More than Conquerors

I am not a fan of boxing, wrestling and all those games that involve hitting, fighting and getting others to go through physical pain. I can hardly stand watching another person being beaten for a title. For me, it is hard. Yet for another person, these sort of games could be their favourite. Watching as fighters conquer each other and lifting up the trophy is therapeutic for some people. The essence of boxing, wrestling and all these fights are motivated by one thing: the winner’s title. In some cases, you see blood on fighters, some get fractures, others are paralyzed, some die on the spot and yet more of such games are invented each day. Why do people delight in seeing others in pain? I believe the winner and loser mentality is so much part of our lives that even in activities that do not involve fights, people still strive to become the best out of many. We tend to develop a fighter mentality with the aim to conquer everything and everyone.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ‭‭(Romans 8:37)

Our Christian journey is alluded to as a battle in many instances in the New Testament. Believers face discrimination, persecution, pain, and many other atrocities because of their faith. In some cultures and families, coming to Christ is a recipe to be ostracized. Other people also met their death just because of their faith. The average believer in an unbelieving territory has to navigate through several hurdles each day. Paul experienced in full force these sorts of persecutions. Yet, in ‭‭Romans 8:35, he asked a profound question: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” In all his many battles, Paul was certain that nothing is worth separating us from the love of Christ. Like the boxer or the wrestler contending for a title, Paul states that our faith is worth standing for even if it costs us our lives. To Paul, irrespective of what we go through, we are more than conquerors. ‭‭Romans 8:37 states that “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” How is that even possible?

Paul explains in ‭‭Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In other words, nothing is worth the love of God that we have been shown through Christ Jesus. So even in persecution, we are more than conquerors, even when we are discriminated against, we are more than conquerors. When people revile us and call us all sorts of names, still we are more than conquerors. When persecution leads to even death, the believer is still more than a conqueror. Even though we are in a battle, the end has already been determined. We are more than conquerors! Therefore, do not let anyone’s perception of your faith build in you a loser’s mentality.

EVERYDAY CHRISTLIKENESS, Download free ebook

EVERYDAY CHRISTLIKENESS by Michael and Mary Agronah leads readers on a changing journey towards a better understanding and everyday application of Christlikeness. Using biblical principles, the authors provide a complete roadmap for believers to accept and exemplify the character of Christ in their daily lives. The authors explore the concept of Christlikeness and its significance in a believer’s life. Through scriptural references, Michael and Mary set the foundation for readers to comprehend the transformational power of Christlikeness. 

Michael and Mary also provide readers encouragement and practical advice on how to become more Christlike in their daily lives. The authors demonstrate that being a Christlike person is a lifelong pursuit that is made easier by the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.

The book “Everyday Christlikeness” by Michael and Mary Agronah provides readers with a comprehensive strategy for becoming more like Christ. Individuals, small groups, and churches that want to deepen their understanding of Christlikeness and live out their faith in a practical and transformative way would benefit greatly from this book.

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This book is part of the series on Christianity and Lifestyle.

Ahinoam of Jezreel and the other wives of David

The Bible is full of women who contributed differently to the progress of God’s bigger plan. Some women were given detailed information and for others, there are  just a few verses written about them. However we cannot jump over them because their stories extend to a bigger story that contributed to God’s story. Some of these women were even unnamed like Sampson’s mother, the wife of Noah, Potiphar’s wife among others. We identify such women from either their husbands or their children. For instance, the wife of Noah played a major role in the story of the flood. We don’t hear God talking to her but her children sustained the earth from extermination. In today’s post  we will consider Ahinoam and the other wives of David. Being wives of a polygamous husband, the stories of these women are overshadowed by the stories of the other wives who were highlighted in scripture. 

David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. (1 Samuel 25:43)

This is how scripture introduces Ahinoam: “David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives” (1 Samuel 25:43). Ahinoam is mentioned in the story of David and Abigail. When David fled from Saul, his wife Michal was taken and given to another man. Ahinoam was David’s first wife during his wandering years, after Michal. Ahinoam was from Jezreel. The city of Jezreel witnessed significant events in Biblical history, including the story of Naboth’s vineyard. We’re not told how David met Ahinoam. By the first mention of Ahinoam, she was already married to David. Her husband was a wanderer, a man fleeing from Saul, the king of Israel. Ahinoam experienced at first hand the predicament of living in exile. Together with Abigail and the other women and children in David’s camp, raiders carried them off when David and his men were away. “When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.” (1 Samuel 30:3‭-‬5). Thankfully, all the captives were rescued. 

