New Year – TGN

The Only Resolution You Need to Make in 2023

Kwesi Sena — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

One of my favourite stories in the Bible is the one about David and Goliath, recorded in 1 Samuel 17. I’m sure every Christian who went through Sunday School has heard it. If not, I will encourage you to set aside 5 minutes to read the whole passage later today. It tells the riveting story of how God delivered his people from the oppression of the Philistines through the courage of a young shepherd boy.

As we begin a New Year and think about goals and resolutions, I believe the story of David in 1 Samuel 17 holds great wisdom and instruction for every Christian. In the story, David never set out to be the hero or deliverer of God’s people. He was sent by his father to deliver food to his brothers who were on the frontline of the battle and bring back word on how they were doing. The brothers were the ones trained for war, who were meant to change the world, so to speak. Yet, it was David who changed the Israelites’ world through God’s power.

When he got to the battlefield, he learnt of this scary giant who was sending shivers down the spine of Israel’s army, from the king to the least of the soldiers. David could not believe how anyone could defy the armies of the living God and not be replied. In his view, Goliath was no match for the Host of Heaven’s army. So, he offered to fight the scary giant one–on–one. David was not even in the reserve army and had never been trained for war. He was but a shepherd boy. You could therefore understand why King Saul was astonished and concerned when he was told a boy had stepped up to accept the challenge of Goliath for a duel. It is David’s response to Saul in 1 Samuel 17:34-37 that I want you to reflect on as you enter the New Year.

“But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, ‘The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’”

It was a fact that David had never been formally trained for battle, yet as he described the experiences of his mundane life, no one could challenge the fact that this was a youth who had been prepared behind the scenes for a time like this. Fighting bears and lions is usually not a sport for shepherd boys watching over their father’s sheep. There was no audience to applaud his bravery as he fought off these beasts. For him, it was just business as usual as he took the sheep for grazing every day; there was nothing spectacular about it. Little did he know his daily acts of faithfulness would one day serve as a credential for fighting the greatest enemy of his nation. All he did was to be faithful daily to his calling as a shepherd boy, and that is what changed the world.

Like David, we all have different callings. As an individual, I have a calling as a Christian, a husband, a father, a son, a pastor, an employee and a friend. There might be more, but I will limit it to these for illustration purposes. For each of these callings, there is a certain measure of faithfulness God requires of me. Faithfulness as a Christian will mean living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and leveraging all the means of grace (Scriptures, Prayer, Fellowship, etc.) he has graciously provided to grow into his likeness.

As a husband, faithfulness means to “love my wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” As a father, my calling is “not to provoke my children to anger, but to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” As a son, I’m called to honour my parents in the way I care for them. As a pastor, my calling is to “pay careful attention to myself and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made me an overseer, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” As an employee, faithfulness requires me to “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from it is from the Lord I will receive the inheritance as my reward.” As a friend, my calling is to be that iron that sharpens another iron, just as a man sharpens another.

There is nothing spectacular about all the things I have described. They seem mundane, and no audience will stand to applaud as we fulfill these callings. Sometimes we will even face opposition, both from within and without. And one thing is sure; you wouldn’t think you are changing the world when you do these mundane tasks. For instance, as you gather your children daily for family worship as a father, you wouldn’t think you’re changing the world, but God can use that act of daily faithfulness to bring your children to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. And I can say for a fact, no earthly accomplishment can compare with the joy of seeing your child come to faith. It is the same with each of the callings we have received from the Lord.

As you begin 2023, I have no doubt there are many goals and objectives you would like to accomplish. I’m sure all of us will make a few resolutions and trust God to help us achieve them. However, like David, I believe we only need one resolution, to resolve by God’s grace to be faithful on a daily basis in whatever calling we have received from him.

Happy New Year!

Ephesians 4:11-13, Ephesians 5:25-28, Ephesians 6:4, Ephesians 6:2, Acts 20:28, Colossians 3:23-24, Proverbs 27:17.

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The Prayer Everyone Should Pray in 2019

Kwesi Sena — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 05:30:12 +0000

Psalm 90:12 is undoubtedly one of the most beloved verses in the entire Bible. In this verse Moses offered a short prayer to God after observing the cycle of human life. He prayed,

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

For Moses, this was not just a nice verse to be memorized, but a deep and heartfelt prayer after considering the brevity of the human life. Through experience, he had become aware that human life was a pilgrimage as he observed the cycle of birth and death in the wilderness. His conclusion was that the wisest thing for any human to do is to number our days that we may get a heart to wisdom.

