GOD SAYS YES! WILL YOU SAY AMEN!

How do I make choices and decisions that bring about the blessings and favour of God in my life? Why am I not seeing all the promises of God in the Bible outworked in my life?
Is there anything I can do to position myself to experience this abundant life Jesus has made available to us more fully? If these are questions you’ve been asking yourself keep reading.

Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 1:15 – 20

THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT: 2 COR 1:15-18

2 Corinthians 1:15-18 (NKJV) And in this confidence I intended to come to you before, that you might have a second benefit to pass by way of you to Macedonia, to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea. Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No.

Paul’s integrity as a reliable witness of the Gospel is being questioned. In his defence, he makes a distinction between what he “intended” to do and what he ended up doing after “planning.” He wanted the Corinthian church to know his ‘yes’ is not fickle but rooted in the same faithfulness of the God he serves.

INTENTIONS AND INTENTIONALITY

Notice the way he describes his decision-making—‘When I was planning this…’. He makes it clear that in his practice of doing life in Christ he is not wimsical in his decision making.

“…did I do it lightly?”

“Do I plan according to the flesh?’”

There are plans made lightly, in the flesh—driven by impulse, convenience, or pressure. Then there are plans made in the Spirit—prayed over, weighed, aligned with God’s faithfulness.

Paul tells us he does the latter. That is the secret to Paul’s life and ministry. He never acted on mere impulse. Even when his intentions were strong, he would not move forward until he did some Spirit-led planning. That’s why his ‘yes’ carried weight—because it reflected God’s ‘Yes’ in Christ.” A casual “I intend to” doesn’t carry the weight of a Spirit-led, prayerful plan.

In verses 18–19 we see the fruit of this approach:

2 Corinthians 1:18-19 (NKJV) But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.

Paul is defending his integrity because a reliable message can be ruined by an unreliable messenger. Because the decisions he makes are made outside the realm of the flesh and in the realm of the Spirit and guided by God, there is no uncertainty that it will happen. “As God is faithful,” our yes that we say in God will be a yes without any wavering or uncertainty.

God’s faithfulness never wavers, so our decisions made in the Spirit and not according to the flesh can enjoy that faithful, unwavering certainty. Actions born from impulsive fleshly decisions will not have the same certainty as those that arise from Spirit-led, Spirit-considered choices.

Spirit-led planning transforms intentions into reliable actions. Don’t remain passive with your intentions; create space for the Spirit to guide your planning, and observe how God works out His will through you.

AMEN THE PROMISES OF GOD

Paul goes on to say something very profound. To me it’s the secret to experiencing the promises of God.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT) For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

Here we see a demonstration of the importance of Divine guidance in every step of our lives. Since all God’s promises are YES, when we say “Amen” to His promises, we see the fulfilment of those promises, which brings glory to God.

Our “Amen” is the act of faith that allows the promises to take root in our lives. “And through Christ, our Amen ascends to God for his glory.” All of God’s promises are Yes and complete; our Amen turns them into our lived reality. We encounter this by agreeing, believing, and walking it out.

HOW TO AMEN GOD’S PROMISES

The word “Amen” is actually a loan word from the Hebrew language, which Paul uses to show what the mindset of a believer should be when they encounter the promises of God. Let us look at the original Hebrew word for Amen which is “aman”. Three ways the word is used in the Old Testament Hebrew text:

The first idea comes from the story of Abraham, the Father of Faith.

Genesis 15:6 (NLT) And Abram believed (aman) the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.

The word “aman” here emphasises trusting and believing what God has said. Abram’s “amen” to God’s promise of descendants was not based on visible evidence but on the trustworthiness of God’s word. His faith shows us that saying “Amen” to what God has said means choosing to trust God even when circumstances seem impossible.

The use of aman in the following Scripture gives us a further idea of the Hebrew understanding of the word.

Numbers 12:7 (NKJV) Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful (aman) in all My house.

The use of ‘aman’ in this passage signifies a sustained and unwavering belief—remaining loyal to what you believe over a long time. Not just trusting what God said, but consistently holding on to that faith. Moses’ life demonstrates that believing is not a one-off act of faith but a lifetime of walking in steady obedience and trust, even through wilderness seasons.

The last passage I wish to show you features a very rare use of the word aman. This is the only instance in the Old Testament where it is used in this manner.

Ruth 4:16 (NKJV) Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse (aman) to him.

This is a distinctive use of the word “aman” that highlights the idea of holding close and nurturing with care. Just as Naomi tenderly nurtured the child, our Amen signifies keeping God’s promises near, tending them with prayer and patience until they take root and develop fully in our lives.

So the next time you say Amen to God’s promises, remember that it requires you:

• To believe, trust, and have faith in God’s promises.
• To stay faithful in believing and trusting in His promises.
• To keep His promises close to you, nurturing them until they manifest in your life.