Ahinoam was the mother of David’s firstborn: “His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel” (2 Samuel 3:2b). The second son of David was Daniel the son of Abigail, the widow of Nabal (1 Chronicles 3:1). When Saul died, David left the stronghold and went to Judah. David lived in Hebron as a king over them for seven years. During those times, he married more wives. In addition to Ahinoam and Abigail,  David married Maakah, Haggith, Abital and Eglah. When the kingship was restored to David, he went up to Jerusalem with his wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel, Maakah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah (1 Chronicles 31-4). Amnon, Ahinoam’s firstborn raped Tamar the daughter of Maakah. Absalom, the son of Maakah killed Amnon. Adonijah the son of Haggith was later killed by Solomon, the son of Bethsheba. While in Jerusalem,  David took other wives including Bethsheba the wife of Uriah. All these women lived in the Palace as wives of David.

I am not sure how polygamous homes operate, but David must have been a busy man to marry all these women. The different children from the different wives contributed to the bigger story of David. Michal, David’s first wife remained barren until her death. I personally don’t recommend polygamy and God’s original plan for marriage as instituted in the Garden of Eden was one man and one wife. Many women are drawn to polygamous homes by force. Others are drawn by money and yet others are drawn by the pressures of life. 

A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE: YOUR LIVING SACRIFICE

Check this book here here. Available for purchase on Amazon.

A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE: YOUR LIVING SACRIFICE

Woman: taken out of man

Recently, I got the opportunity to take part in a quiz competition organized by the women’s ministry in my church. The focus was on hidden heroines in the Bible. The Bible is not a misogynistic book. In fact, from the beginning to the end, we see different women in different positions. God made the male and the female and He loves both genders equally. For the next few weeks, we shall spend time studying the lives of some women in the Bible. We will consider the good, better and the best of women, and the bad, worse, worst of women mentioned in the Bible. Each character presents an opportunity for us to learn. It could be a new knowledge to attain, or an attitude to avoid. No name in the Bible is insignificant. Even those who were considered a bad influence, give us an opportunity to avoid certain character traits. 

The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” (Genesis 2:23)

On the sixth day of creation, God made mankind. The Genesis 1 verse 27 accounts states that, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” The first lesson here is that both males and females are God’s creation and both received God’s blessing, the command to be fruitful and the mandate to have dominion over creation: “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28)
The Genesis 2 account of creation specifically presents the step by step creation process. Let’s look at the following verses:
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” (Genesis 2:7‭, ‬18‭, ‬20‭-‬23)

From these verses, we identify that God saw the need for man (the male person) to have a helper. Thus, the woman came to fulfill a need. Woman was taken from the man, she is a bona-fide part of the man. She was presented to the man and the man named her woman because she was taken out of man. The female gender has faced a couple of struggles since antiquity. However, we see from today’s memory verse that the man was impressed by his female helper. So why do women still face oppression in modern day societies? We shall consider some biblical principles of building a good character as a female and how to overcome oppression. 

No creation of God is worthless, you are here for a purpose. God does not discriminate against genders. He loves the male and he loves the female. If you ever feel less loved, know that your Maker loves you and has made every provision to ensure that you remain in His love. Do you love Him?

Halloween or He has won: Trick or share?

In Fall 2013, I got to know of Halloween. Growing up in Ghana, any idea or thought of ever celebrating or dressing up like a dead person, ghost, witches and all sorts of scary figures could have led my parents to seek both emotional and spiritual counseling for me. Who wants to walk about looking like a blood sucking demon in my community? The next day, you would probably find yourself at the mental hospital. Over the years, moving from Norway, to the UK and to Canada, I have identified that Halloween is much bigger than I thought. My exposure in Norway was just a tip of the iceberg. Last year, after the Halloween celebration, it took my husband and I months to assure my daughter that there are no vampires, witches and ghosts in her room. We did not celebrate Halloween at home, she got these ideas from school. Today is another celebration of Halloween and her school is hosting a Halloween parade. It just occurred to me that as a family, we have not had any conversation with her on Halloween and what it stands for. I believe many Christian families are in the same shoes. We have not taken time to talk to our children about Halloween and what the Bible says about evil spirits. 

