Reaching For the Life of God in Christ is to Know Him in Depth

To know Christ in depth and to manifest Him in His fullness in our lives is the goal for which we should aim.  It is the high price of the calling of God in Christ Jesus. It is not the ultimate of God, but as we eat of His word, and digest the truth, then He will draw back the veil and reveal more of the glory and beauty of the Christ. If you are of His fold, you will hear and recognize His voice, and you will know that you are being introduced to deeper truth.

Our pursuit is after Christ, rather than knowledge just for the sake of knowledge. We seek to know Him in His fullness, reaching for the life of God in His person.  It is in Him that every limitation and impossibility turns into possibility. There have always been men who walked in a realm beyond the limitations of their time and generation. While most believers feel that they have to settle for the status quo and even seem satisfied with whatever is made available to their generation, there are some who are spiritual pioneers, who reach beyond the general bench mark.

Enoch was such as man for his generation.  The Bible says: “Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him.”  (Genesis 5:24)  It had been almost a thousand years since Adam had walked with God in the garden. After the fall humankind had only promise of death. The earth was filled with violence and the ungodliness of human kind was a stench that reached to heaven.  In the midst of this, Enoch believed that he could reach beyond the limitations of his generation and walk with God. Hebrews 11: 5 says that Enoch pleased God. It also says that he was a man of faith, and by faith he was translated that he should not see death. This was something unheard of in his generation and since then.

We learn in Jude 14 that “Enoch prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all.” .“ Enoch was only the seventh generation from Adam and he lived in a day when one can hardly find half dozen saints, let alone ten thousand. Yet, he looks far beyond his own day, and saw into the great day of the Lord when the saints of God would execute a great victory over evil in the earth.

Today our day is evil.   A time of death, war, famine, and pestilence will take the lives of millions. The outlook is very dark. Even today those who know their God will do great things and break glass ceilings sealed of our generation in spiritual exploit.  Noah had never heard Enoch’s prophesy. He had never heard Adam tell of the wonders of the garden of Eden. He was born at a time when the wickedness of humankind was so great it was causing God to repent that the He had ever made them. There seemed no hope for humans. The word of the Lord had been spoken. “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth.”  Judgment seemed inevitable. Noah had no one to encourage him in the way of righteousness, nor a five-fold ministry to help perfect help.

Noah would not settle for the lot of other humans.  Genesis 6:8 says: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord “.  There have always been those who stand out from of the world. This man was an outstanding example. Ezekiel 14:14 lists him as one of the three who could deliver their souls by their righteousness. Hebrew 11:7 says that Noah was a man of faith, and that he believed the warning of God concerning things not seen as yet, and became an heir of the righteousness which is by faith. And it was not only himself he was interested is saving, but the Bible says that he prepared an ark, “to the saving of his house” as well as the inhabitants of the beast realm.

Enoch and Noah heard from God.  They found grace in the eyes of the Lord.  They refused to be held down to this realm of sin and judgment.  They pressed towards the work for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  If you cannot receive such a word, walk where you must, but let the pioneers of faith press on in God.  They cannot stop until, like Noah, they step out into a new earth, full of the righteousness of God.

Elisha was a young man, the son of a judge.  He was strong, husky and a hard worker.  He had a good future, and would have been able to have a nice farm and a nice family.   One day while he was plowing with twelve yokes of oxen, and he with the twelfth, the prophet of God came by where he was working and cast his mantle over the boy.  His life was immediately changed.  He had heard the call of God for a higher calling.  He left his oxen and began reaching far beyond the limitation of humans.

Elijah was the greatest prophet of that day, but he was very unpopular with the government.  In the natural wisdom it was not an easy choice for Elisha to make.  But God had chosen wisely.  He had picked a man to succeed Elijah.  This was a large calling and required a man of daring faith.  Elisha was that man.  His ministry did not start in a blaze of glory.  He began by being a servant to the man of God.  He washed the dishes, the clothes, and the prophet’s feet.  He carried the wood and built the fire and did all the other necessary, but menial jobs while Elijah spent time seeking the face of God.  This is where many men fail their calling.  When the ministry turns out to be less than spectacular, they decide to go back together to something else.  But Elisha kept plugging ahead on his way to the double portion God had for him.  If it took faithfulness, he would pay the price.  Whatever it took, he had a spiritual stubbornness that made him determined to go all the way.  He had heard from God.  Nothing else mattered.