God’s promises are unshakable, but we must actively affirm them—trusting, agreeing, and nurturing them in faith—so they transition from Scripture into lived reality. God’s promises are already true; our ‘Amen’ makes them an experiential truth in our lives.

HOW DOES ONE EXPERIENCE GOD’S PROMISES?

Here are two suggestions I recommend you start doing to strengthen your faith in this area.

1. STOP DRIFTING – MOVE FROM INTENTIONS TO INTENTIONAL ACTIONS

Wish lists and unacted-upon desires may linger in your mind and even make you feel good, but they lead nowhere. Saying, “I wish I could hear from God,” will not change anything. Stop wishing—start pursuing. Be intentional: commit to a course of action. Set a plan, allocate your time and energy, and take purposeful steps.

For example: “I will read my Bible by setting an alarm for 6:00 AM, opening to a specific chapter, and reading without distraction.”

Plan it. Do it. Be intentional about exposing yourself to the promises of God.

2. AMEN THE PROMISES OF GOD

Don’t just read the promises—believe them. Repeat them. Echo them until they resonate deep within your soul.

Pray them. Weave them into your conversations with God. Thank Him for them, trusting they will come to pass.

And don’t just believe—live them. Practice them daily, over and over, until they shape the very pattern of your life.

Take practical steps of faith—start small, but start. If you are believing God for provision, set aside something to honour Him. If your budget is tight, begin with a dollar, then five dollars—but do something tangible to show you believe His promise is coming.

Don’t just believe and live it—nourish it. Feed your faith. Guard it when discouragement comes. Find a prayer partner; call them when you’re struggling and pray together. Join a study group, a men’s group, or a women’s group. Surround yourself with encouragement. Nourish what you are believing God for.

BE INTENTIONAL WITH GOD’S PROMISES. AMEN HIS PROMISES. AND MAY YOUR LIFE BECOME A TESTIMONY OF HIS FAITHFULNESS AS YOU WALK IN THE REWARD OF ALL HE HAS SPOKEN.

There’s a common misconception that New Zealand is a Christian country. But is it?

According to the latest census, 52% of Kiwis now say they have no religion. Only 32% identify as Christian. That means 1.6 million people in our nation describe themselves as Christian. But does that make us a Christian nation?

China, for example, is said to have around 29 million Christians. Would we call China a Christian nation?

 

There’s a vital distinction between Christian values and Kingdom living.

 

Jesus didn’t come to establish a religion. He came to inaugurate a Kingdom. And that Kingdom isn’t defined by borders, census figures, or cultural traditions. It’s something entirely different—something the prophet Daniel saw long ago.

 

A Kingdom “Not Made with Hands”

In Daniel chapter 2, the prophet interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The king sees a towering statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay, representing the kingdoms of the world. But then something entirely unexpected happens:

 

    “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed… It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”  (Daniel 2:44-45, NKJV)

 

This kingdom which “God of heaven” has established was not created by human hands. It was not built through politics or military strength. It was a stone carved from a mountain “without hands”—and it shattered every other kingdom founded by human will.

 

Here’s the biblical truth about the Kingdom of God:

It’s not just another system. It’s not a better democracy or a purer religion.

It is the reign of God—unshakable, eternal, and completely “without hands.”

In contrast, the kingdoms of this world—democracies, dictatorships, empires, and religious institutions—are expressions of human will. They’re built by our hands. They rise and fall with our efforts.

But God’s Kingdom? It stands forever.

 

So, no. No nation on earth is truly a “Christian nation.”

In God’s eyes, all are kingdoms of this world, constructed by human hands.

 

Making It Personal

Dallas Willard once defined a kingdom as “the range of your effective will—where what you want done is done.”

That’s not just poetic—it’s profoundly theological.

 

Your life is a kingdom.

Your words, your choices, your reactions, your relationships—they all reveal the range of your effective will.

 

Why do husbands and wives quarrel? Their kingdoms are in conflict.

Why is there tension between parents and children? Kingdoms are in conflict.

We are all little kingdoms, constantly defending our territory and pushing boundaries, constantly in conflict.

 

How We Respond to Kingdom Conflict

When kingdoms collide, we usually reach for one of two strategies:

Option 1: Compromise — A Temporary Ceasefire

Like nations signing peace treaties: remove the weapons, build embassies, agree to be civil.

We adjust our tone, try to be kind and understanding.

But it only works if both parties agree to lay down their arms.

Let’s be honest—that doesn’t always happen.

 

Option 2: Dominate — Peace Through Strength

If compromise fails, we attempt to dominate.

We force peace through control.

We’ve heard this phrase lately from world leaders: “peace through strength.”

    Can’t stand the pastor or a fellow church member? Change churches.

    Can’t resolve conflict at home? Lash out, shut down, or emotionally withdraw.

    Kids not listening? Threaten, control, punish.

 

We may achieve silence—but not righteousness.

Dominance forces compliance, not peace.

