I care but this is really out of my hands.

It’s not my fault; you have to understand the household I grew up in.

I’m listening, but you need to understand that these things take time.

Sound familiar?

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to ignore the excuses that naturally spring to your lips and act.

Case in point.

Abigail is a pragmatic woman who wasn’t active in the nonexistent dating scene in her village. Her parents like many others arranged her marriage and she complied as the dutiful daughter. Unfortunately, she finds herself married to a fool (her words not mine) who’s selfishness stirs up the anger of God’s anointed one (David). This is the starting point, the crossroads; the fate of her household could have been a totally different one if she had refused to listen, refuse to act and refuse to speak wisely and intercede

Listening: this is easier said than done. Jesus’ brother James implores the church to Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. (James 1:19 MSG)

Acting: so David isn’t happy, Abigail finds out and IMMEDIATELY takes action. In haste, hurried, flew into action, wasted no time, choose your version of the Bible, verse 18 of 1^st Samuel 25 makes it plain that she didn’t call a committee together or draft a proposal, she saw a grievance and immediately tried to rectify the situation.

I like to talk but the words I say don’t define me, my actions do. James in the 2^nd chapter of his book (verse 14 and 15) begs you to answer these two questions.

Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?

Speak Wisely and Intercede: there is a time for everything. A time to act and a time to speak wisely, what effect do your words have? Do they come at the right time? I remember my mother trying to drill it into my long term memory that a word fitly spoken is like gold.

Solomon says [Proverbs 16:24] Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,  Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Speaking wisely requires us to acknowledge the truth, Abigail entreated David by first acknowledging the fact that her husband was a fool.

Speaking wisely to resolve conflict requires us to intercede on behalf of another. Abigail tied her fate to that of Nabal and served as an intermediary.

So what next.

I have to admit that I don’t always speak wisely, I seldom intercede when an altercation occurs and when it comes to listening, let’s just say that I spend the time my mouth is closed working on a reply.

That’s the truth.

Now I gotta go ACT and start making some changes.

Have a blessed weekend

Approximately 150 years ago on October 1, 1860 a couple of believers got together in Battle Creek Michigan.

Their mission: CHOOSE A NAME

The result: SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST

I’ll spare you the history lesson and just pose a couple of questions.
(For an in depth story visit the report by Adventist News Network on this anniversary)

What does the name Seventh-day Adventist mean to you?

Does the name even matter?

As we approach this anniversary how has this name (SDA), or its people, affected your life?

 

Your thoughts are appreciated for this celebration.

Answer one, or answer all.

Just let us know and on October 1st take a minute or 150 minutes (LOL) to say a prayer for this name that represents a movement.

How about in personal terms?

What is the true essence of being an Adventist?

What does it mean today as opposed to back in the 19th century?

Have things shifted? Stayed the same?

How should “Adventist” color an individual’s life?

What are the shades of Adventism, for that matter?

Does it matter?

Who knows?

Who cares?

What is an Adventist?

My dear friends, I would like to start humbly by reminding everyone including myself that, this topic is more than just being a concept that needs to be broken down and understood, I personally believe that it is not about the complexity of how it relates to us in our lives, but rather who does it relate us to and the way our lives are transformed and never remain the same again.

Let’s use the word of God directly to understand this topic in an old fashioned way – Going through the verses one at a time.

Fact 1: Law of God – A guide to sin (Romans 3:19, 20)

The law of God (Commandments of God) is a clear baseline established to reveal our sinful nature. It is like a mirror that shows our flaws and faults and that is the sole purpose of the law. It represents God’s character which is without blemish, thus helping us understand as to the kind of life we need to be living. So one of the common mistakes as Christians we tend to do is try and do our best to follow the law carefully with the assumption that we will be saved by doing so. It is by the law, that we humans gain the knowledge of sin and its consequences.But in no way is redemption from sin.

Fact 2: God’s righteousness is different from our own righteousness (Romans 3:21)

The law of God requires us to be righteous, but the righteousness (making ourselves right with God) that we earn by keeping the law is unfortunately not up to the standards of God, not because we are not doing our best, but because we are sinners by birth and it doesn’t match up to God’s expected righteousness. Hence we can come to a conclusion that, we need God’s righteousness and only place we get that is from God Himself. That’s where Jesus Christ comes into picture.