The years come and go. Often there is nothing remarkable about the new year. I slept on the night of 31st December, 2018 and awoke to 2019 with no change in my life, yet with each passing day I get closer to death than I was before. It is the unremarkable nature of the years that makes the prayer of Moses even more important. The next major event after birth is death. It is for this reason that each of us should pray that God would teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. It is very easy to live in forgetfulness and foolishness, however the fact that there will be a day of reckoning when each of us would give account of our lives demands that we live a life of wisdom.

The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:15-17 writes,

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Paul’s warning is very similar to the prayer of Moses. According to him not only are we living on borrowed time, but this short time is also filled with evil. That’s why it is critical that we watch carefully how we live our lives, not as unwise but wise. His advice to the Ephesians was that in view of the times we should not live as foolish people but understand what the will of the Lord is. For Paul, a foolish life is one that does not consider the will of God.

As we begin 2019, what does it mean to live a life of wisdom?

According to Paul a life of wisdom is one that is lived in accordance with the will of God. That doesn’t sound like a very “deep” revelation. Often times when we talk about wisdom, people are looking for some concocted 10 point ideas that will usher them into their heaven on earth experience. Not so with the true wisdom that comes from above. This wisdom consists in living your life in accordance with God’s word. This means we must first know what the will of God is. And where do we find the will of God? We find the will of God in his word.

The Bible is not just a collection of books, it is the very word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit and it contains the will of God for our lives (2 Tim 3:16 & 17; 2 Pet 1:20 & 21). Therefore, if you want to know how to live a life of wisdom in 2019, you need to devote yourself to reading and meditating on God’s word in order to know what he requires of you.

God’s will for your life is simple and clear. If you’re not yet a follower of Jesus Christ, his will for you is that you repent of your sins and be reconciled to him by trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:17-21). And if you’re already a follower of Jesus Christ, his will for you is that you increasingly become conformed to the image of his Son Jesus Christ ( Rom 8:29; 1 Thess. 4:3).

None of us know what 2019 will bring, even though there are self-acclaimed prophets and apostles who will declare otherwise. However, for the believer in Jesus Christ, we don’t need any prophecies or visons about how to navigate the year. God has spoken clearly and unambiguously in his word and the wise thing is to study and walk according to his will.

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A Cure For Worry

Enoch Anti — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 08:01:34 +0000

Matthew 6:25-34

All too soon, 2018 has come and gone and we have entered a new year. I trust the past year had its own successes. Undoubtedly, I am sure the year also included its own failures. That said, a new year is here with us and in Paul’s words, let us enter the New Year “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:12).

The New Year presents us with many opportunities to amend and improve on areas of our lives where there were failures and forge ahead with confidence. As humans, it is very likely our past experiences, especially where they are not positive experiences may influence our moving forward and if not checked, may slum us into a state of worry, anxiety and in extreme cases hopelessness. To address this, we turn to a very popular sermon delivered by our Lord himself: the Sermon on the Mount. It is so called because the sermon was delivered on a mountain:

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him (Matthew 6:1).

When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him Matthew 8:1)

The Sermon on the Mount begins from Matthew 5:2 and ends at Matthew 7: 29. It is considered Jesus’ longest speech in all of the New Testament; stretching about 109 verses. If you use a red letter edition Bible, you will appreciate how long the sermon was. And in this sermon, we see some of Jesus’ most popular words recorded. Our focus for this article will be on Chapter 6 especially from verses 25-31. A bird’s eye view of the Chapter presents us with these divisions:

1) Rebuke of Ostentatious Living: A life of Pretence (vv. 1-13)
2) Forgiveness (vv.14-15)
3) Attitude Towards Money (19-24)
4) Worrying (25-34).

As indicated, the focus of this article will be on verses 25-34 from which we will glean four lessons.

Worrying Is Disobedience

Worrying first and foremost is disobedience to God’s commands. The Bible clearly commands against worry and anxiety. Jesus in His sermon on the mount issued some imperatives against worrying. Continuously we hear him saying “Do not be anxious” (vv. 25; 31; 34). These are not suggestions or pieces of advice Jesus was giving with an option for us to heed to or not. “Do not” is a command and Jesus commands us not to worry. “Don’t!” If Christ says “don’t” and you do, it is simply disobedience. And the things that cause us worry often are the very basic necessities of life: food, clothing and shelter.

This may sound too simplistic but for those of us in the developing world, these indeed are our major headaches. Of course there are other issues to worry about, but the crust of Jesus’ discourse is that your life is more important than these. It is an argument from the greater to the lesser: “If I have given you your life, why can’t I take care of you in these basic necessities” Christ seems to be saying. In this New Year one of the ways you can deal with worry is to look at it as disobedience to the commands of Christ and stop it.

