BEHOLD WHAT MANNER OF LOVE.
OLF SERIES 2021 JANUARY 25TH, 2021
Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock; in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
This single verse unleashes the descriptions about God and His trustworthiness at all times. These words conveyed the truth about God and His love to us His children. Which of us will not long for safety as we find ourselves travelling through a difficult and rough terrain? It could be ill-health or physical discomfort, relational crisis or separation, financial challenge that proved stubborn to surmount or spiritual turmoil? We that are called by His name find hope and succor in the knowledge that our eternal Father is our refuge and under our neck is His everlasting arm. BEHOLD WHAT MANNER OF LOVE?
While it is comforting to know that our God is Lord over the stormy parts of our lives, it is even a reality that His presence is always. God does not show up only when we are in distress or we need Him only in the midst of our dark moments; He caring arm is around us when things are well also. He does not show up occasionally, He is our ever present help. Reliance on God is needed at all stages of our lives, His trustworthiness is sure and dependable. Behold what manner of Love? Whether there is green grass under our feet or a rocky road that leads to the valley of the shadow of death- we can trust Him. Life is synonymous with unpredictable changes, but the Bishop and Shepherd of our soul does not. May we sense His presence afresh and find Him trustworthy at all times even as we walk in this year 2021. Behold what manner of love?
Keep a date with us on 25th February, 2021.
BEHOLD WHAT MANNER OF LOVE.
OLF SERIES 2021 FEBRUARY 25TH, 2021
Psalm 102:13 “You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favour to her; the appointed time has come.”
A selfish person in trouble is exceedingly hard to comfort, because the springs of comfort is entirely within him/herself. When sadness comes; as always the case with mortals, all the spring of comfort within self will dry up and no genuine place to find solace. Some people will run towards a manmade solution, but at the end it will be discovered that comfort will be far and too far to call. But a child of God has an unending spring, from the fountain of living water to soothe his/her dry throat and dry situation. A child of God is a prayer away from an enduring comfort- Behold what manner of love?
We can go to our God and find abundant help and consolation when all around us give way and the world reveals its ugly side and starts buffeting us. God has given us a land to do His work as a ministry and few weeks ago, that land was engulfed in a crisis, that led people wondering if it will result in a full blown war. We will not take the intervention of God for granted, we did not fight war or lose a single life, though a lot of properties destroyed. We can find consolation in these things, even in our ashes, we will find our strength and peace again as our dear God will arise and have compassion on Zion which is Igedeland and show favour to her. God will help us in His love and mercy and peace will come back to our land, our people and even the church of God. We want to pray together as one, we want to join hands as we yearn for revival.
Our joy and hope is found in this one request; God will arise and have mercy on Igedeland and there will be peace again for us to do our work assigned by God. We are comforted in the assurance of the ever abiding mercies of God. Behold what manner of Love that God will look at us again and bless us after we have displayed hatred for each other and destroy ourselves.
Old mercies of yesterday will not be enough, we pray God to serve us with His fresh mercies every morning, just new like the manna in the wilderness for the children of Israel every day. He asked us to pray for our daily bread, this daily dependence is refreshing and we can count on His abiding faithfulness and this manner of love is awesome and marvellous in our eyes.
Behold what manner of love that the mercy shower never ceases. Behold what manner of love that the cloud of blessings and favour is ever gathering again over Igedeland. Lord Jesus we humbly bow at your feet, conscious of our utter inability to do anything without you. In every favour which we are privileged to receive in your mercy, we will not take it for granted but we will acknowledge your unexhausted love.
God, may we sense your mercies and love afresh and find this a reason enough to love ourselves with the kind of love you lavished on us. How will we say ‘we love You when we are not able to love our fellow neighbors?’ In your mercies God, give us your kind of love again.
Keep a date with us on 25th March, 2021.
BEHOLD WHAT MANNER OF LOVE.
OLF SERIES 2021 MARCH 25TH, 2021
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” John 15:9-10.
Poor Christ-less soul, there is still hope for you because you are in the place of hope and you are within the acceptable year of the Lord. It is the will of God that you will not perish, but come to repentance. He laid His solemn instructions that are understandable that you should believe. Behold what manner of love? The highest form of iniquity is to refuse salvation, to refuse the free gift of life, He yearns over you with a father’s tender Love-Behold what manner of love.
If we die eternally, it is not because God’s love is not shed abroad and that Christ is not sufficient. It is not because Christ is not willing to have you reconciled back to Him. Behold what manner of love that His ultimate desire is to welcome you back into the family mansion and place you at the family table where His eternal love is the banner.
Our sins and rebellion have not made Him completely abandoned us and become careless about us. His interest in our spiritual welfare is still sincere and deep. Not that He palliates our sins, but He long to deliver us. The interest He showed for all of us is warm and tender. Behold what manner of love and how shall we escape His wrath at last if we refuse such a gesture.