There’s a Better Way: Surrender

 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15, NKJV)

 

Jesus doesn’t offer a third strategy. He offers an entirely new way of living: Kingdom living.

The Kingdom of God isn’t a future reward or distant ideal.

It is at hand. Near. Within reach. Like breath in your lungs.

 

The only way to resolve kingdom conflict is through surrender.

Not surrender to each other, but surrender to Him.

 

    “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

 

You can’t dominate your way into God’s Kingdom.

You can’t negotiate your way in.

 

You repent.

You believe.

You surrender.

 

A New Way to Breathe

I think of it as a new breathing technique—Kingdom breathing.

Repent and believe—inhale and exhale.

Learning to inhale the life of God’s Kingdom, and exhale the chaos of our own.

 

Inhale: God’s will

Exhale: your will

Inhale: God’s way

Exhale: your way

Inhale: God’s say

Exhale: your say

 

A Kingdom Atmosphere at Home

Imagine a home where this “repent and believe” lifestyle is lived out.

Where mum and dad surrender daily—inhaling His Kingdom, exhaling theirs.

It changes the spiritual climate.

 

Children begin to experience this new atmosphere.

They watch, learn, and begin to breathe Kingdom life themselves.

 

A family that wakes each morning and prays, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done…”

 

What happens then?

 

  “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.”  (Revelation 11:15)

 

When we surrender, heaven happens on earth.

Our homes become sacred places—spaces where the breath of God moves through every relationship.

 

What Does That Look Like Tomorrow?

Let’s make this practical. Let’s live this.

Read the Bible daily — How else will you know God’s will, way, and say?

 

Ask the Holy Spirit — “What are You saying to me today?”

Inhale that. Exhale the opposite.

 

Stay surrendered — One breath at a time. One moment at a time.

 

The Kingdom of God is not far off.

It’s already here.

You can live in it—and breathe it—starting today.

Does this sound familiar? It’s been a busy week. You’ve been rushing from one appointment to another. Zooming around trying to catchup with the days and hours that seem to be ten steps ahead of you. You are running late again but if you just stay a few kilometres above the speed limit you may just make it. Then you notice the light on the dashboard. It’s that warning light you have gotten so used to these days. You are running low on fuel.

For many Christians this is the story of their lives. I’m not talking about the fuel in their cars. I am more concerned about the condition of their inner lives. The hustle and bustle of everyday life is causing people to live their lives constantly running on empty. The parable of the ten virgins is a sobering message Jesus gave us to warn us about the danger of running on empty.

Matthew 25:1-10 (NLT) – “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came.

Three things to note in this parable:

Firstly – the ten virgins had a role to play

The parable depicted a familiar scene that the listeners would have understood easily. There were ten virgins chosen for the sole purpose of meeting the groom’s party and accompanying them to the home where the bride was awaiting them. Their distinct role in this event was to be light bearers. Their personality didn’t really matter. Neither did their beauty, nor the amazing outfits they would have carefully chosen for the occasion. None of these would matter as they would usually meet the bridegroom and his entourage in the still of the night. The only thing that really mattered was that they ensured their lamps were lit.

As Christians we can get so caught up with things that don’t really matter at the end of the day. Getting our doctrines perfectly in order. Ensuring our churches maintain relevance in this fast changing world. Making our Sunday services attractive to a wider audience. A ton of very urgent current issues that need to be addressed so that we don’t get run over by the barrage of anti-God ideas that keep smashing into our walls of defence. If we don’t stand up for God who will? We become so distracted doing church we forget the sole reason we exist on earth – to be light bearers.

Jesus knew his single most important task while on earth.

John 9:4-5 (NKJV) I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

He went on to tell us that this is equally the single most important task we have on earth.

Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV) “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

THE SOLE PURPOSE WE EXIST IS TO BE A LIGHT – TO BE AN AVENUE FOR SOMEONE TO SEE THE FATHER THROUGH US.

Our roles with our spouses, our children, our siblings; our roles as a friend, as church members, as leaders, as members of the community we live in – is to be a light. Without light there would be no sight. Light is what gives us the ability to see. We see because light from an object moves through space to our eyes and gives us sight. We are told that once light reaches our eyes, signals are sent to our brain, and our brain deciphers those signals into information. The entire complexed process is only possible with the presence of light. WITHOUT LIGHT THERE WOULD BE NO SIGHT.

Similarly, Jesus’ analogy of calling us lights of the world is to emphasise the importance of every believer as a light to enable others to see the Father. Without our light how will they see?

SECONDLY – All ten virgins fell asleep

The second thing to notice in the parable is that all ten of the virgins fell asleep. It would seem that falling asleep was inevitable and probably expected seeing that the bridegroom and his entourage comes at an unexpected time and usually in the dead of the night.

“When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.”

