God for the rest of us

Many times He’s called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but these three men had very different stories. But theirs are pictures that many of us can identify with, showing a God Who is not ashamed to be identified with us and our past.

There’s this thing I read in a book called Changed into His Likeness by Watchman Nee that really revolutionized my understanding of how God came for each and every one of us. Take a look, you just might identify.

Throughout the Scriptures, ever notice how when speaking to the Israelites God is referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It meant a lot to the Israelites because these guys were their ancestors. It was a reminder that the very same God that did awesome wonders in their ancestors’ day was very much alive and well with them.

But then these three guys were very much unlike one another. They each represent different personalities and show how God interacts with different kinds of people, and with us at different stages of our growth.

Abraham and Isaac

Abraham was the father of faith himself. Right off the bat, as soon as we meet him, God’s calling him to take a giant step of faith and Abraham (then called Abram) obeys. This man had a very amazing and exemplary walk with God. He experienced miracles, lived prosperously and fought and won battles all by God’s strength. See, God had a covenant relationship with Abraham that gave him an edge.
Abraham is like the picture of that stellar child of God. His life is marked with so many exploits and wonders done through God’s favor. He has testimonies of the miracles and wonders God has done in his life, of the many battles he’s won by God’s might. He talks casually about how God is His closest friend and how God reveals secrets to him. He’s that believer we all aspire to be like. If this is where you are in your walk with God, it’s legit, and it’s a good place to be. Oh the adventures you will have in God!

Isaac, however, is majorly known for being Abraham’s son. Not to belittle or invalidate his own experience, but much of what we see him doing is as a result of what his father has already done. His father got a wife for him (Genesis 24:1-67). One time Isaac was going to dig up wells but they were his father had dug years before (Genesis 26:18). He was basically living a life enjoying his father’s inheritance. He had entered into rest by heritage, enjoying the blessing of his father.
Isaac reminds us that, as believers, we have entered into a Victory already purchased for us. The battle has been fought and won, and we’ve been crowned ‘More than Conquerors’ through our Father Who loves us. All our accomplishments in Him are based on what He’s provided already. We won’t be speaking cliche when, like Paul, we say, “I am what I am by the grace of God.” (1 Corinthians 15:10)
This understanding is very important so that our confidence is never in the exploits wrought by our hands, but in Him Who birthed us. Always.

Meet Jacob

But Jacob … now here’s a real zinger of a story. Jacob was the quintessential picture of a hustler if there ever was one. He tricked his brother, Esau, into selling his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34), he tricked his father into bestowing his blessing upon him instead of Esau (Genesis 27:1-40), and he later tricked his uncle Laban into giving him the best majority of his herd (Genesis 30:25-43). He got tricked too, like any hustler has experienced, but he owned those scars. He went through life winning seemingly by his efforts, with the wisdom of the world. He had street-smarts, and they had worked for him for so long.
But then many years later, his brother, whom he’d swindled out of his birthright, was on his way. For the first time, the trickster was said to be greatly afraid (Genesis 32:7)
Jacob was so scared that he sent part of his family ahead in case Esau was ready to kill him, so they’d get killed first.
The night before their fateful meeting, Jacob fought with God. Or an angel of God, it’s not explicitly clear, but it’s heavily implied that it was God in human form (Genesis 32:24-32). They fought until daybreak. Jacob’s thigh got dislocated out of joint, leaving him with a limp for the rest of his days.
“Let me go,” the Angel of the Lord said.
“Bless me!” Jacob cried. “I won’t let you go unless You bless me!”
And God blessed him and gave him a new name: Israel. Jacob went on that morning to meet his brother, ready for the worst, but Esau instead embraced him.

Jacob is like the rest of us

I’ve come to love Jacob’s story because while most of us are not like him, he’s like so many of us. We may not all have tricked our way to the top, but we’ve all gone through circumstances that looked like we had to work our way out of. We’ve all had those times when we’ve come to depend on our efforts because they’re what have come through for us. We can relate better with the physical reality of the works of our hands than the faith the Bible speaks of.
Everyone of us will come to that wrestling place. It may be a difficult circumstance that causes us to realise that the arm of flesh can only go so far, as we start to wrestle in our minds with the idea that we really can’t do everything on our own. The question that’s played at the back of our minds comes to the fore: “Where has God been all this time? Is He even there?”
And in the midst of this, God is telling us to let go. Let go of the right to understand or work your way out of everything and depend on Him. We really can’t get beyond that difficulty by our effort. All He asks — all He expects of us — is to trust Him. To trust that He loves us enough and is powerful enough to get us through.
It’s a wrestle because letting go is a hard decision. It may leave us with a limp, like Jacob. The limp isn’t physical, but it’s a reminder that we will always need His help. It would be a constant reminder that you may have been able to sort out everything else by your abilities, but there are some things you know are way beyond you and show you need God’s help. It’s humbling, trust me. But like Jacob, that’s the only way we’re getting out of that fight.
Even the Apostle Paul had his own ‘limp’, but he called it a thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7). He prayed and prayed, asking God to take it away. But you know what God said?