Fact 3: God’s righteousness – An unmerited favor, justified by faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22, 23, 24, 25, 26)

Jesus Christ gives us that righteousness, which we cannot claim using our deeds and the only way we can claim it is by faith in Him, for He gave us His righteous blood on the cross. Jesus Christ gives it to us as an expression of His grace (A worthy favor towards an unworthy soul) towards, not because we deserve it for doing some good deeds, but because He loves us and He wants us to be saved. Jesus knows that the only way we can be saved and be presented before His father without blemish is by using His robe of righteousness. For the bible says – “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6

Fact 4: Now that we have God’s righteousness, Can we break the law? (Romans 3:28)

It is a blessing that by God’s amazing grace and through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are justified and redeemed from sin. This also means that we claim ourselves to be the sons & daughters of Jesus Christ. In that context alone, we are meant to reflect Christ’s character for we have claimed Him to be our redeemer. So, because of the love we have for Him and the price He paid for us, we are called to be Chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9) to live a life without sin and thus persevering to keep the law of God, for the bible says..”If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

Praise God for we are justified by the faith we have in Jesus Christ and not our deeds.

“What!!! A prince never retires prince Joe” said  Pastor Dwight Nelson (Senior Pastor of Pioneer Memorial Church at Andrews University)

AGAIN!!!

Once more I’m waylaid for the umpteenth time by another person that my father HAS to greet at the session. Seriously, how are we supposed to get good seats for the Heritage Singers concert if my father is determined to reconnect with every former classmate and colleague that he has met and served with over the last 40 years of ministry.

I had it all planned out.

1. Find the parents at 2pm
2. Make our way to the auditorium for 3pm so that we can get good seats
But here we are at 3:31pm and he is talking to Pastor Nelson a former classmate from the Andrews days.

Arrgggggggghhhhh

I have this huge crush on Pastor Dwight. Having lived on the campus of Andrews University for over a third of my life, I have spent countless hours listening to his sermons. Even though I’ve been away for the last 6 years I still find myself subscribed to his Podcast just so I can stay up to date. It’s the way he says what he says. His ability to fuse current day events and impact each generations that comes through the halls. I could go on and on but yeah, lets just say that I am a DKN groupie.

So yeah, I’m mentally salivating. I’m about 5 feet from his brain and it’s like wowwwwwwwwwwwwww. 5 feet from the hands that he runs through his now silver hair

Anywayzzzzzzzzzzzzz I’m on a mission so I touch my dad’s sleeve one more time in an effort to halt the reunion and then he says to Pastor Dwight.
“I’m retiring this year.”
“What! A prince never retires prince Joe says Dwight (my dad is related to the Oba (King) of Mobaland in Nigeria).

They laugh say their farewells and we continue on our journey.

Fast-forward two hours and here I sit in the balcony of the auditorium squinting in an effort to see Max and the rest of the Heritage Singers crew when it hits me.

Grace moment #3…
A prince never retires
We are heirs of the kingdom. Joint heirs with Christ, Paul says in one of his epistles – so we don’t retire. We will get tired, cry, take time off, regroup but we press on through each struggle and each trial because we know that the affliction of this world is temporal in comparison to the eternal peace that awaits us in Heaven.  So this goes out to every prince and princess of the kingdom - press on y’all (said with my Texas twang).

We are not slaves or servants, but friends of God. We have been given an inside track as Christ says in John 15:15 to know what the Father is doing. The world at large may guess and wonder, but we know how the story ends. In those difficult moments when life ceases to make sense we trust in His promise that we are heirs, a royal priesthood of a eternal kingdom.

So let’s live like it.

Let’s act like it. So that they world will see, ask and then we will proclaim the love of our Father.

…

The picture above shows them waving to my mom and sister who are up the escalator
The picture to my left shows my Pastor Dwight bowing in the customary greeting given to royalty to my dad who is wearing a  golden fila (hat).

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not knocking crusades. I know they work. I just wonder whether they work here – that is, within North America. I think the question is worth examining when you realize that the North American Division, with a growth rate of 4.3% over the last five years,  ranks 8 out of 13 in terms of church growth among all our divisions*. In fact Divisions with the most developed countries seem to have the slowest rates of church growth.

Could it be that the traditional methods may not be as effective here?