Scriptures are full of this warning that there is going to be a delay in Christ’s second coming. The warning is there because delay can lead to drowsiness. Spiritual drowsiness comes in various forms. Some of the more common causes of “drowsiness” can be disappointment, discouragement, offences, hurts etc. Sometimes as christians we just get tired of being nice all the time. Tired of turning the other cheek all the time. Tired of being the door mat all the time. Tired of doing the christian thing all the time.

Spiritual drowsiness can lead us to inactivity in the realm of faith. Jesus asked a very searching question to His followers in Luke 18:8 –

(NKJV) when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?

The context when Jesus said those words are important. It was in the midst of a story where a widow was experiencing the reality of social injustice for women during the time when Jesus was on earth. Women had no direct access to the legal system of the day and had to either access the courts through their husband or fathers. Widows had neither and therefore lost access to the courts. But Jesus tells a story of a persistent widow who wore out a judge and received justice in the end. Our Lord’s application of that story in the believer’s life is what triggered the statement.

Luke 18:6-8 (NLT) Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

GOD WILL COME THROUGH FOR US – THE QUESTION IS – WILL WE STILL HAVE ANY OIL LEFT IN OUR LAMPS TO KEEP THE LIGHT BURNING

THIRDLY – Five of the virgins ran out of oil

That brings us to our third and most important point. Five of them ran out of oil. Remember the only role these virgins had was to bear light with their lamps. To have light in your lamp you must have oil. Whatever these bridesmaids did to prepare themselves to meet the bridegroom, five of them obviously neglected the only important thing that mattered – make sure you have enough oil to keep the light burning.

That is the million dollar question for all of us – DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH OIL TO KEEP YOUR LIGHT BURNING?

I want to share two places where we can re-fuel on a regular basis to ensure we have enough oil no matter what the delay is in our waiting to see the Lord come through for us.

First fuel stop – a consistent, daily bible reading and study plan

Psalms 119:105 (NLT) Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

This year, set aside time for God’s word if you haven’t done so already. Embark on a reading plan. If you have never read the Bible cover to cover start doing that this year. Start with the Gospels first. Read all the Gospels. Then move on to the New Testament. Then the entire bible. Short devotionals are great but they aren’t enough to store up oil for the long journey.

Not only have a daily Bible reading plan, join a Bible study group and study the Bible together.

YOUR FIRST FUEL STOP – SET ASIDE TIME FOR THE READING AND STUDY OF GOD’S WORD

Second fuel stop – fellowship regularly with other believers.

Hebrews 10:23-25 (NLT) Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

The Christian life cannot be done alone. Jesus didn’t teach us to pray “my Father”. It is our Father. The author to the Hebrews stresses the importance of meeting together as he notices the effects of the times he was living in and how it was causing believers to slacken in their spiritual vigour. Christian fellowship should cause one to be motivated towards “love and good works”.

1 John 1:7 (NLT) But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Not only does fellowship motivate and stirr one up to keep walking the Christian walk, Christian fellowship causes change and Transformation to occur in a believer’s life. The apostle John says that in the midst of fellowship believers are able to position ourselves in the direct cleansing stream of the blood of Jesus. John in fact goes on a few chapters later to say that this kind of fellowship keeps us honest in our relationship with others.

1 John 4:20 (NLT) If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION AND SPIRITUAL INTEGRITY OCCURS REGULARLY WHEN WE ARE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS.

SO TWO REGULAR PITSTOPS TO MAKE:

FIRSTLY, SET ASIDE TIME FOR THE READING AND STUDY OF GOD’S WORD

SECONDLY, SET ASIDE TIME TO GATHER FOR FELLOWSHIP, SO THAT TRUE TRANSFORMATION AND SPIRITUAL INTEGRITY CAN CONTINUE TO OCCUR

SO FUEL UP! IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG JOURNEY

Matthew’s target audience were the Jews, who were familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures and were waiting for the Messiah or Christ (kristos in Greek). He makes that clear from the start of his Gospel.

Matthew 1:1 (NKJV) The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham

He ends Christ’s genealogy with this summary:

Matthew 1:17 (NKJV) So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

In Matthew’s Gospel, the birth of Jesus is limited to three historical events:

– A potential scandal that ended happily in marriage

– a group of “magos” from the east who came looking for a king

– and a madman who slaughtered innocent babies

THE FIRST STORY: A MARRIAGE – Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 1:18 (NKJV) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

How did Joseph respond to the message of the Christ?:

He was a righteous man

Matthew 1:19 (NKJV) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

Matthew uses the word “dikaios” to describe Joseph – a person whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God. Joseph lived his life guided by the laws of God. He allowed God’s laws to shape his thoughts, feelings, words and deeds.

He chose to be gracious to Mary and divorce her secretly

Joseph concluded, understandably, that Mary had been with another man. The law would allow him to publicly shame her and the consequences of that could have been that she would be tried and stoned to death if found guilty. Instead Joseph decided to “put her away secretly”. The root word is hide – he chose to hide what he presumed was her sin.