My grace is sufficient for thee, for My Strength is made perfect in weakness.

Can I put this in perspective? One of my pastors, Dr Samuel Oyeyinka, once put it this way. Do you realise that, to this day, no one can fully decipher Paul’s ‘thorn in the flesh’? Some have speculated that it was an eye defect because Paul once wrote about having to write in BIG LETTERS (Galatians 6:11), though that could have just been for emphasis. Some said it was the pain of constantly being persecuted. Some suggest it may have been loneliness from his singleness. Or, who knows, maybe it was a literal thorn that was lodged in his flesh! (creepy picture, I know)

Whatever it was, it was something so difficult that The Paul, writer of two-thirds of the New Testament texts, kept asking God why He didn’t take it away. That was his wrestle with God. This ‘thorn’ could have been any of many things but we really don’t know for sure what it was!
Why?
Now this is the best part.
It shows that, whatever it may have been, God’s strength and grace overshadowed it so much that it didn’t become an issue anymore! It was a constant reminder to Paul that he really needed God’s help, but to others Paul was just fine, even super-fine.

It did not impede Paul from fulfilling God’s intent for his life. Whatever this thorn may have been, Paul was still able to say at the end of his life, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” (2 Timothy 4:7)
Because Paul trusted His life to God, God helped him walk despite his limp.
Wow!

The God of Jacob

Jacob came out of the fight with a new name, Israel. But do you notice that God was still referred to, more often than not, as the God of Jacob and not simply the God of Israel? Do you see how God was not ashamed to be associated with Jacob, with all of his crooked past?
It’s a reminder that, when we commit our lives to God, our past, present and future are committed to Him. He’s not ashamed to be identified with our past because not only has it been a part of who we’ve become, but He’s going to work it out into His beautiful glorious future for us. You would look back and see the beautiful thread God weaved through and out of that past. In the pain and hurts, He would strengthen you so you can even be a comfort to another going through theirs.

He’s not ashamed to be identified with our past…

This is why Paul would say, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon Me.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

My limitations are a reminder that God is able to help me. When I face my own thorns, those situations where I still have questions, I’ve come to a place where I deliberately commit them to God. It’s not always easy, but I’m willing to trust that if I trust Him with the parts of life I find difficult, He would help me walk. By His strength and grace I will walk on water with Him. Where I limp, I’ll trust He’ll help me walk. And if I get overwhelmed by the waves, I know He’ll carry me.

I’m learning to live from that place always, not just when I face difficult circumstance. When I’m weak and aware of my weakness, I’m at my strongest (2 Cor 12:10) because He has more license to work!
And, like Don Moen’s song, my heart constantly sings…
Lord I offer my life to You
Everything I’ve been through
Use it for Your glory
Lord, I offer my days To You
Lifting my praise To You
As a living sacrifice
Lord I offer You my life.

Abrahams have learnt this lesson of trusting God, early. That’s why they have such a close walk with God. That’s why God can do so much through them.
This, trusting in God, is the only life Isaacs know because Abrahams taught them. But they, like we all, will come to points where we have no choice but to trust God. A literal moment of truth. It stretches us, but it builds our faith.
We tend to define Christian life based on the Abrahams and Isaacs, but don’t forget that even the Jacobs are special to God. He also wants to be identified with their journey, to show forth His glory and awesomeness through their story. We all come into His plans through the door of faith, trusting in Him. He meets us right where we are.
Right where you are.

Faith is like coming to a cliff. Our Father calls us to step off. Our common sense tells us to stay on solid ground, and we wrestle. But when we trust Him and step off, we land in His arms.

The more we step off of these cliffs, the better we know the One waiting to catch us. Over and over again.

Let me finish…

Let’s bring this home, shall we?

Abraham shows us that we can have a close walk with God, and that we would see His strength and might working through us.
Isaac reminds us that we’ve come into an inheritance we did not work for. Christ provided everything that we would need for life and godliness. Our part is to trust Him, receive what He’s done, and walk.
Jacob reminds us that there’s a point where the strength and knowledge we’ve always known would not be enough. In those places where we see we have to trust God, we come to see His power at work in us and for us. The ‘limp’ may remain, but it’s an opportunity to see His strength in us.

No matter where you are, God came for you. In every stage, we’ll always be reminded of our need for God, and of how He’s enough and more than enough for us. He is committed to making your life a living example of all He can do.

And that’s why He’s not ashamed, but really excited, to be known in the mouths of the people as the God of (insert your name)!