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)

Halloween originally began as a prequel to All Saints’ Day, or Hallows’ Day. This was a religious feast intended to celebrate the honour of saints. The November 1st celebration was not intended to celebrate witches, ghosts, demons, vampires and all kinds of bad guys. Over the years, the feast has lost its significance in most homes and we have rather preferred Halloween which is business-wise lucrative, and treats (candy) and costume companies have made it more popular than it was. What does the Bible say about our victory of principalities and powers? Colossians 2:13-15 states that “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.“
Jesus has triumphed over sin, death,  evil spirits and all forces of darkness. Satan is permanently defeated. Satan is the thief whose agenda is to steal and kill and destroy. Through Jesus, we have life and we have it to the full (see John 10:10). 

In the same way, the chains of sins have been broken for those who come to Jesus and make Him the Lord and Saviour. Jesus’ redeeming death has rescued us from the evil forces. The evil was nailed to the cross. We do not need to dress like demons to scare the demons away. Jesus has already paid the price for that. However, the redeeming death of Jesus will only be able to rescue one from the forces of darkness when an intentional decision is made to accept Jesus (Romans 10:9-10). We are in the world and as such, whatever is done in the world would directly or indirectly affect us. Instead of running away from Halloween, let us start a conversation about the redeeming work of Jesus. Don’t just give candy…trick or treat. Share Jesus. Have flyers to give to your neighbours. Don’t run away from Halloween, begin a Jesus-has-already-won conversation. Our children deserve to know the truth from us before the world puts fear in them. 

This song reminds me of our victory in Christ.

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device nor creed;
I trust the Ever-living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

Refrain:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He’ll never cast me out. [Refrain]

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The written Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s name,
Salvation through His blood. [Refrain]

My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave. [Refrain]
(Lidie H. Edmunds)

Thunder, lightning and a thick cloud announced His presence: He is Holy

One of the places on my bucket list is the Middle East. I am still drawing a plan on where to start from. I want to visit those places in Biblical history. Some of the countries are now hostile to the faith and Christianity but I believe that in God’s own time and through our intercession, the Father will reconcile the nations back to Himself. Imagine undertaking a 11-day journey from Egypt to Canaan in 40 years? (Deuteronomy 1:2). The hearts of the people needed to be worked on and a nation was birthed that witnessed the extraordinary miracles of God. Today, we shall consider one of such amazing miracles and how God is revealed through the miraculous. Moses received the command to go and deliver the Israelites on Mount Sinai. Three months after the people left Egypt, they arrived at Mount Sinai. “The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.” (Exodus 19:9)

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. (Exodus 19:16)

It sounds cool right? God in all His radiance was coming down to meet the people and the people consecrated themselves in readiness. God is holy and His presence requires holiness. On the day of the meeting with the Lord, this happened:
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.” (Exodus 19:16‭-‬22)

What? This sounds like a very scary encounter. The presence of God was announced by thunder, lightning and a thick cloud. Imagine the loud trumpet blast, the smoke that covered the mountain and the mountain trembling violently. This does not sound like a place I want to be, but that was the mountains responding to the presence of the Holy God. Mount Sinai could not stand still, and the people trembled before God. The ten commandments were delivered from God to the people. What was the reaction of the people? “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:18‭-‬19)

Imagine if we had to stand before God each day with such a pomp and display of the miraculous? Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the ultimate arrival of the Holy Spirit, God now dwells in the heart of the believer. Yes, your body is the temple of God and God’s Spirit dwells in you and as such we should be Holy (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Remember, God might not be shaking your environment violently just to speak with you but His standard for holiness has not changed. If the mountains couldn’t stand His holy presence, can you stand His presence on that Day? 

The sun and the rain show that the Father is gracious!

Recently, I was pondering about this, “why does God allow evil people to enjoy the same nature as us?” The rich dictators have all the money to visit the best natural habitats in the world. Their houses are built on strategic geographical locations with all the best scenery. They love to live at places where they would have the best view of nature. Some love to build on the mountain overlooking the beautiful vegetation and the rich waters. They live around lush vegetation and their environments are always well-watered. They have the best summer experiences because they have a good view of the sun and their warm pools or the water bodies around their houses give them a good swimming experience. Meanwhile, they keep oppressing the poor, the widow, the orphans and some even kill others just to remain at the top. Some are heartless, ruthless and selfish. All they desire is their self-gratification. So why does God still allow them to live to enjoy the sun, the rain and all the beauty of nature?