How far the church has drifted away from what a righteous life should be. For Joseph righteousness and graciousness were synonymous. Today, we seek to expose sin, make public stands against immoral behaviour. Gracious would be the last thing the world would describe today’s Christian.

He recognised the voice of God

Matthew 1:2021 (NKJV) But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

“The Lord appeared” – Not really a natural response for someone in deep crisis as Joseph was in. It would have been easy enough to explain the dream away. Of course he would dream about this situation that was churning in his mind for days. But Joseph’s exposure to the Scriptures and the practice of the laws of God actually enabled him to recognise the voice of God. The tone, the sound, the feeling, the experience must have been familiar to this righteous man. He recognised that it was the Lord who was appearing to him in a dream.

He did as the Lord commanded him

Matthew 1:2425 (NKJV) Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

Let us not miss what Joseph actually had to do to be obedient to God. He took Mary to be his wife and did not consummate until she gave birth. Why? Because the Scriptures were clear – the virgin shall conceive, the virgin shall bear a Son.

Matthew 1:2223 (NKJV) So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

THE FIRST RESPONSE TO CHRIST WAS COMPLETE OBEDIENCE. JOSEPH DID WHATEVER IT TOOK TO BRING ABOUT THE WILL OF GOD.

– Complete obedience will produce the will of God in our lives.

THE SECOND STORY: SOME MAGICIANS – Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew 2:1 (NKJV) Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem

The word translated as wise men is the Greek word “Magos” – a name given in ancient times to wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, and sorcerers. The word is found only in two other passages in the New Testament where it refers to a Simon (Acts 8:9) and a Elymas (Acts 13:6,8). Both were called magos, translated in our Bibles as a sorcerer or one who practices magic.

We may have spruced up these magos for our nativity scenes but in reality magos were not looked at favourably by the Hebrew people. Their activities were quite questionable and sometimes outright unbiblical. They wouldn’t have been a group that the Jews would have expected God to entrust the message of the birth of the Christ. Yet God did. They were the ones who were present enough to hear from God and receive the message of Christ.

How often we write off people as being too far out of the reach of the Gospel and yet God reaches out and touches them and saves them.

HOW DID THE MAGOS RESPOND TO THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST?

They noticed the star – “we have seen His star”

Matthew 2:2 (NKJV) saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

So often we are too busy to notice God incidents, Divine interceptions, Holy interventions. No wonder our first response to difficult situations is always to ask “where are you God?”

TAKE TIME TO LISTEN. HE IS A LOVER WHO COMMUNICATES FREELY TO HIS PEOPLE.

They enquired about the message – “where is He?”

Experiences and encounters are very important. Many times they are keys to hearing God. But it is not enough to merely hear God through experiences and encounters. We need clarity that can only come from the Bible. The magos knew they had limited knowledge – they needed to search the Scriptures to clarify their experiences.

They worshiped him

Matthew 2:1011 (NKJV) When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 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.

Jesus was no longer in a manger by this time. He was living in a house – possibly a toddler between 12 to 24 months old. They fell down and worshiped Him – worship involves your whole being – body, mind, soul and spirit. It’s physical, mental and spiritual.

They “opened their treasures” – Gold, frankincense and myrrh. These were physical treasures that the Magos presented to the Christ child. We now posess these treasures as we worship the ressurected Christ. I call them the 3 ‘P’s – provision, presence (fragrance that reminded of God) and protection (embalming from decay).

THE SECOND RESPONSE TO CHRIST WAS UNINHIBITED WORSHIP

THE THIRD STORY: A MADMAN – Matthew 1:38, 16-18

Herod and the message of the Christ:

He had all the information he needed to know that the Christ was born

Matthew 2:46 (NKJV) And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

He chose to respond with anger and murder

Matthew 2:16 (NKJV) Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

THE THIRD RESPONSE TO CHRIST WAS UTTER CARNAGE AND MURDER

BETHLEHEM OR BEDLAM

As we come into another Christmas season, we are faced with a reminder that Christ the Lord our Saviour has come. What has been our response to that message so far? Has it been like the couple – complete obedience, or the magos – uninhibited worship or has our response been to live our lives irreverently and irrespective of the coming of our Saviour and King?

COMPLETE OBEDIENCE AND UNINHABITED WORSHIP IS THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO THE CHRIST. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GIVE THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO JESUS CHRIST?

1. A revelation from God

Joseph and the magos had personal encounters with God. To stay in a life of obedience and to continuously offer uninhibited worship, we need to be exposed afresh on a daily basis to encounters with God. Our approach to the Scriptures should never be merely for knowledge of the Scriptures alone. When we come to the Scriptures, we need to come expecting to receive a personal revelation from the Holy Spirit.

DON’T READ THE BIBLE TO KNOW GOD, READ THE BIBLE TO ENCOUNTER GOD

2. A willing heart

Among the three events in Matthew’s birth narrative, two stories had characters who had hearts willing to submit themselves to the purposes of God. The other was destroyed by a hardened heart and a selfish agenda. Let these words of Jeremiah speak to you this Christmas.