Just for fun, do your own study. Next time you’re at church count all the people who became new members in the last twelve months. Minus from that number immigrants who transferred their membership. Then minus those who were re-baptized. Take away all the children who’ve been attending church for years but who just decided to get baptized. Now tell me how many you have left.

If your count was as low as mine then maybe, like me, you’re thinking that we need to find new ways to spread the gospel to those around us everyday. You know who I mean. The person who sits beside you at work – the one who just made the last payment on his 2009 hybrid and isn’t really in need of anything. Or your hairdresser who’s too busy running her own business to take a week night off. Or your next door neighbor Fred and his partner Gregory. They need to know Jesus too don’t they? So why aren’t we finding post-modern methods to share the gospel in our post-modern world?

In the book Evangelism, Ellen G White urges us to seek the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in spreading the gospel, and tailor our outreach methods to every situation. In other words, the one-size-fits-all strategy for evangelism will not work.

So how do we do make the change? Maybe by making our evangelism more individual focused than mass focused; or by using things like our health message to welcome in our health trendy society.//For this reason I am excited by the recent efforts of our church leaders to make this year’s evangelism strategy a bit different by including outreach in the areas of health, family and finances.**//But most of all we should be intentional and Spirit led about evangelism, recognizing that it is broke the way it is now, and we should fix it.

*Stats provided by Adventist Global Mission Frontline Edition 20th Anniversary Edition.

** Added July 2, 2010.

So how does the bible define integrity or what does the Bible say about integrity?

• It means treating people fairly and honestly (Leviticus 19:35)
• The lord will test and judge your integrity( Psalm 7)
• Integrity is giving your word and keeping it (Exodus 8:28)
• Integrity will protect you-David prays that integrity and uprightness will protect him( Psalm 25:21)
• Integrity is more valuable than riches (Proverbs 28:6)
• The Lord hates lies and lack of integrity (Zechariah 8:16)
• Integrity will be rewarded (1^st Kings 9:4-5)
• Your integrity should set an example(Titus 2:7)

This week’s lesson guide is all about integrity. Can you be counted among those who can tell the truth? If someone asks about your personality, would integrity be one of them? In the Bible, integrity has been closely associated with health, holiness and wholeness.

Personal integrity has been known to produce positive hormones to our body for us to enjoy our happiness and health. It is all about constant actions, values, methods and measures and principles. If we consider the life we are living right now, does it act according to God’s integrity? Does your everyday action give you joy and good health?

For our actions to be aligned with his; we should align our roles, resentments, our worship, identity and our prayers so that we can become an integral part of his life. This will set us apart from other people.

Integrity is also one of the personalities that make people become role models to children and other young adults. Look at our parents, how much have they sacrificed for us, they gave us everything that we needed. This kind of virtue is what is in most of us and it makes us appreciate others and at time, sacrifice what we have to make them happy. Just like a cloth is woven, so should our character be woven on a daily basis. For us to have the highest integrity, we ought to look at God and see the example he has given us. He never lies, nor changes his mind (Numbers 23:19)

In a world where cheating is the norm, how do you get to be the person you desire to be? As youths, we should know that God looks at the heart and not the personal appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). If we put this into action, we will try to be better with our actions and have that commitment towards integrity.

In conclusion; the Bible values integrity, our actions as Christians and as youths should match our words. We have several people in the Bible who have lived with integrity, God’s men who have lived in consistent with God’s teaching, and they put God’s way before their own. As youths, we can maintain and develop biblical integrity by adhering to God’s values, spending time with him, trusting in him and letting him live in our lives.

We tend to overreact based on what man’s prediction is. How easily we forget that there is a God in Heaven, ready to provide us our smallest needs if ever we ask, and yet we continue to worry. When we don’t receive the answers to questions we’re riddled with, the tendency we have is to question whether or not God really exists. In some circumstances, even after receiving the answer, we still aren’t happy with the manner in which it was received. Isn’t humanity fickle? We are a spoiled generation, used to immediate gratification for paltry pleasures that must be acquired at the very moment they are desired. God desires to break that bad little habit by allowing us to develop another habit, dependence.

The origin of worry starts within each one of us. When we as God’s children forget our Redeemer, the panic sets us off and the frenzy begins. We start questioning decisions we made, we start questioning each other, and above all we start questioning the One who has been our true north since we first drew breath.

