things that can cause us to fall easily even though we are Christians. The temptations around us are many. In our homes, workplaces and even at church, we are surrounded by temptation, which can cause us to fall and stay down and at the mercy of the devil. But God tells us in His Word that He will strengthen us, help us and cause us to stand. Isn’t that just amazing? I think it is.
Now this is the part that just does it for me. God says He will uphold me with His righteous hand. The hymn adds “omnipotent,” which is an attribute of God and I think it just makes the verse complete. God will uphold me with His righteous, all powerful hand. To uphold means to support, confirm, validate, endorse, etc. Yo, I don’t about you but if that is all God does for me, I am fine. Because there is nothing that is hard for my God and what seems impossible to man, is very possible to God.
Dear God, strengthen me, help me, and cause me to stand in these times and in this world; and please uphold me by Your righteous, omnipotent hand, all the days of my life. Amen.
#AdvocateForChrist
Written by Kow Essuman, Esq. ACIArb
The author is a barrister; qualified to practise law in England and Wales, New York and Ghana; an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in England; a Global Shaper (Accra Hub) of the World Economic Forum and a firm believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Boasting In My Weakness
Posted on August 11, 2016 1 Comment
If you are like me, then I am sure that you have read the Bible at some point and thought to yourself, “well, this does not make any sense.” Right? You can stop there and let what you have read not make sense to you or you can continue to read it and pray the Holy Spirit enlightens you or gives you understanding.
When I am faced with such a situation, I pray to God and I plead with Him to allow His Spirit, who searches and understands the deep things of God, to teach me; to give me understanding of what I have just read. The Bible teaches us at 1 Corinthians 2:10 that:
“But God has revealed them [His wisdom] to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”
I recently read a passage in the Bible and thought, “what at all is God trying to tell me.” When God speaks to you through His Word, His voice is consistent and very clear. The first verse of Scripture that I read was 2 Corinthians 11:30. I understood the letter of the Scripture but not the spirit of it. The next verse I read (without any intention) was Jeremiah 32:17. At that point, I knew the Holy Spirit was trying to tell me something but I was not getting it.
I need to set out the above mentioned verses for the sake of emphasis. The first verse, 2 Corinthians 11:30, states:
“If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.”
Do you get my difficulty? Why would Paul want to boast about things concerning his infirmity. Infirmity also means weakness or even sickness. Now why would anyone want to boast about their weakness. I mean, you would rather want to hide or shut up about your weakness because you don’t want anyone to know about it. Note that Paul does not intend to boast but if he must boast then he will boast about the very thing that any reasonable person would rather keep hidden or in secret. I did not get it.
As I mentioned earlier, I then read Jeremiah 32:17, which states:
“Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.”
“Alright,” I said to myself, “we know God is great and can do the impossible.” I then began to pray and worship God. I was enjoying the worship and then “it” dropped in my spirit. The wisdom and understanding and the link between the two verses. This is what I got:
Paul was boasting about his infirmity because he knew God had his back. Of all the things he wanted to boast about, he chose to boast about the very thing that every reasonable person will hide away. This is because the God who had his back has great power and is capable of doing the impossible. There is nothing too hard for God.
This is what is so amazing about Paul’s revelation. He will boast in his weakness because then everyone will see the glory of God. What Paul does is what all Christians should aim to do. It shows that all our reliance is on God. He meets us at our weakest point to show that He is God. Because of His great power, we can boast when we are weak; we know He will surely come through for the glory of His Holy Name. I would want all mankind to see the glory of God so I will boast about my infirmity and in my weakness because God’s power is great and He will always come through.
Interestingly, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 puts Paul’s boasting into perspective. It states:
“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.“
If God’s grace is sufficient, and His strength is made perfect in weakness, why will you not boast in your weakness? I totally understand Paul now and I think it is amazing. As human beings, we are not engineered to boast about our weakness. It will be hard for us to do that; if not impossible. But then if we think about the glory of God that will be made apparent to all mankind through our weakness then certainly we must be in a position to boast about that.
My God is GREAT! Glory to God!
#AdvocateForChrist
Written by Kow Essuman, Esq. ACIArb
The author is a barrister; qualified to practise law in England and Wales, New York and Ghana; an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in England; a Global Shaper (Accra Hub) of the World Economic Forum and a firm believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
God Is Patient For My Sake
Posted on August 9, 2016 Leave a Comment
“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” ~ 2 Peter 3:9 NLT
Sometimes when we don’t hear from God we think He is being slow. We have all been at that place before. Like “why isn’t God quick enough?” “Why must I wait that long to hear from God?” I am sure we have all uttered such words before. I know I have.
But what this scripture says is true because when God came through, I realised that it was for my good and of course, for His glory. His patience was for my sake. At the time it was happening, I did not think so but afterwards, I reflected and realised that it all worked out for my good. I was not destroyed at the end of the day.
This gives us hope that God will come through but the length of time He takes to come through is for our own good. His patience is for our sake. You may be going through some situation right now and may have asked God to step in but it doesn’t seem like He has heard you or is responding to you. But be assured brethren that God will come through; He always does. And this period of waiting is for your own good; to save you from destruction.
Be blessed! To God be the glory!
#AdvocateForChrist
Written by Kow Essuman, Esq. ACIArb
The author is a barrister; qualified to practise law in England and Wales, New York and Ghana; an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in England; a Global Shaper (Accra Hub) of the World Economic Forum and a firm believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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