Thanks for reading!

Who do you identify best with? Abraham? Isaac? Jacob? A mixture? Have you ever had your wrestling moments with God? Kindly share in the comments. You just might encourage someone 😊

Got the Update?

From seeing how my phone needed updates, I learnt that I need updates for my growth in God. Updates of wisdom, strength, reminders of His love, godly perspectives and mind-sets, and so much more.

For weeks the apps on my phone have been reminding me to install the new updates. I’d become quite used to seeing the numerous reminders in the Notifications tray, but I put it off for later.
It came to a head one day when my Twitter app wouldn’t let me open it until I installed the latest updates. According to them, the new update would help to protect my app from recent security issues that previous software definitions were not prepared for. Now I saw reasons not to put off that update, so I set out to do it.
I could go into explaining the lessons I learnt from that experience, but there’s more.
One of the reasons I hadn’t downloaded the updates hitherto was because my phone’s storage capacity was quite full. Every time I tried to download an update my phone would require me to uninstall one of my other apps. All of them were important to me, so I would instead look for photos, videos, audio files or documents that I could delete to clear the space. It’s usually difficult for me because I find it a little hard to let go of these. I can be quite sentimental, I find.
But this time, I had to give in. I deleted I think over a thousand files that day to make room for the new update. Some were dear to me, some were easy to let go of, and others had me wondering what they were doing on my phone in the first place. In the end I cleared enough space and the download could go through.
The app’s now got a couple of changes in its interface but it almost looks exactly the same. I may never know why it needed the update or the security risks it’s protecting me from, and that’s probably for the better. Unless, of course, it’s a backdoor channel for them to monitor me (cue the ominous music: dun dun DUUUNNN!)
Not all my phone apps are updated yet, but I’ll still get to them.

Updates from Heaven

Do you know that just like my phone app needed an update, we also need our God-updates at every point in time? That every day, there are heaven-rooted updates tailored for you?
I’ll explain.
As God’s people we’ve received His Life through the finished works of Jesus Christ in Redemption. Our spirits are renewed so that we can be all God intended for us to be; His children bearing His nature. That’s perfect and, like Jesus said, “It is finished.”

In this world there are new challenges in every season and every day. Like Jesus said in Matthew 6:34,

…Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Now the life God has given us in Christ is powerful enough to face these challenges. Through the power of God at work in us, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we could ask or think, even beyond whatever adversity there is out there. But our minds and bodies are exposed daily to experiences in opposition to God’s Word.
Whether we like it or not, there could be circumstances to try and make you feel discouraged, people ready to ruin your day with unreasonable words, and news and online threads ready to order the course of your thoughts and mind-set for the day. It’s not all bad, but more often than not, they are content created without our best interests in mind.
In the midst of this, Lamentations 3:22 and 23 reminds us of the words you probably remember from that song;

It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.

Just to put it in perspective, just as the days are evil, the Lord has new compassionate and preserving mercies for you every day. Every. Single. Day.
Tailored for your specifications, beyond and above whatever could be thrown at you. 2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

One of my former pastors loved to describe it as you having a full tank of water but having an empty bucket. It doesn’t change the fact that you’ve got water ‘cause there’s a supply available with your name on it. You receive from your supply when you turn the tap. He was talking about the grace of God available to meet our needs and help us give, but I think it also applies here.
For each and every task you are given and each circumstance we face, for everything that would lay a demand on the life in you, God is able to make all grace abound toward you so that you can have all you need to have an abundant supply for every good work.

Why you can download the update

No matter how hard I try, that Twitter app update could never work on my computer. That particular update could never work for the Facebook app or the Instagram app on my phone either because it was not made by them or for them. The reason I can download the update on my phone is because the update is made for the app on my phone. It was made by Twitter for the specific version of the app that’s present on my phone.
In the same way, because I belong to Jesus, I am capable of receiving the updates of strength, instruction and grace that are my inheritance as His child. It is His delight for me to receive and walk in them. Because I have His Spirit in me, I can receive from Him.
In 1 Corinthians 2:12 it says

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

When we got born again we received the Spirit of God. And it is because we have the Spirit of God that God can reveal to us His will at every point in time. Like it says earlier in that chapter in verses 8 and 9,

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

God is willing to show you things beyond what you’ve seen, to let you in on secrets beyond what you’ve heard, and to cause you to conceive thoughts and ideas beyond what you’ve ever imagined. Just as He shared His plans with Abraham like a friend, He intends to have that kind of relationship with you. Even much more, because now you are His child.
You are the child of the Maker of all that is. Wow!
So just like a child learns to talk the more he/she hears us talking with, God’s updates are to bring you to His level of thinking so that He can relate with us and guide us well in all the peculiar circumstances that we could face.

So How do I Download the Update?