In the Bible we find several instances where worry is openly spoken against. Psalm 37:8 says “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret – it only causes harm.” In retrospect, many of us would agree that, yes, worry does more harm than good. As humans, there is only so much we can do before the rest is found in supernatural territory. “And which of you by worrying can add one bit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?” (Luke 12:25-26) While there is much that we cannot control, God has detailed within His word several things that we can do to ensure success in our relationship with Him. The rest He will be more than willing to do if we so choose to follow through on our end. What’s said in 1 Peter 5:6, 7 illustrates this concept beautifully: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.”

The evil one uses worry as a tool to bog us down with thoughts that would otherwise have been occupied with God’s love. Our inability to see past a certain point is a bond that sin has placed upon us, but it is also because of this bond that we must so heavily rely upon our Savior. That, in and of itself, is the biggest blessing. Imagine an existence where all that we needed to accomplish would have to be done our own. The close shaves we were once grateful to escape, are, now in reality occurrences that might very well ensue without any protection. Imagine an existence where God’s hand was withdrawn from our lives. What kind of grief and pain would we have to endure? It’s a blessing to be able to depend upon a mighty, merciful and wondrous God without fear of tomorrow.

God loves us with such a powerful and incomprehensible love, that He was willing to allow His own Son to be brutally murdered so as to compensate for the sins of the entire world – past, present and future. “Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6, 7)

If we have no need to fear eternal death, what other consequence is there worth worrying about? Nothing else compares to the debt that has already been paid. Our salvation has been personally gift-wrapped and hand-delivered. So yeah, about that tough life….no worries…

As humans, we tend to forget that for everything God expects from us, He already has set an example and is still Himself a role model for us. Just like every other fruit of the spirit we have learnt thus far (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, and Goodness) God is the great model for this week’s fruit of the spirit – Faithfulness

Throughout the Bible right from the beginning, we can see God’s faithfulness towards mankind with the way He keeps His promises. Every time He promised to either bless (or) protect, God has been faithful in fulfilling His promises. It’s not just words that came out of His mouth; there were appropriate actions also that followed His words.

Faithfulness is not some kind of quality (or) characteristic that can stay dormant inside you. Faithfulness involves and REQUIRES ACTION. It is the exhibition of your faith. In the 11^th chapter of the book of Hebrews, there is a list of people who were very faithful to God. Their faith is commendable due to the extreme decisions and actions they took. Regardless of their circumstances, irrespective of the kind of environment they were in, in spite of the hardships they were going through, these men portrayed the true essence of faithfulness.

Some of the main challenges we face in regards to faithfulness in today’s world are:

a) Temporal Pleasures – Instant gratification of one’s desires

b) Compromises of values & beliefs – An attitude of ‘Nothing wrong if it is done once in a while’

c) Hypocrisy – one face for the world & the other face for yourself

I would like you to ask yourself the following questions to see where you stand in regards to you being faithful to God:

a) Dependability – Can God depend on you to fulfill His purpose of sharing the good news? (Throughout the last week, how many times have you talked to somebody about God’s love?)

b) Honesty – Can God trust you with His wealth (A lot or little) and that you would do everything in your might to make Him proud?

c) Integrity – Are you the same person that your church members know, when you are all by yourself? (How many times have you comprised your values in the last 1 week so you can be satisfied?)

d) Loyalty – Can God consider you as the one who will stand by Him in every plan that He has for the future and have assurance that you will fulfill His plans? (In the last 1 week, do you feel that you have stood by God’s side and made Him proud by just being there for God when needed as His representative in this sinful world?)

This world is definitely a tough place to live in…but God is asking us be faithful to Him and never get discouraged (or) give up hope on Him. The word of God says “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9, NKJV)

E.G. White wrote in the book of education, p. 57 – ‘The greatest want of the world is the want of men– men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall’

God is in need of ‘Faithful Men & Women’. Are you ready to be one?

President George H. W. Bush was on my flight to Houston! When I got on the plane, sure enough, there was the 85 year old former world leader sitting in the first row of first class. He was on the phone as I passed by on the aisle: I smiled at him, and he back at me. As the four hour flight progressed, I started thinking about what I would do if I got to see him again after the flight. “I’ll get him to sign my pocket Constitution,” I thought. I began to wonder about other ways I could make the most of my time with the President: what if I got to have a five minute conversation with him? What would I ask or say? Most fun of all, what if I convinced him to let me join him next time he goes skydiving on his birthday? How great would that be?!