Worrying Is Unbelief

Look at the little phrase in verse 30: “O you of little faith”. This is a rebuke of unbelief. God has promised to take care of us and to worry is to not believe He is able to do what he has promised he will do. To worry is to take matters into our own hands rather than leave them in the capable hands of God. When you worry, you live your life like an unbeliever without hope: “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (v.32). God knows your needs and he has promised to take care of us. There are many places in Scripture we are warned to not worry.

Paul says:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

This is very instructive. Whatever will cause you worry and anxiety, Paul says bring it to God. Talk about it with God. And after you have done all that “…the peace of God will guard your hearts” (v. 7). You see where the battle of worry and anxiety takes place? In your heart and mind; and God has promised to calm the storm of worry and anxiety if you will bring your worries to Him in prayer; “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1Peter 5:7).

Your Life is More Precious Than Birds and Flowers

In verses 26-29, Jesus contrasts the worth of human life to that of animals and plants. Though we are all creations of God, human beings are created in the very image of God. And especially as believers, God’s care is upon us. In fact, he calls us beloved in Christ. If God cares for birds and flowers; how much more you who is created in his image?
One of the things that fascinates me about birds is how they perch on electrical wires but are not electrocuted. Did God foresee a time in human civilisation when there will be live electrical wires on which birds will perch? Hence he gave them cells and tissues appropriate for that? He surely knew. And he structured birds with a system to handle that. This is about his divine Providence:

God the great Creator of all things does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy (Westminster Confession of Faith 5.1).

God knows everything. He knows what we need. He has promised to take care of us and we should learn to trust in him. He has promised never to leave or forsake us.

Worrying Changes Nothing

Worrying will not change anything. Worrying will not heal a sickness. Worrying will not put money in our pockets. Worrying does no good to anyone: “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” (v.27KJV). In fact worry may rather worsen our lives. It has been proven that worrying has negative medical effects.

Worrying can have a negative effect on your health, making you tired, stressed, speed up the ageing process and sometimes more prone to depression….When you worry, your body responds to your anxiety the same way it would react to physical danger…. Your heart rate increases, your breathing becomes heavier and you may sweat more…. over a prolonged period of time, raised levels of these chemicals can start to have a toxic effect on the glands, nervous system and the heart, eventually leading to heart attacks, increased risk of stroke and stomach ulcers….You may also become more prone to infections. It is widely accepted that stress and anxiety can lower your immune system, making you more susceptible to picking up colds or more serious illnesses… Worry may also make you absent minded or neglectful of your health…. Excessive worry could even lead into depression.¹

We have a Father who cares: a Father who has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. Whatever we may experience or go through in this New Year, we can be confident of God’s provision.

Notes:

1. Rosalind Ryan, “What Worrying Does To Your Health”, accessed 18th December, 2018, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-97853/What-worrying-does-health.html

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New Year’s Eve Vigil Services: Auspicious Moments or Gospel Merchandise?

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 14:30:55 +0000

New Year’s Eve. Growing up, this was the one day when Church meetings were full to overflowing. The services started at about 9pm, and were intended to last till just after midnight when we had been ushered into the New Year. Occasional church-goers would make it a point to not miss this one ceremony. It was the end of the year, and even if they missed all the other meetings in the outgoing year, the New Year would meet them in God’s presence!

Watch night services. That’s how they used to be called. Today, that name seems to be out of vogue. “Night of Supernatural Transition”, “Supernatural Crossover”, “Passover”, “Night of Seasonal Transition”, you name them.

Well-to-do congregations who can afford radio and television advertisements try to outdo each other in their broadcasts of what lies in store for attendees. Billboards and flyers carrying various captivating headings litter the city. You can’t afford to miss this opportunity of a lifetime, we’re told.

Traditionally, New Year’s Eve services were held to thank God for His protection throughout the year, and to commit ourselves to Him for the New Year. Today, the service are made out to be auspicious moments where miracles, sudden breakthroughs and instant turnarounds will occur for those who attend. In a yearly cycle, attendees are promised a New Year where everyday will be sunny-and-bright-with-no-clouds-or-rain; with a string of prophecies, mostly for material blessings each day of the year.

The question this article seeks to address is, are 31st December watch night services really auspicious moments in Christianity or are they a hoax?

On my part, I have grown weary of the commercialisation of church meetings in the manner these so called “prophetic nights” are.