In Romans 12:2 Paul writes,Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him.
Have you noticed that the more time you spend with an individual who makes puns and cracks dry jokes, the more you’d find yourself deciphering puns? Soon you’d probably be the one others will be running after crying, “Don’t leave me! Take me with you!” (someone reading this in 2038 didn’t get this reference. Sorry, kid 😉)In the same way, we let God change the way we think (our mind-sets) by actually spending time with Him, by giving our time and attention to reading and studying His Word and in prayer. That way we can know what His will is and we can do it, empowered by His Spirit in us.
Paul also wrote about the importance of making the best use of time in Ephesians 5:15, 16

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

When we live our lives by the wisdom of God we are walking circumspectly, making the best use of the time, and equipped not to give in to the adversity we may face in the day.This is why it is usually encouraged to start your day with a time set apart to read the Bible and talk with God. Some call it Morning Devotion, others call it Quiet Time, but nobody calls it Steve 🤷🏽‍♂️.Either way, the value is not in what we call it but in Who we’re setting out time for. It helps to set the agenda for our minds and to get His agenda for the day.

Clearing the Clutter

Just as I had to remove some apps from my phone, opening our hearts for His updates may require letting go of some things we’ve held on to.
It could be things we love and prize above all else. It could be our time, some of our friendships, some of our goals, or even the feeling of entitlement from our rightful achievements. It could be our media choices or our online presence. Sometimes the Lord may be instructing us to let go of some of these so that our attention can be on Him. For some of them, it is as He becomes our priority that we can have a healthy understanding of their roles in our lives. Otherwise they could become idols in our lives, distracting us from the Lord and all that’s important for our lives.
It could be things that have hurt us or guilt in our past. We don’t hold on to them deliberately, but they may have a hold on us, defining our approach to things and keeping us from reaching for all God has for us. I touched on this partially in my story, Portal.
For all, Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Offer your past, present and future to the Lord and trust Him with it. It may not be as easy as an instant thing, but trust Him with the process.
When we let go of things that have a strong hold in us, our hands can be open to receive all the Father has been trying to show us.

Spending Time with God

This is a lesson I am still learning. I wish I could come to this article from a place of mastery in this aspect, but I am a learner. And I don’t mean that in the Christianese sense where I’m really a pro trying to be humble, NO! I’ve literally found myself going through days without reading my Bible and I’m trying to work on that too. So, now that I’ve burst your expectations of me, hope you can see that I’m really a learner.
But it’s in spending time with God that we receive these updates.
In 2020 of course most of us may not be able to gather with other people yet, but I encourage you to be part of a church. Be regular and committed to the community. The teaching and fellowship (friendship) are essential for our growth. There are some things God would give you through your fellow believers, and some things He wants to share with others through you.
You can also set apart a specific time for it. You can find moments in the day to spend time with Him, cut off from your phone and other distractions. You can even take a day off to spend time with God. The Christianese term for these are ‘Retreats’. It’s allowed and very essential.
You can have devotionals and Bible reading plans that help you keep at it. Pray about what you’ve read. Bible apps like YouVersion can help with that too.You can have a prayer list of people and things you need to pray for and about. The thing is even as you pray He would show you more that you should pray about.

What if it’s boring?!

Don’t worry, you’re not an evil person for thinking that these times can feel boring sometimes. Sometimes it can feel like we’re not getting anything done. Your mind may have trailed off while reading a chapter and you’d find yourself 50 verses away from the last thing you remember in the narrative. You may have prayed for what felt like an hour only to check the clock to see that only 5 minutes have passed. If you’ve never experienced any of these then you’ve either not tried it out or you’ve got a special gift I really want to receive🙌🏼. Please, share in the comments🙏🏼.In these times, I like to be honest with God. I can sit and just talk with Him, telling Him what’s going on in my mind. Truthfully, these conversations don’t end there. They go throughout the day. Sometimes I get instruction or things become clearer. Sometimes it feels like nothing is happening.
But don’t stop. It is in seeking that we find.
Don’t look for a disembodied voice. The primary means of God talking to us is through His Written Word. Every other impression is by the Holy Spirit within us, not compulsorily by an external audible voice. He could use that, but my advice is not to set out looking for the spectacular. Seek Him.
I once heard a quote by someone that said prayer is like starting the day by saying, “In Jesus Name,” then going to bed saying, “Amen.” That’s because throughout the day you were talking with God.
Share your day with God. See what that does to your interactions.

When my heart is overwhelmed…

What about those moments when we really don’t have the strength? When the day has just been terrible and we don’t feel like doing anything ‘spiritual’?
One of my favourite verses is Psalm 61:2

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

David’s desire when his heart was overwhelmed is to be reminded of the One, his Rock, Who is bigger than that problem. Knowing that my world does not revolve around me because I have Someone bigger, greater and wiser on my side and at work in me, gives me courage to face the challenges. It’s one of the reasons we find another Christianese word in the psalms a lot: magnify.