Jeremiah 17:910 (NKJV) “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

Let God search your heart and test your mind. Then and only then will we experience the harvest of fruit that comes from a life shaped by the will and purposes of God.

This post was originally published in December 2022 and updated on 31 December 2023

Tough times can become a slippery slope. When life throws a curve ball at us there is a tendency to turn cynical. We begin to distrust even the things we have taken for granted and relied on all our lives. Institutions that have served us well in the past, have now come under scrutiny. Right or wrong – we have begun to question the integrity of doctors and medical science, journalists and the media, national leaders and politics, religious leaders and the church. Phrases like these have become common everyday jargon today – “fake news”, “new world order”, “conspiracy theories”, “going down a rabbit hole”. Social media has added fuel to the fire by enabling these conversations to reach the heights they have attained.

Cynicism however is nothing new. Psalm 73 may just as well be written by a Christian living today. The words of a modern-day psalmist comes to mind –

Ophelia, she’s ‘neath the window for her I feel so afraid

On her twenty-second birthday she already is an old maid

To her, death is quite romantic she wears an iron vest

Her profession’s her religion, her sin is her lifelessness

And though her eyes are fixed upon Noah’s great rainbow

She spends her time peeking into Desolation Row

There is of course a vast difference between Psalm 73 and Dylan’s “Desolation Row”. The psalmist gives us a way out of our conundrum. The psalmist takes an honest look at himself and shares with us how he became overwhelmed by the turbulence of his times and began spiralling down a rabbit hole of cynicism and negative thought.

Psalms 73:1-3 (NKJV) Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped.

“…my feet had almost stumbled” he confesses. “My steps had nearly slipped”.  Almost, nearly – these are valuable spaces to cherish. We seldom appreciate the subtle voice of reason that stops us dead on our tracks before we begin sliding down into the abyss. That voice, His voice is what preserved the psalmist from slipping into a crevasse of mistrust, envy, resentment, and bitter disappointment. After unpacking the state of mind he was in, the psalmist gives us the secret to living in turbulent times. Before we peer into his enlightened mind, let us capture two insights the psalmist gives us on what causes the downward spiral when we face hard times.

1. Your view of God

The psalmist went into his turbulent experience with a valuable mindset. He learnt the secret of living life in the valleys of despair – “God is good…to such as are pure in heart”. In other words, to the one who’s heart is pure; the one who continuously filters their heart from sediments that make them see God in a negative way. That person who is able to say always in all circumstances – God is good.

How you view God determines how you relate to God. In times of trouble we need to know all the players – who is good?, who is evil?

Know who is evil

John 10:10 (NKJV) The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

The Bible is very clear on the two extreme players in everyone’s life. One is good and only good, the other is evil and only evil. Whenever you experience being robbed of your dreams, your health, your relationships, your finances – when things fall apart – I’m not saying that the devil is the cause of it – however you can be rest assured the devil will be seeking to manipulate that situation or circumstance to steal, kill and destroy. At the same time, God is ever present during those times seeking to lead us into life and life in abundance.

Know who is good

James 1:17 (NKJV) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

The apostle James is convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only is God good, God is “only good” – there is no variation in His personhood. His nature is only good and nothing else. Not only is God “only good”, He is also “always good” – there is no shadow of turning. God doesn’t change in His goodness ever. He is consistently good, always good. God is Good, God is “only good”, God is “always good”.

This is the all-important mindset we need whenever we find ourselves in turbulent times.

How you view God determines how you relate to God

2. Your view of the world around you

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, I saw the prosperity of the wicked

Fixing our attention on what is going wrong, seeing through negative lenses, engrossed at the wicked and what they are up to – or just obsessing over the troubles we are in – that is a sure recipe to stumble into desperation or slip into envy. I’m not suggesting that we naively ignore what is going on around us. Neither am I in anyway minimising the pain and anguish one goes through during trying times. I’m merely highlighting the psalmist’s personal observation that when he focused on the wicked and boastful, how they seemingly are insulated from troubled times, he found himself on “stumble street” leading to “slippery avenue”.

Focusing on the negative circumstances around us make it hard to believe God will come through for us. Our sight gets affected. We see the problem disproportionately larger than God. Peter’s experience of walking on water is a good example of how focusing on the turbulence affects our faith. The moment he shifted his focus from Jesus to the raging winds and the swelling waves, fear got a hold of him and he began to sink. Keep focusing on all the negative all around you it will cause you to sink into despair.

What you see is what you will believe.

So here are the two important lessons from the psalmist we need to remember as we enter turbulent times. Your view of God, your view of your circumstances – both will affect you. Let us be quick like the psalmist to discern when things are going wrong internally. “I almost stumbled”; “I nearly slipped”.