Elisha received no encouragement in following Elijah.  Everywhere he went the sons of the prophets tried to discourage him.  His answer was: “Hold your peace”.  Even Elijah tested him, three times, but his answer was always, “As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee”.  There was none to encourage him.  All he had was his determination to see this thing through and receive that which he felt belonged to him by virtue of his calling in God.  Finally, they crossed Jordan.  He had just seen a tremendous miracle by the hand of the prophet.  It was time to get his inheritance.  The question comes: “Ask what I shall do for thee”.

Here is Elisa, a young man standing with Elijah who had stood before King Ahab and judged the nation of Israel.  He is the one who had spoken the word that withheld the rain for three and a half years, and then had stood alone against 400 prophets of Baal and defeated them with a mighty demonstration of the power of God.  Ask, says the prophet, and in response Elisha cried out, “I want twice what you have from God”.  He received twice and so much of the life of God that he caused iron to float, poison pots to be nutritious, the dead to be raised to life again, and the ditches to be filled with water.  He healed the leper, fed a multitude on a few loaves of bread, and a handful of corn, and caused the widow’s pot of oil to flow until her debts were paid.  At his word barren women brought forth sons, and he captured an entire army single handedly.  And when he finally goes to be with the Lord, his body still has so much of the life of God in it that a dead corpse that is accidently thrown in the grave on top of him comes to life and goes running off.

Do you think you can bankrupt heaven?   Well, think again.  Think with the mind of the Spirit, and come up with a heart full of faith.  Rise above your circumstances.  Don’t be bound to the limitations of your generation.  You don’t have to stand and stagnate in the status quo.  You can reach into that which God hath prepared for them that love Him.

To do so you must pursue after Christ, know Him in His fullness; and every human limitations will be turned into limitless possibilities.  Reach for the life of God in Christ.  There lies the double portion Elisha asked for, and it is all in Christ.  Go get it, the beloved of God.

T Cyprian Kia

The Centrality of Jesus Christ and Our Spiritual Gifts

     When we try to understand God’s message to us and live in accordance with the will of God, we turn to the Scriptures for guidance. In them, God is disclosed in the person of Christ Jesus. Our Lord as the Almighty Creator, whose nature is love and who has given to humankind all that is necessary for holy living. Holy living that is graced by the Spiritual gifts of faith, hope and love.

      “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on My behalf.” (John 1:39). Through the Scriptures we gain the spiritual understanding and strength required to live in harmony with God’s purposes. It teaches us that God has ordered the world for God’s own purposes. God has appeared in the world in Jesus of Nazareth, “reconciling the world Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). This means that all our grace gifts are not the central point, but the person of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, our Savior, is. In His loving kindness He bestowed upon us His redeemed, graces to co-labor with Him in His mission.

     In music, art, athletics, or politics it is customary for gifted people to call attention themselves. Actors treasure their certain calls; artists revel in their exhibitions; athletes save their newspaper clippings; politicians enjoy when their admirers make glowing speeches about them. God’s gifted people; that is all of us who know Jesus personally, should work form motivation different from these. It is the honor of Christ that we should seek. The applause must go to Him and not us. We must not hug the credit.

     This is especially true in the exercise of the gift of speaking. As stewards of God’s grace, as servants doing His work in His power, we cannot preach a message of our choosing. Whoever speaks, Peter instructed, should speak “as one who utters oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). What are these oracles? They are the promises and requirements of the living God who has made Himself known to us in Jesus. This side of Bethlehem’s stable, Golgotha’s cross, and Jerusalem’s empty tomb and God’s oracles about Jesus. He is God’s final Word to us. Our speaking them in the Spirit’s power must center in Jesus words and deeds. His worship is what we proclaim; His glory is what we covet “in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11).