Do not delay, do not wait, come at once, come just as you are, come this moment and now. it is just one step between you and life, it is one step between you and peace. Take one step of faith, believe what God had offered through His son Christ; that in believing you will have eternal life. It is a call for salvation and it may be your own last call- who knows. It is a call out of a deep love.
Keep a date with us on 25th April, 2021.
BEHOLD WHAT MANNER OF LOVE.
OLF SERIES 2021 APRIL 25TH, 2021
Psalm 32:8-9 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.”
Life has its share of rapids we have to navigate. One moment is smooth sailing, then in a flash, we are paddling like desperate person trying to survive. Those tense moments make us keenly aware of our need for a skilled guide, a trusted voice to help us navigate turbulent times.
In the passage for our consideration, God promise to be that voice. He promised to instruct and teach us the way we should go. Whatever circumstances is in your life and no matter how turbulent it may be, we have God as a guiding voice and a teacher who in love is willing to show us how to respond. Behold what manner of love?
We should also know that, His voice will not come when we are far from Him and chose to go our own way. We are given a freedom of choice and we must choose to have Him around us. When we confess our sins and be determine to seek His enabling grace to help us live a holy life- His loving counsel and loving eyes will be on us and guide us on what to do and where to go and what time to go. Behold what manner of love that the unfailing love of God surrounds and guides us because we trust Him. May we not fall out in our trust and dependency on Him as we journey through this world as pilgrims.
We can rest on His promise to guide us through life’s rockiest passages- Behold what manner of love?
Keep a date with us on 25th May, 2021.
BEHOLD WHAT MANNER OF LOVE.
OLF SERIES 2021 MAY 25TH, 2021
Lamentation 3:22-24 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.”
There is a popular hymn “Great is thy faithfulness”. This solemnly capture the truth about God who loved us with everlasting love; as we look back on our lives and on the past years, the wordings of the song that is rooted from this scripture above says it all- Great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies we see and all that we need His hands hath provided, great and really great is His faithfulness to us. Behold what manner of Love.
This was the testimony of prophet Jeremiah. He had many reasons to complain right from his ministry to the people of Judah and all the persecutions and afflictions he had. He could have made a long list of things that will be humanly reasonable and justifiable for a protracted complain. But in spite of all the bitterness that came to him as a result of his service to the Lord, he could talk of God’s faithfulness and compassion as new every morning. This portion in Jeremiah 25 will help us relate with Jeremiah’s trouble- “So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem: For twenty-three years — from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day — the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.” Jeremiah 25:2-3. For 23 years of what we may termed as unfruitful toiling in our human rating; and still that person saw the faithfulness of God in all these.
If your times and seasons are good and you experience God’s blessing, shout with all your Strength-Great is God’s faithfulness. But even when the times and seasons are contrary and are filled with difficulties, say it all the way -Great is God’s fa1ithfulness. Difficulties may be His hand teaching us lessons we may fail to learn in good times. His love did not change with times and seasons, the constancy of His love is a wonder we should behold. Behold what manner of Love the Father has lavished on us that we should be part of His agenda. We should appreciate Him for His love and faithfulness all the days of our lives and make His love known to all that are within our reach. We should love and care for the helpless just as His faithfulness has been there for us every morning and always new.
Behold what manner of love; all we needed His hands has provided. Great is His love and faithfulness.
Keep a date with us on 25th June, 2021.
BEHOLD WHAT MANNER OF LOVE.
OLF SERIES 2021 JUNE 25TH, 2021
“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18.
For us to understand the context of the passage, let us kindly read from versus 8-17 of Isaiah 30. It is vital for our better understanding. The passage started with “Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness. These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction.”
God our creator and like a potter and a clay, we have no authority to decide what we like or how we are to be treated. We have no iota of right to be angry if we are broken and cast away, we have no reason what so ever to be angry if He compels us to come to Him. We have no right to complain if we are created like robots without a choice and will. It ought to boggle our minds; that God will wait for us. Wait? For us? Behold what manner of love? He longs to be gracious to us and will not arm-twist us, He would not force anything on us, He stood ready and eager with anticipation to shower us with tender love. His Holy Spirit refused to overwhelm us but only desire that we freely receive Him and willingly accept to be the sheep of His pasture.
God is ready to flood His people with love and kindness, and yet God waited and longed for us to willingly receive what He offered. Behold what manner of love and respect that the creator of all and the saviour of the world chooses to wait for us to welcome Him; the God who could so easily overpower us but practises humble patience. The Holy one and the all-powerful waits for us.
In what areas of your life has God been waiting for you? How might you surrender to Him? This act of immeasurable love should compel us to love and trust Him all the more with our life in complete surrender. Revelation 3:20 says: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
Behold what manner of recognition and love, may we not take it for granted in Jesus’ name.
Keep a date with us on 25th July, 2021.
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