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:3

Or even Psalm 35:27

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

Ever used a magnifying glass before? It makes things look bigger. It doesn’t make the thing bigger but it makes my perspective of that thing to be bigger.
God doesn’t need to be bigger or more powerful or wiser or stronger. He already is! But sometimes I forget that the Greater One is for me and with me. That’s why I need that reminder.
I need God to be magnified in my eyes.
And that only happens when I look at Him. When I behold Him, I can see Him. Not literally now because I’m still mortal, but as I read about Him in His Word and listen to others talk about Him, as I listen to music that expresses His wonder, as I worship Him, I realise that I really am not as big as I thought, and neither are my problems. He is so much bigger, so much richer in love, and He is so much able to help me more than overcome.
We see this pattern in David’s life. One time when his people’s families were carried away by raiders, his soldiers were angry with him and mutiny was afoot. They were even talking about stoning him. David, whose own family was also carried away, was in great distress. But the Bible lets us know that he ‘encouraged himself in the Lord.’ (1 Samuel 30:6) And right after he asked God for direction, and God told him what to do to get his people back. His stability was in that place where God was bigger than everything else.
Our stability is in the Holiest Place like in the temple (Hebrews 6:19), where Christ is seated having conquered all and redeemed us. Where our sins are forgiven and we obtain mercy and find grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). It is why we have the Spirit of God in us. You, God’s child, are evidence that God is more than able to deal with whatever problem comes your way.
You have access to the King and Conqueror of Eternity, especially at your weakest moments. He’s your stability.
This is what I do. I tell Him exactly what it feels like. Sometimes I just play worship music and sing along to Him. It helps lift my thoughts and feelings, and I worship along.
It takes our attention off our fears and limitations and focuses it on His strength available and at work in us. Like He said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9,

My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness

Share your experience

In recent times I’ve had a couple of interactions with friends who are also making a deliberate consistent culture of spending time with God. What’s your experience like? What lessons have you learnt?
Please share with us in the comments. It could be an encouragement to someone too.
Thanks for coming by!

God is out of Time!

I originally posted this on Facebook on June 24, 2014.

God is out of time!
Really, He is. And that’s a good thing. Because God is not bound by the limits of the Timestream.

In the illustration above there’s this line drawn on a page. Time is like that line, with a definite beginning and an end (since our time is measured relative to the positions of the earth and sun and moon, we could probably say time began when God created them … probably). God drew that line on the page. Or you could say He is the page. That’s why He’s the Beginning and the End, because they’re literally in Him.

So time does not limit God because He is outside of it’s line. So don’t ever let yourself get worried that God doesn’t have enough time to get some things done. Years may have passed since His promises came to you first, but it does not mean He’s late. Also, the things He’s promised you may seem to require a longer time than is available … but time does not define or restrict Him. He can make all things align on your behalf.

In my ‘sci fi’-influenced mentality, I like to imagine that if God needed to, He could actually alter events in the past to create a new present. Perhaps that explains the ‘deja vus’ we experience once in a while (you know, the “hey, I’ve seen this before” feeling). OK, I know it sounds downright unbiblical, but I’m just saying He’s got that kind of power. He’s more powerful than you think He is.
He’s mega-awesome like that.

And if you’re in Christ that’s exactly what He did for you. The covenant required for your salvation, the price required for the sins you committed in these times– it was all done at that point in history when Jesus came and died and rose for you too. So whenever in history you are, if you accept His gift, you too can come to eternal life. It’s like He took your sins back in time and dealt with them in Jesus, and He died with them, and rose with the New you. His Grace transcends the limits of time itself, regardless of what you’ve done.

So yes, God is out of Time.
And that’s a good thing, too.