The secret to getting through tough times

Psalms 73:28 (NKJV) But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

After an honest conversation with God, where he shares his struggles, sparing no emotions, the Psalmist returns to the posture that will take him through his troubles. Three things he intentionally practices.

1. DRAW NEAR TO GOD

Stay close to God especially during troubled times. We need to learn from little children. Children run to parents when they feel they are in danger. Make it your default setting – when faced with challenging moments, run to Jesus. Stay very close to him. Draw near to Him.

James 4:8 (NKJV) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

2. PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE LORD

 One of the best prayers you can pray in times of trouble is the prayer Jesus prayed at the garden of Gethsemane. “Nevertheless not my will but yours be done”.  During turbulent times we lose our bearings, but He remains a firm anchor.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

3. DECLARE HIS WORKS

Drawing near to God, Trusting in His promises, you now can declare confidently that God is at work even though the circumstances around you say otherwise.

Psalms 118:16-17 (NKJV) The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD.

Look for the Divine in everything – where is God in this?

Look for the biblical promises in everything – what has God promised me?

Separate the players in everything – make this clear distinction: evil is from the devil, hurt and offense from people (self or others), good and only good is from god.

• evil is from the devil (Put on the Armour of God)
• hurt and offense from man (forgiveness prayer)
• good and only good that’s from God (praise and thanksgiving prayers)

When you pray the Lord’s prayer, remember this:

• forgive us as we forgive others (healing from what others do)
• lead us not into temptation (deliverance from my tendency to mess up my life)
• deliver us from evil (protection from the devil)

Like seatbelts on an airplane during turbulence, we need to train our minds to live within the constraints of these boundaries during hard times:

DRAW NEAR TO GOD

PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE LORD

DECLARE HIS WORKS

I’m not a doomsday prophet. But I’m sensing some turbulence ahead. Our Captain has turned on the seatbelt sign. BUCKLE UP!

In his book “The secret of Guidance”, late nineteenth century pastor and author F B Meyer wrote about the importance of reordering our worldview around what he termed as fact, faith and feeling.

“We repeat here our constant mistake about the things of God. We try to feel them. If we feel them, we believe them; otherwise, we take no account of them. We reverse the divine order. We say feeling, FAITH, FACT. God says FACT, FAITH, feeling. With Him feeling is of small account—He only asks us to be willing to accept His own Word, and to cling to it because He has spoken it, in entire disregard of what we may feel.” F B Meyer, The secret of guidance.

Meyer saw these three elements as influencing factors in our quest to discern the will of God for our lives. He challenged the prevalent practice of believers prioritising their feelings when it came to believing what God says in His Word. Instead of giving precedence to the promises of God in Scriptures, believers tend to pay more attention to their feelings which almost always are determined by circumstances and surroundings.

In my opinion, this “constant mistake” of prioritising our feelings above all else is a symptom of a more dysfunctional chaos that is going on in the believer’s life. Most of us would probably agree with the understanding that human beings are basically tripartite beings – body, soul and spirit. The chaos I speak of lies in the incompatibility of the Christian life with the dominant influence of the body and soul over the spirit. Before I elaborate on this let me first briefly revisit the concept of the tripartite being.

Body, soul and spirit

At the risk of oversimplifying this complexed idea, the body is the recipient of knowledge mainly from our five senses. The information we receive from these senses interact with our existing experiential knowledge to make up what an individual would perceive as fact or “truth”. Based on the inner processing of this information the body responds accordingly to the outer world with actions that effect ourselves and our surroundings.

The soul on the other hand is that inner “part” of a person which processes the information received from the body at any given moment. We speak of the mind and intellect, feelings and emotions, will and choices – these are all active cogs in the inner processing of a human being that ultimately expresses itself through the body in the way we think, speak and act.

The spirit of a person has been vastly ignored for centuries as it neither can be observed or proved. In recent years however there has been an awakening to the spirit component of a person and many seek after spiritual experiences. So what is this third element we refer to as the spirit? I tend to liken the spirit of a person to the operating system in a computer. You may have a computer that runs on the Windows operating system, the Mac OS or maybe an open source Linux system. What software or applications you use is very dependent on the operating system your device is on. The operating system is the ecosystem of your digital device. The spirit of a person is the ecosystem where the soul and body function in. It is the core of a person. A way of being which governs the person.

The spirit as an ecosystem

The spirit of a person has three possible “operating systems”. The “ego” or self-directed worldview, is and ecosystem where everything revolves around a person or a people group and culture that the person has an affiliation with. The “ego” is the most popular “operating system” in the world we live in. People in this ecosystem pledge allegiance, are committed to, embrace a particular belief system and adhere to a way of life because it nourishes their self indulgent needs. Words like self-esteem, self-image, self-made, self-worth are all familiar language in this ecosystem. Ideologies, institutional religion, economic and political systems – these systems thrive in the “ego” environment. The “ego” worldview is only about me, myself and I.