For one, I have a huge difficulty believing in the concept of auspicious moments in Christianity. I cannot find any support for special nights or days of any kind in the Bible where one’s status could change in an instant if they “tapped into it”. In fact, the New Testament frowns upon the concept of religious attachments to certain days above others (Col. 2:14-16; Gal. 4: 9-10). A worship service on the 31st of December is no different from one held on any other day of the year. What makes Christian services special is the fact that two or more believers have gathered and Jesus is in their midst (Matt. 18:20). There is no mystery to New Year’s Eve whatsoever. It is not as if we will miss a spectacular blessing that God was meant to give away just on the night before New Year if the Church did not meet to keep a vigil.

Secondly, “prophetic declarations” of a rosy, trouble-free-life in reality promise something the Bible never promised. Apart from the fact that these so called prophecies are recycled each year, true Biblical Christianity of necessity calls us to take up our cross daily and follow where the Master has trod. That means following wherever He may lead. And the Master’s path was not an all-rosy one. He never said it will be always sunny and bright–the New Testament is alien to this false assertion.

If you are a genuine Christian, well then there will come times when you will be ridiculed for your faith and the faith you profess is bound to be tested through trying times to prove if it’s real. Like Joseph, or Daniel and his three friends, we may face persecutions simply because we refuse to compromise on our integrity.

The good news is, God promised to use all things: the good, bad, ups and downs, hardships, persecutions, trials and temptations–and all others for our good (Rom. 8:28). So instead of expecting a rosy year, believers need to be taught to strengthen the loins of our minds for faithful Christian living each year and pray to let the Gospel shine brightly through our lives come what may!

Lastly, the Bible teaches that our Christian walk is a process; never an overnight, all-of-a-sudden quick fix. Our sanctification is a process that begins the moment we believe and continues through till the day we see God face to face. Our daily, moment-by-moment intentional acts of discipline and obedience are what count towards our growth in godliness (2Tim4:7, Acts 2:42, 46-47). Promises of a sudden change of one’s status are nothing but false prophecies.

I read an entry in John Wesley’s journal which I thought provides a beautiful picture of what our end of year meetings could be like. Regarding a meeting of Methodist Ministers held on New Year’s Day, Monday January 1, 1739, we read this:

“Mr. Hall, Kinchin, Ingham, Whitefield, Hutchins, and my brother Charles were present at our love feast in Fetterslane, with about sixty of our brethren. About three in the morning, as we were continuing instant in prayer, the power of God came mightily upon us, insomuch that many cried out for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground. As soon as we recovered a little from the awe and amazement at the presence of His majesty, we broke out with one voice, ‘We praise Thee, O God, we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.'”

Meetings around this time of the year present awesome avenues for thanksgiving and praying into the New Year. They are also wonderful soul-winning opportunities, seeing as so many occasional church attendees show up at this time. Multiplying to ourselves teachers who only promise an instant supernatural fix to all our shortcomings in the outgoing year, however, is exactly what Paul warned us about when he said,

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

(2Tim.4:3, NIV).

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Divine Guidance

Enoch Anti — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 19:18:26 +0000

Who do I marry? What work or profession must I take on? Where should I live? etc. are some of the legitimate questions Christians ask. Believers must seek to please God in all they do and hence these questions are commendable. However, these questions tend to be answered in ways that I believe are dangerous to believers. Many books, supposedly answering these questions inundate the shelves of Christian bookshops. One such title reads, “Are You Still Single? Prayers to Locate Your Divine Spouse.” These and many more are bestsellers because people are indeed looking for answers to life’s questions and somewhat these titles promise to offer them their answers. But are they the right answers?

As believers, God has given us his Word as the means by which we will please him and every other “How Tos” not faithful to Scripture are to be avoided. And many of these “How Tos” are indeed unfaithful to Scripture. The Old and New Testaments; that is the whole Bible has been given to us “to be the rule of faith and life.”¹ A rule, by dictionary definition, is “a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct over an area of people”. It is also “control of or dominion over an area or people” Following from this definition, the Word of God then becomes our explicit or understood regulations or principles governing our conduct. The word of God has control of or dominion over us. This simply a means Scripture has an overarching authority over the believer. If Scripture is the word of God (and it is), then we are to submit our whole lives to its obedience, for in the obedience of Scripture we obey God. Everything we need to live lives pleasing to God is addressed in Scripture. Is this not an over-stretch you may ask? No, it is not. The Bible indeed has all the answers for our lives.