“My times are in Your hands…”
Psalm 31:15

FEAR ITSELF: The Man of Galilee

But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
Mark 16:6,7

“…and Peter.”
Those words kept ringing in the Galilean fisherman’s ears all night, filling him with both excitement and dread as his boat bobbed on the waters of the Sea of Tiberias. The salty scent of the sea and the cool breeze had been commonplace to him for much of his life, but after a three-year stint away from the trade, he realized that he’d missed it. The familiarity of the scenery was probably what he needed right about now.
Simon and his brother Andrew had left their fishing business to follow their teacher, Jesus of Nazareth. Oh, but he was so much more. This miracle-working rabbi had changed their lives with his message of bringing God’s kingdom to the world, and showing that it starts in the hearts of men. Simon – or ‘Peter’ as Jesus called him, the unshakeable stone – and his friends were convinced that he was sent of God and was, indeed, the son of God. Those last three years had changed their lives forever. Most especially, those three days at Passover.
Jesus was killed by the people. It was a spectacle that ruined Passover for the whole nation gathered at Jerusalem. His followers had all gone into hiding in the days that followed, afraid they would be next. And then on the third day, Jesus suddenly was not dead anymore. The grave was empty.
He was alive. Again, it filled Simon with both joy and dread.
…and Peter…
The past few days had been filled with some of the most extraordinary events. The women had seen an angel at the tomb, telling them that Jesus had risen. And, sure enough, Jesus appeared to the disciples and spoke with them. He had since been seen at different places, interacting with the people, walking with some as they travelled, coming and going as he pleased, encouraging them. These were truly exciting times to be alive.
But for Simon, as excited as he was, he needed a return to some normalcy. He had decided to go fishing when some of the others asked to come along.
“Ugh, how you folk do this is beyond me,” Thomas said from the stern. He had not been a fisherman before and had come along just to be among his friends.
“For starters, by not making comments like that,” Andrew came back.
“We’ve been here all night!”
John smiled. “We’d make a fisherman of you yet. Like my Pa used to say, no fishin’, no eatin’, no sleepin’. We die here.”
Thomas blinked. “Well, looks like we really don’t have to die anymore, eh?”
James shook his head. “It was just an expression. An anachronism, really—“
“I mean, I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but I put my finger in the nail hole of His hand, man.”
“We were there,” Andrew said over his shoulder.
“We should be out there, showing Him to the world. It’s nothing short of incredible. One moment he’s dead and we think we’re goners, the next he’s right there, standing in front of us.”
John chuckled. “You’ve been going over the same thing all night.”
“I mean, I didn’t believe you guys before. It was going to be the last time I allowed myself to accept the supernatural. But then He called me by name. As if He knew.”
“He always did know,” Nathanael said. “Things men weren’t supposed to know, He knew. Like the time he first met me, he told me where I had been earlier that day …”
And on and on they kept recounting events from their times with Jesus. Words he had spoken before suddenly made more sense in hindsight.
But for Simon, memories were what he was running from. The particular memory of that night. The night he denied knowing Jesus.
He had always known himself to be courageous, strong and always ready to take risks for a worthy cause. Maybe that’s why he had stuck out here all night, to once again prove to himself that he was strong and rugged. Because that one night, in the face of something he should have stood for, he had cowered like a rat.
Jesus had known beforehand too, and warned him.
The night Jesus was arrested Simon was ready to die for him, or to even rescue him. He had even snuck around the high priest’s house during the hearings. But then he was found out.
First it was the servant-girl that recognised him as one of his disciples. Sharply, without giving it a second thought, he retorted, “No way! I’m not!”
It was just strategy, he had thought. Soon enough he would be able to get in and get Jesus out of there.
Then as he warmed himself by the fire, someone asked again. “I am not one His disciples!”
But his accent gave him away. And then he found himself believing what he was trying to say. For that moment, swearing and cursing, he yelled, “I have no idea who you’re talking about! I don’t know this Jesus! I have nothing to do with Him!”
And the cock crowed, just as Jesus had said.
He was Peter, the unshakeable stone, the courageous disciple. The one who had always been with Jesus. The one who had seen Moses and Elijah appear to speak with Jesus. The one they all looked to. But when it really mattered, all of that was gone. For the first time, he saw the weakling that he was. That he had always been. He felt nothing like a Peter anymore. Beneath the unshakeable stone that Jesus had thought he was, he was simply Simon, son of Jonah.
But now Jesus was alive.
The angel had told the women, “Go tell His disciples, and Peter…” Jesus had not rejected him despite his denial. He should feel loved, grateful, thankful … but it made Simon feel small. Weak. Helpless. He did not deserve this.
Jesus had appeared to them, but He’d not mentioned the denials. Would He ever?
Simon turned to his friends and caught John’s stare. The younger man had been there that night, but he had not mentioned that bit to the others. No one knew of his denial of Jesus. They would never believe it.
Just as they never would have believed Judas would betray the Master.
“Got new orders for us, Captain?” John asked.
Simon was about to respond when a voice called from the beach. “Shalom aleichem, young men! Got any fish?”
“This would be embarrassing,” Thomas muttered.
“Not yet!” James called. “But we will! Shalom!”
“Way to keep the faith…”
“How ‘bout you cast your nets to the right of your vessel?”
“Just as well. The spectator thinks he knows how to fish better than us —“
“THOMAS!” they all turned to him, weary of his sarcastic banter.
“What?!”
Simon grunted, pulling up the nets. “We might as well. Don’t make no difference, anywhichways.”
“You know what this reminds me of?” Andrew piped.
“Don’t,” Simon said under his breath.
“We all know this story,” John added. “When you first met Jesus!”
“Don’t need to recount it,” Simon said.
“What’s your deal?” Andrew said. “Why are you so down when we’re all… whoa, didn’t expect that.” He pulled harder at the net. “Guys, are you seeing this?”
Simon was feeling it more than seeing it. The nets were suddenly getting tauter by the second. And heavier. It could be anything … but he knew it couldn’t be just anything except…
“Ah!” Thomas yelped as a fish splashed on his face and down on the deck, to the amusement of the others. And more fish came up. The net was tipping the boat on its side as it filled with more fishes, piling and squirming in.
“Is this really happening?”
“Good Golan Heights, put your backs into it!” Simon yelled. “We’ve hit the mother lode, boys.”
“Oi, again with the anachronisms,” James muttered between pants.
Simon felt a nudge. It was John, looking back to shore. “Isn’t this the kind of thing He’d do?”
Simon followed his gaze. The stranger on the beach was still standing there, a smile barely visible from this distance. Barely familiar, if Simon allowed himself to go that far.
John turned to him. “It’s Him! It’s the Master!”
Simon knew. Like in a dream, he realised he had really always known. He knew with all his heart that—
“Whoa! Hold on!”
But Simon had already grabbed his coat and leaped into the sea. He came up for air. “I’m OK! Tie the nets to the stern and drag it to shore.” And with that he swam, hurrying towards shore. Hurrying towards Jesus.
The Master stood on the shore, grinning. A fire of coals lay by his feet, and sure enough fish was roasting on it. He had bread in his hands. Wait, if He already had fish why was He asking for fish? And He still grinned, a twinkle in His eye.
“Master…” Simon ran into His embrace, still wet and cold.
“It’s about time, My friend.”
The others arrived by the boat, the net dragging behind them. If sight were any judge Peter guessed there were over a hundred fish caught. If he were still in the business this would have been a windfall. Amazingly, the net had not broken. But the Master was here. The disciples hurried over to him.
“You guys have been at sea all night,” He rubbed his palms. “Join me. Let’s have breakfast.”
It was just like old times. After they had laid out the fish to dry they sat with the Master as they caught up on everything that had been going on. Nothing else felt wrong in the world when they were with the Master, even though they could not keep their eyes off the holes in His hands no matter how hard they tried. Even Simon’s fears seemed to hang somewhere in the back of his mind now.
When they were done, Jesus turned to him. “Simon bar Jonah. Do you love me more than these?”
“Without question, Master.” He felt the gazes of the others bore into him. He felt John’s the one who had been there that night. He had once felt like the Master’s most loyal follower. Not anymore. But he wanted Jesus to know that he did love him. “You know that I love you, Master.”
Jesus nodded. “My lambs, I want you to feed them. Feed my lambs.”
So Jesus still trusted him with responsibility, just like always.
But He wasn’t done. “Simon bar Jonah. Do you love me?”
He had not put the comparison with the others this time. Simon’s response was less confident. “Yes, Master. You know that I do. Love you.” He gulped. “You know that I love you, Master.”
Jesus nodded. “Feed my sheep.” He sidled closer. “Simon bar Jonah. Do you love me?”
It was the third time.
Just like the three times he denied Jesus.
He knows! And He’s telling me that He does.
“Lord, you know all things. You know that I really do love you.”
I am sorry, Lord.