      Not our pet persuasions, not our private hunches , not our own religious aspirations, but Jesus Christ to whom all glory and dominion belong is the theme of our preaching and teaching when we do it in the power of the Spirit. To cultivate the gifts of the Spirit we focus on Jesus. After all, the reason God sent His Spirit was to make Jesus known. Entertaining with grace, serving with dependence and speaking of Christ with assurance are the gifts of stewardship. They are to be performed not just with skill, but with poise and gracefulness. This significance of love, the importance of humility, the centrality of Jesus Christ, without these whatever gift we try to cultivate will rot before they ripen. Christ’s church will suffer from malnutrition.

      Giftedness and arrogance are arch enemies, as hostile towards each other as giftedness and selfishness. Gift and pride do not belong in the same sentence. Peter knew that and, therefore, urged his readers toward humility with words like these “ whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength God supplies” (1Pet 4:11). That last line slams the door on pride. What we do as believers in service to others we do in “the strength which God supplies.”

      Humility is important for a number of reasons. First our ability to render significant service is a gift not an achievement. Good service takes selflessness; it means setting aside what we might prefer to do to in order to give attention to the needs of others. Jesus illustrates this gift, with the towel and basin, when He washes His disciples’ feet (John 13: 1-20). Such serving does not come naturally to us. We would rather be waited on than to wait on others. Humility is important for a second reason: service is not only a gift; it is a gift of God. This makes it both precious and purposeful. Its purpose is powerfully stated by Peter; “in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” Peter 4:11). Washing feet, cleaning house, doing shopping, preparing food, bringing flowers are all to the glory of God! Daily chores that we do for the helpless and regular tasks that we perform in the church have the highest possible dignity because they make God’s glory known and bring joy to His heart.

     When we take credit for what we do it becomes easy them for us to look down on those we serve. In such a situation, service becomes our work, not God’s. Our purpose gets served, pride, self-satisfaction, public acclaim, not God’s. All of life goes out of kilter, and service becomes a liability to the church instead of an asset. Whatever polishes human glory tarnishes God’s glory. To let that happen is an unspeakable mistake. Cultivating God’s spiritual gifts calls us to honor the importance of humility in all we do, to put it better, in all He does through us. As good stewards of God’s varied grace, we draw on the grace He abundantly supplies. We have only one aim; to do the Master’s bidding. That means doing His work His way.

     God stewards are different from glamorous stars. They are not a law unto themselves; they are bound to the Master’s rule. Those rules insist that in whatever we do, we do for Him. We do it with three great realities in mind; 1) love, 2) humility and 3) the centrality of Jesus Christ. Cultivating spiritual gifts takes more than training and practice of doing; it takes training and practice of being. Christian character is an essential part of Christina service. In God’s program no one is gifted enough to be acceptable; neither generosity nor even martyrdom, the ultimate gift, accounts anything with God unless love is the motivation (1 Corinthians 13). God’s gifts are jewels whose beauty and brilliance are marred if their setting are tarnished.

     It is for this reason that Peter viewed hospitality as an attitude, as well as, an act. It could not be done well if it was done grudgingly. An open door must be matched by an open heart. Warm bread tastes best when spread with a warm welcome. Nothing makes a guest more uncomfortable than to know that they are just being tolerated and not truly received. The same grace and generosity with which our heavenly Father has swung the door wide open and ushered us into the heart of this family circle must mark those who have the gift of hospitality. Act and attitude must be in harmony.

     “The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers. Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. Whoever, speaks, as one who utters oracles of God, whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever “. Amen (1 Peter 4:7-11)
T. Cyprian Kia

Our Conception of God Determines Our Dedication

The hundred and twenty men and women who gathered at the upper room on the day of Pentecost understood themselves as living out Christ Jesus in their lives. They lived, acted and walked, expressing Christ before the watching world. Their response to life’s situations was always in obedience to God’s intent of it (Acts 5: 24; 4:19). They were curious in exploring the depth of His love and person. To them it was a discovery of His love and person involved in something much larger and more glorious than they ever dreamt. They were passionately consumed with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ was their love and their lives were totally centered around Him as their Head (Acts 1:8-15; 2:1-4).