Perhaps one of the places in Scripture where Scripture testifies of itself is Psalm 119. In this Psalm, David speaks of all what the word of God does for the believer. He places a premium on the Word and in this Psalm, David celebrates the Word of God. The Word keeps us pure, he says. There are wondrous things in the Word to behold, he beckons. The Word is to be treasured above all riches, he admonishes. How relevant all these are to someone who wants to please God by his word! The question remaining unanswered so far is how the word of God gives us guidance. To this I turn to the Westminster Confession of Faith:

The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the word; and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the word, which are always to be observed.²

There are two important things to be noted in the words of the confession in terms of knowing those things which please God and serve as a guide for our lives. Firstly, there are those things expressly set down in Scripture and secondly, there are those things by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture. In other words, there are things that are so plain in Scripture we don’t need second thoughts or opinions to obey them; and there are those things we cannot clearly see stated in Scripture but can know them as we study and apply Scripture.

I will describe this as moving from the known to the unknown: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deut. 29:29)

Expressly Set Down In Scripture

Whatever is expressly set down in Scripture simply indicates things that are clear and unambiguous. They are things that are revealed and ought to be obeyed. They are so plain it will take only disobedience not to see them. One of the characteristics of the Bible taught by the sixteenth-century Reformers is what they call perspicuity of Scripture. “What they mean by that technical term was the clarity of Scripture. They maintained that the Bible is basically clear and lucid. It is simple enough for any literate person to understand its basic message.”³ Of course, this doesn’t mean everything in Scripture can be easily understood. But at least, the very important things we need are explicit.

All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.⁴

One of the clear teachings of Scripture about our conduct as believers is in 1 Thess. 4:3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification…” God demands nothing but a sanctified life; that is, a life separated from any form of ungodliness. The text actually goes on to list all that is in view here by our sanctification: “that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” (vv.4-7) The list here is not exhaustive, albeit it tells us clearly what God demands from us. It guides our conduct. The popular verse, Romans 12:1-2 is another place we see an explicit teaching of Scripture: “I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”.

There are indeed many other teachings of Scripture on money, relationships, employment, marriage and any other thing we may call practical issues of life. We are to be good stewards of our finances. We are to love one another as ourselves. As Christians, we are to marry Christians and of course we are to marry from the opposite sex and not same sex. In matters of employment, we are to firstly work and work as unto God and not as to men. These are basics indeed and if we commit to obeying these, other areas of our lives would be less blurred.

Deducing from Scripture by Good and Necessary Consequence

The Scriptures are to be studied and its lessons applied to our life. Any believer who doesn’t make the study of Scripture a part of their life will surely walk about not knowing what God requires of them in any sphere of life. All Scripture, Paul tells us, is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (1Timothy 3:16-17) If Scripture is profitable, then we are to study it and apply it to our lives. For example, studying Scripture will lead us to make a good choice of a marriage partner. God’s word has already laid down many things to look out for when one is considering marriage. As I mentioned earlier, first consideration for marriage is that a believer marries a believer of the opposite sex (this emphasis is important as marriage has taken on an unbiblical outlook). This is a non-negotiable and anything contrary to it is unbiblical. This is a general rule, but how does one narrow down to specifics? Well, if you find a Christian and you both love each other, nothing prevents you from marrying.

Many believers are postponing important life decisions because somehow they want to hear God speak to them. Well, God has spoken in Scripture (Heb. 1:-2), they are simply not listening. Stop postponing life decisions. Make decisions as long as they don’t violate what God has clearly revealed in Scripture.

Waiting for this will of direction is a mess. It is bad for your life, harmful to your sanctification, and allows too many Christians to be passive tinkers who strangely feel more spiritual the less they actually do⁵

I will conclude with the last part of the Confession which is very instructive: “according to the general rules of the word.” (1.6). Whatever decisions we must make should be guided by what Scripture clearly teaches and we will not go wrong. Let Scripture be your guide in your decision-making. Say with David “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Notes:

Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) (1.2)
WCF (1.6)
R.C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2009), Kindle edition
WCF (1.7)
Kevin DeYoung, Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009), Kindle edition

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Living Wisely In 2018

Kwesi Sena — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 08:30:58 +0000

I wish you a happy new year and welcome you into 2018. As we have entered a new year, perhaps one of the most important question on the minds of many believers especially would be “what is the will or purpose of God for my life in 2018?” It is the right question to be asking because the Bible teaches us to be careful how we live not as unwise but wise understanding what the will of God is.

As good as the question is we often don’t seek the answers in the right places. Over the next several days, many will be embarking on fasting programs and attending numerous prophetic meetings in order to hear God’s will for their lives in 2018 through their pastors. I do not mean to denigrate fasting and a pastor’s role in guiding the flock under their care. But I believe God has spoken loud and clear in his word.