The second “operating system” that can dominate a person’s spirit is the demonic realm. Not many Christians, let alone church leaders, would be comfortable talking about the demonic realm but Biblical writers did not shy away from their obligation to warn believers of the dangers of this controlling environment. The apostle Paul spoke plainly about such things. In his letter to the Corinthian church he instructs them to receive back a person who had been disciplined and excluded from fellowship due to his harmful behaviour. In his exhortation to forgive and receive back to fellowship he highlights one of the reasons being the hostile and evil environment the man could be susceptible to outside the Kingdom of God.

2 Corinthians 2:7, 10-11 (NKJV) …so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow…Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

The context teaches us to be vigilant and not ignorant of the devices of Satan and the demonic realm to take advantage of people in their pain and misery. Again to the Ephesian church Paul instructs vigilance in keeping their defenses up against the evil ecosystem.

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) 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.

I don’t think anyone chooses to allow their spirit to be dominated by this ecosystem but it is a present danger to all who are outside Divine protection. Everyone who is not living in the safety of the Kingdom of God is susceptible to the evil that is ever present to “steal, kill and destroy”. The demonic realm as an “operating system” is all darkness, all wicked and all evil.

The final ecosystem that can dominate a spirit of a person should they choose it is The Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the original “operating system”. This ecosystem was best described as a garden in Genesis 1 and 2. Everything that exists in this environment functions under God’s Divine authority. Nothing can exist within this ecosystem unless it is subject to the will and rule of God. The Kingdom of God is the manifestation of the goodness of God. The Kingdom of God is good and only good.

James 1:16-17 (NKJV) Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

God is good and only good. God is light and no darkness exists within Him. As such there is no evil that can survive in the Kingdom of God.

John 1:3-5 (NRSV) All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

The Kingdom of God is the way of life believers are called into. We are called to be born again into the Kingdom of God. In keeping with my digital world analogy, the invitation is to have our spirits reformatted to this new operating system called the Kingdom of God. That is the very gist of the Lord’s Prayer. When we pray the Lord’s prayer we are praying for our spirit to be reformatted to the Kingdom of God “operating system”. We are availing ourselves to be subject to God’s ecosystem.

When God dominates our entire worldview (Your kingdom come, Your will be done), then our entire lives are influenced by this. Our cares and concerns (our daily bread), our relationships with God and others (forgive us…as we forgive those), and the everyday moment by moment decisions (lead us…deliver us) – areall dominated by God, His rule and His will. This optimal place of being, where God is be all and end all, is what Paul refers to in his letter to the Colossians.

Colossians 3:15 (NKJV) And let the peace of God rule (arbitrate, umpire, direct) in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Paul speaks of a place we can come to in our Christian walk where there is peace in our entire person. Our body, soul and spirit at peace – “set at one”. The wholesome me, the tripartite being, is in harmony and not living in contradiction. This state Paul calls “the peace of God” is where Divine direction, wisdom and discernment occur. Our spirit, functioning in God’s ecosystem, creates a conducive environment for the soul to find it’s balance. Our mind, will and emotions functioning in perfect harmony – being led by God the Holy Spirit.

Submitting our spirit to the Divine environment of the Kingdom of God is the only way we will see ourselves functioning under the divine order F B Meyer speaks of : FACT → FAITH → FEELING.

Philippians 4:8 –9 (NKJV) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

FACT – Submitting ourselves to the truth of the Word of God and what the word of God says about us and our situation. Don’t start your day with the diagnosis. Don’t fill your mind with your surroundings or your circumstances. Let the Word of God be the beginning and the end of your day. Look up promises of god in Scriptures that are relevant to your circumstance and pray those scriptures repeatedly through the day.

FAITH – When your mind is full of the word of God and the promises of God, faith automatically rises within you. A supernatural confidence and hope that can only come from the Holy Spirit fills your spirit. Confidence and hope are the 2 natural ingredients of faith (Hebrews 11:1).

FEELING – When your spirit is full of faith (Divine confidence and hope), your soul and body respond accordingly. Everything in you moves in the same direction, “set at one” – that peace of God – dominates your entire being.

Renovation of the heart

It is time for a spiritual make over. Reformat your inner being today.

• Recommit your life to God afresh.

  Surrender your life in full to Him. That simple prayer “Your kingdom come, Your will be done” – that is all that your need to pray. Pray that daily. Pray that until it becomes a reality in your life. Until your spirit operates solely on the Kingdom of God.

• Reorder your life everyday

  Start everyday with this Divine order FACT → FAITH → FEELING

  FACT – Make God’s Word your truth. When fear or doubt creep in, return to the fact – what did God say in His Word?

  FAITH – keep filling your mind with the Word of God. As you meditate and pray His promises daily, you will be filled by the Holy Spirit with confidence and hope.

  FEELING – that Divine confidence and faith will permeate your entire being and govern your feelings and your actions.