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5: 44-45)

God’s grace is indeed revealed through nature. God doesn’t love the sinner less. The truth is, God’s love for the sinner caused the death of His only begotten Son, and whoever turns from their sin and comes to God is saved (John 3:16). Similarly, nature is not meant for the righteous alone. Matthew 5:45 states that: “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” The Father does not hide nature from evil men but through creation, He makes known Himself to sinners (Romans 1:20). If you go to the house of the wicked, the sun is not darkened there. The rain is not hindered from falling on evil men. So whenever we see the sun shining or the rain falling, we should remember that God’s grace is being shared with all people.

The understanding that both good and evil people are recipients of God’s grace revealed through nature, should make us compassionate for the soul of the sinner. We should not rain curses on our enemies but shower them with God’s love. Jesus said that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, so that we may be children of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44). Sin is what separates human beings from God. So we should pray for the wicked to turn away from their sin. The truth is, if we fail to pray for the sinner to turn from their wickedness, their actions could directly or indirectly affect us. If God does not stop the rain from falling on the compound of the wicked, then we shouldn’t stop praying for the wicked to turn from their sins. The sun shines brightly on the good and the bad, so must we show the love of God on all people. Maybe, our prayers, love and care will cause them to change. The Father is gracious and so must we!

The birds and the flowers are preaching… Can you hear?

Recently, our family witnessed a show dubbed “Birds of prey” at the African Lion Safari. The very trained birds displayed tactical skills of catching food, searching for food and looking for food. We were all amazed that those wild birds were trained enough to respond to instructions from their trainers. However, in the wild, birds of prey are not trained by any Safari trainers. They are not given portions of food, they are not given water and they do not live in sheltered structures. How then do the birds survive? Unlike other animals that store food in the barns in anticipation of seasonal changes, birds do not. So, how do they survive throughout the year? How do birds survive harsh weather conditions? Who provides birds with food all year round?

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (Matthew 6:26)

Our response to these questions might trigger a scientific explanation about the nature of birds. However, before we delve into science, let’s consider these: the Creator of birds has made provision for their survival. Their Creator feeds them, clothes them and ensures that they remain where they can thrive at every season. What of the flowers that grow in the field? Who designed their beautiful raiment? Why are roses so beautiful and full of positive vibes? Who designed the perfect features of roses? Both the birds of the air and flowers in the field point to a Creator. Jesus made profound statements in Matthew 6:26, 28-29: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”

These verses remind us that the Creator provides for His creation. Thus, when we see a bird and a rose, we should be reminded of their Maker. Yes, they should point us to God! Similarly, all other creation indicates the presence of a Creator. Growing up in a small community in Ghana, I heard stories about different gods who are responsible for different creation. The river god was responsible for the river and so are other territorial gods. I believe this phenomenon occurs in different parts of the world. The God of the Bible is responsible for all creation. He made everything in heaven and on earth. He is not a territorial god. He is the God over all and He is revealed in all His creation. As Romans 1:20 states, people are without excuse because creation reveals the invisible qualities of God; His eternal power and divine nature. Creation preaches about God each day, but if you fail to see the invisible God through His visible creation, you will have no excuse on that Day!

All things were made through the Son

One of the doctrines Christianity that has been a major debate among denominations and other religions is the doctrine of Trinity. This post will not explain this doctrine but I hope to be able to revisit it another time. Since we are looking at God the Creator this week, it is important to understand the role of the Son of God in creation. In fact, creation was performed by the Godhead. Genesis 1 uses the Hebrew word Elohim for God. Elohim signifies plurality. Genesis 1:1-3 states that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Here we see God the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Son (the Word) in action. To best understand this, let consider John 1:1-3,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

The Son was involved in creation. He is the Word of God and all things came to being through Him. The Son was reincarnated and became flesh. He is the express image of God. I Corinthians 1:15-17 states that “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” The Son was in existence before time began and has been involved in the creation of the world. The Son understands the frailty of humanity because He lived among humanity. The Son has control over creation and creation beckon to His words. He walked on the sea (Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21), He calmed the storm (Matthew 8:23–27; Mark 4:35–41;Luke 8:22–25), He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out evil spirits, did amazing creative miracles like restoring withered hands, multiplied food etc. 

John’s gospel chapter 21 verse 25 states that “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” The Son of God demonstrated authority over creation and death. An excerpt from the Apostle’s creed demonstrates the personality of Jesus and our faith in Him.

“I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead.  He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.”

Jesus is the judge of all. We have been entrusted with a beautiful world and our actions will be judged at the end of the age.