We worship a communicating God. He has not left us to grope in the dark with tingling ears to hear what he will whisper to us through somebody else. His word is ancient yet ever true, and it is relevant for us today as it was for the first recipient of the word. God is more concerned about you finding his will than we are, that’s why he has spoken so clear and universally. Therefore if you want to know the will of God for your life in 2018, you don’t have to look any further than what he has revealed about himself in his timeless word. He has spoken about every area of your life and all you need to do is to understand what the will of the Lord is.

The will of God for your life in 2018 goes back to the garden, where God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). We were created by God for God, to be his image bearers in the world. Therefore God’s will for your life regardless of the year is to live in such a way that non-Christian will know who God is through you. You are to be an imitator of God as a beloved child (Ephesians 5:1).

What is God like? He has revealed that clearly in the Bible. He is good and all he does is worthy of approval (Luke 18:19). He is love – eternally giving himself to others (1 John 4:8). God is merciful, gracious and patient, he is good to those in distress and in misery, he is good to those who deserve only punishment, withholding that punishment over a period of time that they might find repentance (Exodus 34:6). The Bible also tells us God is holy. He is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honour (Isaiah 6:3). He is a God of peace not of confusion, his actions are characterized by peace not disorder (1 Corinthians 14:33). He is righteous and just, always acting in accordance with what is right and is himself the final standard of what is right (Duet. 32:4). God is jealous for his divine glory and honour and seeks to protect it (Ex. 20:5). God is wrathful, he intensely hates all sin (Ex. 32:9-10). There are many more of God’s attributes we must understand and display as we devote ourselves to the study of His word.

However, imitating God is not a call to work out our own righteousness. It will take the power of God to live like God, He knows this that is why he has given us the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:11, Paul says “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” The primary role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is not for signs and wonders. He came to empower a life of daily faithfulness and obedience.

In John 14:26, Jesus promised his disciples “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Again in John 16:13, he told them, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come”. Jesus in these verses wasn’t talking about a subjective knowledge which comes through dreams and visions. No, the Holy Spirit after his coming inspired the word of God to be written, which is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16 & 17).

God’s will for you in 2018 is living a life of faithful obedience empowered by the Holy Spirit. This will require a daily intake of his word and a life characterized by ceaseless prayers and seeking to reflect his character through your actions and proclaiming his goodness to those who do not know him. Paul’s instruction to the saints in Ephesus holds true for us: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Eph. 5:15-17).

And as you live this life of faithful obedience, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18).

Happy New Year

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Journeying Through The New Year

Kwesi Sena — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 09:10:43 +0000

A new year is here with us. Many may have entered 2017 with so called declarations and prophecies from their church leaders. These declarations are annual rituals. In a repetitive cycle, the year ends and begins again with these same promises. These are just falsehoods. However, sadly, many Christians fall for these falsehoods. There are varied reasons for this. Notable among them is that we all seek an improvement in one area of life or the other. Indeed, the times are hard. If there is the possibility of a sudden breakthrough or miracle that will change our lives, why not?

Unfortunately, many are driven by this quick-fix mentality in our churches. But the truth is that Christianity doesn’t promise quick fixes. In Acts 2:46-47, Luke tells us something uniquely usual about Christianity:

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved

Christians find their joy and excitement in mundane Christian living rather than a sudden outbursts of miracles and blessings. An ordinary life of obedience in a rebellious world was what drew the attention of the world to the first century church. They did not gather to amuse themselves through declarations and decrees. Rather, they daily attended to the apostles’ teaching and devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 4:42). As you journey through 2017, don’t fall for a life which promises sudden breakthroughs and miracles. Resolve by God’s grace to travel the well-trodden path of Christian discipline.

Reading of Scripture

This must be obvious for a Christian. But not many give heed to the Bible. God is a communicating God, and he has chosen to reveal Himself and speak to us in a book–the Bible.

Spending time in God’s word is the best way to know Him and what He requires of us. Nothing can replace the word of God in the life of a believer. Luke’s commendation of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 is a great yardstick to inspire us to reading the word. “…these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so” Note our word again: “daily”. The Bereans searched the scriptures daily. There are no shortcuts when it comes to the Christian life, and more so when it comes to Bible reading.

There are many Christians who elevate the words of their preachers above the bible, but like the Bereans, our sole authority must be the word itself.

Consistent Prayers

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

If there is anything that creates anxiety more than any other, it is a broken promise. It is instructive to note that Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from jail, and yet the book overflows with joy and excitement. The apostle found his “breakthrough”, not in ‘material blessings’, but in a life of daily consistent prayer. Now, I don’t need to be a prophet to predict that those declarations of breakthroughs and miracles will not happen, because God hasn’t promised any of them.