“Feed my sheep.”
Peter blinked. Really? Despite all that You know? You trust me to feed your people?
Jesus looked up at the others, bringing them into the conversation. “You see, when you were younger, you could dress up and go and do whatever it is you wanted to. When you get older, others will help you get there. You will be too frail to.” He looked into their eyes. “Sometimes your spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
He had said the same in the garden, before his crucifixion. Simon remembered this well, because Jesus had said it to him.
“This is the death that would glorify God. The more you grow in My grace, the more you will see My strength aiding you, empowering you in all you need to do. Your dependence on Me, not by your strength. Not the strength you think you have, but the one I give. The arm of flesh will fail.” He turned to Simon. “It always does. This is the death that glorifies God. The death of self, so that My life may flow through you. Without me, you really can do nothing.”
He placed His hand on his shoulder. “Follow me.”
There was something about knowing that Jesus knew every detail of him – his strengths and flaws – and still accepting him that assured Peter that he was in the right place. In the day of adversity, his strength had failed. But this strength that Jesus was promising, this Holy Spirit that He had been promising to send from the Father would help him to be and do all that he needs to. To stand in the face of adversity, to walk in His Master’s footsteps.
To follow Jesus.
And, yes, now he felt like an unshakeable stone. Unshakeable, because he would be held not by his own power, but by the power of God.
Yes, he knew he really was Peter.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Peter in a letter to the exiles of the dispersion, circa A.D. 65-68 over 30 years after the Resurrection

(1 Peter 1:3-5)