(Apologies to those who dislike the former President’s politics. Personally, I was only four years old when he left office, so I don’t remember much, but it was him, and not anyone else, I ran into on my Continental flight to Houston. If it makes it easier, go ahead and substitute Clinton, Obama, Carter, or whichever President or world leader you like.)

None of this happened, of course: not the signing nor the skydiving. But it was all very exciting nonetheless. It did, however, make me wonder: do I have the same anticipation, or will I have the same excitement, when I get to meet God Himself? Instead of flying through the air 20 rows back from my President, I’ll be flying through the air side-by-side with My Maker and My King! Maybe I’ll get Him to sign my Bible…and I certainly will have more than five minutes to talk to Jesus. I must say, I will have a child-like excitement.

But imagine that President Bush* had not been on the phone, and had instead spoken to me, and asked “Son, what is your name?”

“Mithun, Mr. President,” I would respond.

“Where are you from, Mithun?”

“McAllen, Texas, sir. I’m heading there after my layover in Houston.”

“Say, I’m thinking of spending the rest of my retirement down in McAllen. Would you mind if I lived in your house, with your family?”

Could you imagine that?! What an honor, a privilege, and an opportunity! The President dwelling with me. And yet, a much greater opportunity has been afforded all mankind throughout history. As we enjoy the Christmas season, we are constantly reminded of what makes it special: that one night, God Himself embarked on the mission called Immanuel: “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23).

Yet this really is nothing out of the ordinary for God. Throughout human history, one of the great themes of the Bible is this yearning of God to dwell with man. No matter how many times we push Him away, hide from Him, cheat on Him, break His heart, or break His body, His consistent mission is to dwell with us. In the Garden, where the first of mankind lived, God made the daily practice of walking with His children (Genesis 3:8), living with them. But despite this, our first parents fell away, hiding themselves from their Father in shame. Id. And yet Yahweh pressed on: at Sinai, amid smoke, fire, and trembling, God made yet another provision to fulfill His desire for Immanuel: “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8). Through the Holy Sanctuary, God’s glorious presence was among His people (Exodus 40:35), and through ceremony and priesthood, the recently freed Israel had the privilege and joy of dwelling amongst their God.

But a spirit of rebellion set in again. The trials and temptations of life outside the house of the Father was too much for Israel, and time and again, the Sanctuary where God dwelt was taken from them. Eventually, the people of God were sent away in chains, in exile to Babylon, longing for Jeremiah’s 70 years to finish, when they can return to their holy city. But even after the return, and the rebuilding of wall and temple, God’s presence seemed strangely afar. People, with mournful longing, cried out in darkness for God to dwell with them once again. Yet Jeremiah’s, and other’s, pre-exilic prophecies contained more promises than merely homecoming; they spoke of Immanuel. Isaiah probably said it best:

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned. . . .

For unto us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this. — Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7

But this Immanuel was special in a certain way. Immanuel this time was not mighty footsteps in the garden; Immanuel was not terrible fire and gloom on a mountain; Immanuel was not glorious, life-ending presence in a veiled temple. Immanuel was something most counterintuitive: a baby. The majestic words of Isaiah were fulfilled in a little boy, laying in a feeding trough, hair probably still soaked with amniotic fluid and nostrils filled with the dung-scented air of a stable. His mother, still aching from delivering her Deliverer, was an unwed peasant of an occupied territory far away from the kingly throne of power. A mere thoughtless kick from a nearby mule would have snuffed this little life out of existence. This was the very God who came to dwell with man: poor, oppressed, powerless, and conceived in darkness like the rest of us.

The righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) ”or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart. . . .” — Romans 10:6–8

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” — Revelation 21:3–4.

Upon pondering with wonderment all these things, 30,000 feet in the air, I thought to myself: “God with us. Amazing, wonderful, joyous. But God with me?” God does not want to dwell with me alone, true, but He does want to dwell with me personally. Do I have that? Do you? Do I walk with Him in the evening time as Adam did, or have I set up a sanctuary for His presence in my very heart and mind, furnished with the best and swept clean, by His grace, of all that is incompatible with Him? My heart still longs for the opportunity with really dwell with Him, to really in all truth and honesty experience Immanuel, God with me. For this reason, with yearning this year I sing, and I would ask that you join with me,

O come, O come, Immanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear. . . .