The result will be disillusioned Christians who might shipwreck their faith, blaming God for failing them yet again. On the contrary, we should walk the path of consistent prayer throughout the year. We should faithfully and trustingly bring all our supplications and requests with thanksgiving to the Sovereign Lord, who works all things in accordance with His will and purpose.

Selfless Service to God and His People

We live in a world that teaches us to look out for ourselves, minding our own business. If we must help, we should do so when the timing is right and the conditions are just perfect not forgetting what is in it for us. This is the doctrine of the world; a mind-set that elevates self above any other consideration (all the clamouring for breakthrough is self-centred). It is within this context Jesus calls His followers to a life of servitude– giving up ourselves for one another and thereby proving our discipleship. Jesus, the eternal Son of God cast aside all His ‘Godly’ privileges and took on the form of a man, came into our world and gave Himself as a ransom for many.

In John 13:12-15, Jesus gave us a picture of how this life would look like in service to others. In these verses, He stooped so low as washing the feet of His disciples (the most menial of all tasks) — a bold statement of how service should look like. He did this to show us an example in serving one another. Christ is calling us to a daily life of expending ourselves for others in the church throughout the year.

There are many other Christian disciplines I have not mentioned. But I believe they are central to the Christian walk. In 2017, don’t fall for the promises of sudden breakthroughs and miracles in your life. The Christian life is a day by day experience and not so dramatic and sudden. We are on a pilgrimage to that celestial city whose founder and builder is God, our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we eagerly await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).

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Ushering In A New Year

Enoch Anti — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 22:53:19 +0000

Today is the last day of 2016—the eve of 2017. Many, if not all churches, will hold watch night services to usher in the new year. These watch night services often attract large numbers of people than any other church meeting usually will. Even those who have never stepped foot in a church throughout the year will show up.

In a certain sense, there is something positive about this because these people still acknowledge there is a God who has seen them through a whole calendar year into a new year and will want to show some appreciation–even if it is lip service–to this God they have no relationship with and don’t obey in their daily living. In our society, almost everybody believes in the existence of God so it is no wonder these services get full at such crucial times of the year. As I said earlier, people who have no relationship with God nonetheless show up in church for 31st December night vigil. This is indeed a great opportunity to point people to Christ. But would Christ be pointed to them? You probably will be a good judge if you will attend any of these meetings.

Considering some of the fanciful themes given to these meetings, one is tempted to believe nothing of gospel substance will be preached. I have taken note of some of these themes:

Night of Power and Prophecy
Night of Signs and Wonders
Exodus Night 2016
No Carry Over 2016
Free Money To Prosper Crossover To Overtake

These are just a few samples of themes, an indication of what will occur in many of these services. If there is anything worth today’s new year eve’s church services nationwide, we must take the opportunity to point people to Christ. People will show up in our services whose first time of hearing the gospel would be today. What kind of gospel will they hear ? A man centred gospel with everything evolving around man’s needs and how to use God to achieve them or will it be Christ centred with everything evolving around Christ and what He has done to purchase the salvation of sinners? To be sure, prayers will be offered and there will be preaching. But as to whether these will be done in a biblical manner is another question to be answered.

For you as an individual, probably, you might want to ponder what is of utmost importance as you enter the new year. Don’t be carried away by the irreverence of the age. The Westminster Shorter Catechism gives us something to think over as we enter a new year:

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God¹, and to enjoy him for ever².

The catechism asks what’s the very reason for our existence? The answer is simply to glorify God and enjoy him for ever. Nothing matters than a life that glorifies God. To glorify God is simply to live lives pleasing to Him. And to enjoy Him is simply to make Him our greatest pursuit and desire. Many people will have many pursuits for 2017 but not a pursuit for growth in their knowledge of God and lives consistent with His calling of us. I hope you will make it your desire to glorify God and enjoy Him for ever. For the Christian, this means living in daily obedience and for the unbeliever, it means most importantly, turning to Christ from your sins and making Him Lord over your life. Anything short of this makes your watch night attendance of non-effect. I will love to conclude with these emphatic words from Solomon:

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bringevery deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Notes:

1. Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; I Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev. 4:11

2. Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev. 21:3-4

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The Gospel Network: 2015 In Review

Kwesi Sena — Sat, 02 Jan 2016 06:32:56 +0000

All too soon, we have seen the end of another year. We have been ushered into another brand new year and I wish to take this opportunity to thank all our readers and followers of this blog. As a ministry, we are indeed grateful because without readers, we have no audience.
We wish you a happy New year and a fruitful 2016.