—–

To every one of us, our courage can only carry us so far.
And when our strength fails, it makes us feel less than we thought we were. It makes us doubt our strength.
But God sees that. He does not berate us for acting or being weaker than we ought. No, He comes to our very level to show us His strength and enablement, and by His love brings us to His level. As we grow to trust Him more, our confidence in Him is restored, and we grow in Him. Soon we realise that what made us afraid really is nothing in the face of the Lord who is alive in us.
Like David said, “…when my heart is overwhelmed, ‘Lead me to the rock that is higher than I!’ ” (Psalm 61:2)
God’s perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). His love toward us makes us realise then that He does not come to judge us for our fear. He comes to calm our hearts so we can see Him bigger than our fears, and we can trust in His strength.
And that’s what He delights in. Like a Father, He embraces us and sings in our ears, surrounding us with songs of His deliverance (Psalm 32:7). Telling our hearts of His power to save and deliver. This is how He casts out our fear. Through His words to us.
Therefore, we cannot afford to be distant from God’s Word. It is how He speaks to us, through what He has said as it is written. The Holy Spirit is alive and at work in us to give us understanding and to guide us.

This is the ultimate victory over fear, God’s love for us. He showed this completely in redemption, coming as Man to die and rise for our sake, to make us free from the bonds of sin and death.

Our awareness and acceptance of His love toward us is what frees us from fear.

Everything that could ever defeat you has been defeated by Jesus’ death on the cross. Through His victory over death, He has taken away its sting over you. You need not fear death, or anything else. We are more than conquerors ‘…through Him that loved us!’ (Romans 8:37)
I consistently remind myself of the fact that if God loves me that much, He would not let evil befall me. It is not His nature or desire to. So even if there is an appearance of evil looming, like the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil “For Thou art with me.” (Psalm 23:4)
Your victory over fear is not in your confidence in yourself. Rather, it is in your confidence in God’s love for you and His power at work in you. The more you give yourself to His Word, the more your heart receives His songs of deliverance, and the more your mindset is transformed to see your fears as the shadows they simply are in the face of the One Who is in you. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
So even if you’ve ever given in to fear, it’s OK. All Jesus asks of you, from wherever you are in your faith walk or lack thereof, is what Jesus has asked of us all. Just as He said to Peter. It’s His Way, the only Way that gives you Life, and Love.
“Follow Me.”

SO WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO 2.0

Hi there! Emmanuel here!

This is that feature where I talk about what I’ve been up to.

The past few weeks have been quite interesting, thanks be to God. I’ll be resuming at work soon, but I am thankful that with God I have been able to do quite a lot during this break.

First was the story, TASER. This thriller has been on my heart for a long time, and writing it has been a blessing to me. It tells my story and your story. In the midst of the intrigue and story, the Truth was interwoven in ways I love. It explores themes I love and always want to show in my work: Light, God’s grace, wonder, and an expectation and delight for and from Another World. Perhaps I’m telling. If you have not read the story, I think you should. They’re just six episodes. No biggie, right? 😀

I also got to do some cartoons. Not many, but quite a few. I’ll be posting all my cartoons under the VeriTOONS label on this page for now, until a full website is done. VeriTOONS are a group of cartoons that spread the Message of God’s Truth, and I’ve always loved to make cartoons. To make these VeriTOONS has been my desire for quite some time now. For now, these are the ones I’ll post, and more will be coming soon. My hope is for these toons to turn your gaze Up to the one who gave these gifts, and to give you reasons to recognize His gifts around us all. His Grace. Here are a couple of my latest ‘toons, and they are all explained in the VeriTOONS page. So go there sometime, hmm? 😀

I also made this as a piece of fan art for an upcoming movie. Have you guys read the bestselling Left Behind Series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins? The first two books in the series were made into a series of three movies about a decade ago. But now, the movies are being remade in a bigger budget theatrical release. The upcoming Left Behind movie would feature Nicolas Cage (yeah, the same Nicolas Cage) as Captain Rayford Steele, Chad Michael Murray as seasoned jpurnalist Cameron ‘Buck’ Williams, Cassi Thomson as Chloe Steele, among other big names in the movie industry. That such a wonderful message is coming out now in a really big way is so amazing. When it comes out, make sure you see it. It’s gonna be totally amazing, I can tell you.

So, there’s a whole lot going on with us. With me and with you. Sometimes, we may not see the big picture, but you can be sure of this: God is not through with you yet. There’s a whole lot He’s got planned and prepared for us. We just have to hold on and stay connected to Him.

And that’s what I gotta do. I have not figured it all out. There’s a lot I still need to learn. As long as I stay faithful and teachable to my Father, He will perfect all that concerns me.

And the same goes for you. Trust Him.

He’s got a lot going on for you.

Thanks for coming by here, guys.

God bless ya!

😀