The Gospel Network is a ministry focused on the proclamation of the gospel of Christ formed out of a desire to see the gospel preached in truth and faithfulness. We stated in our mission that a worrying trend has swept across the world and Ghana in particular when it comes to Christianity and the preaching of the gospel. We further stated that in our country Ghana, a form of Christianity not founded on the complete teachings of Scripture–Sola Scriptura, Scripture Alone–and a deviation from biblical Christianity has gained grounds.

This form of Christianity places man at the centre and God only exist to make us happy and comfortable, a far cry from the biblical teachings of man’s need of salvation from sin and reconciliation unto God. Sadly, multitudes have bought into this perverse gospel that promises a life of health and prosperity.

Considering this, we set off to stand together and proclaim the gospel of Christ as revealed in Scripture through faithful presentation of the gospel. One of the many ways in achieving this is through the medium of blogging. From our inception, we have written a number of articles with gospel centeredness as our mission. The first article we wrote sought to answer the question of Who Is A Christian?

This was necessary because, with a country of about 71% professing to be Christians, it was of utmost importance the term Christian is clearly defined. As a follow up post to the first, we wrote on the most essential requirement to become a Christian; (being) Born Again. This we identified as a sine-qua-non of Christianity.

Bearing in mind human inability to be converted or become a Christian, we addressed the most hotly debated topic in Christendom, Salvation by Grace Alone through Faith Alone. As is to be expected, this topic received a counter argument of Salvation by Faith and Works. After this, we addressed the importance of the church in an article titled The Church: Christ’s true bloodline. It can be said that many people claim they are seeking Jesus, but they are actually far from the truth. They probably might be seeking something less than Jesus; riches, health, spouses, travelling opportunities and others. We addressed this as Why Do You Seek Jesus.

Then during the Christmas festivities, we wrote a number of articles centred around the season. Among them are What’s The Big Deal About Christmas?, The Baby Who Is King, After Christmas, What Is Next?

To usher in the new year, we concluded with two articles, The Resolution Every Christian Should Make In 2016 and Transiting 2015: The Bigger Picture.

In the new year, we pray God will grant us the grace to continue in proclaiming the gospel through this medium.

Thank you for your support and we pray you will continue in Christ, rooted and built up in Him.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith … abounding in thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7).

Kwesi Sena

The Gospel Network

United For The Gospel.

Accra-Ghana

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Transiting 2015: The Bigger Picture

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 21:44:44 +0000

Today is 31st December, 2015 and in a few hours, 2015 will come to a close ushering in a new year 2016. For many, today is the day they are most pious; as they reflect over the passing year and frantically prepare themselves to enter the New Year with new resolve. I know people who wait till this time of the year to let go of grudges and make peace with offenders. Well wishes are also exchanged with resolutions made to live godly and peaceable lives in the coming year.

One can almost touch the air of conviviality and brotherliness that pervades the atmosphere whenever we approach the dawn of a new year.

As the year inches to a close, I am reminded that everything in this life has an end. We can liken the end of the year to the climax of all times to which this world is inevitably heading – the end of time as we know it! The Spirit of God speaking through Peter describes the events that will take place at the end of days; what the Bible calls the day of the Lord:

But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2Peter 3:7-13)

The similarity between the end of the year and the end of time is that, both are inevitable. In a sense, we look forward to both. However, a major difference, and one of immense proportion is that no one knows when the day of the Lord will come. The Bible says it will come like a thief. This should cause us to shudder. The great question is, are you ready for this day? Seeing “The Lord is not slow to fulfil His promise as some count slowness”, we must all pause and weigh our lives. Are we living worthy of the Lord?

Some scoffers in the days of Peter mocked, as some do today, asking, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”(2Peter 3:4). But, the coming of the Lord’s Day will come and will not fail. God is patiently waiting for all who have not done so already, to come to repentance

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart, the Bible warns. You still have an opportunity to repent and turn to God. The text quoted teaches explicity that the day of the Lord will be a day of judgement; all who are ungodly will not stand a chance in the judgement, but will be destroyed. Only those who have lived holy and godly lives by putting their faith in Jesus will be admitted into the new heaven and new earth.

Peter asked his audience then, as I do solemnly now; in view of all these, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness? Surely, like a thief, unannounced, the King of kings will appear to usher in His Kingdom. He will reign and rule in the new heaven and new earth with all the saved.

In conclusion, a mere superficial, outward change of character and attitude may be enough to get you started in the New Year; but it sure won’t stand the test in the day of The Lord. What is needed is a change of nature – from inside out – a true change of heart and life which begins by placing your trust in Jesus Christ.

If the end of the year were the end of time, would you be ready?

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