All these are unlike what many see as the Christian life to be today. The Christian life, to many today, is merely about a list of things to do; winning souls, helping the poor, learning theology, studying doctrine, mastering the Bible, deciphering eschatology, praying more, attending church services, praising and worshipping, doing spiritual warfare, exercising spiritual gifts, hearing God’s voice; imitating Christ, and engaging in good works. Above all, it is also about endless activities that they are taught are the center of God’s will.

In a piece written by Frank Viola, we are reminded that “all the above had an end in view that went far beyond giving people a celestial fire insurance policy, bringing in the last great harvest, or changing the world for Christ.” Speaking further he said, “Being a Christian had taken on a completely new meaning. That meaning has to do with something bound up inside the beating heart of God. The Christian life was no longer about me and what I could do or should do. Neither was it primarily about others; the needs of human beings becomes secondary.” Yes it is all about Christ (Psalm 115:1) (2008, 11-12).

De Vern Fromke described this stage of human relationship with God as living in God’s viewpoint and sharing of the yearning of God’s heart beat. He said, believers should grow daily in their experience of the Christian life until they attain the fullness of Christ. Such an experience with Christ is not an overnight attainment or an act of human effort. It takes one’s willingness to walk daily in the full submission to the presidency of the Holy Spirit, a moment-by-moment submission.

It would seem that both apostles, Paul and John, lived in God’s viewpoint and shared His yearning father heart whose desire is to move the believer from childhood unto young manhood and unto fatherhood.

In the first epistle to John, John exhorted:
“I write unto you little children…”
“I write unto you young man…”
“I write unto you fathers…” (1 John 2: 12-14).

As a child, we are most alive to what we can receive from God. No one is alarmed when “little children rejoice in what their Savior has wrought for them in giving personal forgiveness and in providing a relationship with God the Father. Yet there is reason for concern when after many years they remain “little children” who live only to be ministered unto and who are mostly alive to the blessing, benefits and gifts they can receive.” They only interpreted God’s working as it related to them to their only welfare, their victory, seeking to move God around their little center.

Next are those who have matured unto young manhood. They have overcome the wicked one, and are strong, and the word of God abides in them. Through experience they have moved from defiance to the offence: instead of running from, they are now overcoming the Wicked One. At this stage one would feel a sense of “I have arrived at last”. They are centered in activity for the Lord as though their instrumental calling was more important than their expressive calling. The ultimate goal of our salvation in Christ is to have Him within and express his love outwardly.

The last stage in the growth process is to be a father. Here the believer’s walk with the Lord has led to spiritual fatherhood. The believer is suddenly awakened to something quite wonderful. As little children, “we recognized Him (God) as our Father in a begetting relationship, as “young men” we honored Him as our father in a governing relationship; but now as “fathers” were are one with Him in His fatherhood. Through an intimate identification we have an expressive relationship. We come to share a union with His Spirit, purpose, desire, vision, and dedication. The depth of God’s heart and His yearning now becomes the only goal that motivates us in life, and shapes our daily experience (2001:9-10).

Suddenly everything becomes about Him and His ultimate purpose. In other words, the Christian life is Christ and nothing more, nothing less. It is not an ideology or a philosophy, neither is it a new type of morality, social ethic or worldview. The Christian life is the good news that beauty, truth and goodness are found in a person. True humanity and community are found on and experienced by connection to that person—the Lord Jesus Christ.

We should all ‘seek Christ, embrace Christ, know Christ’ because to do so one will have touched Him who is Life. This is needful since in Him resides all truth, values, virtues, and gifts in living colors. Beauty has its meaning in the beauty of Christ. Only in Him do we find all that makes us lovely and lovable (Sweet and Viola 2010: XV). Ultimately the Christian life is Christ Himself.

T Cyprian Kia

Speaking Like a Godly Woman

     In Matthew 12:34 we read “…For the mouth speaks that which fills the heart.” Our words reveal our character. What is in our hearts will soon be expressed by our lips.


     Unkind words, gossip, lies, flattery, boasting, anger, slander, craftiness, shouting and cursing are all to be put away because we are now in Christ. “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the Head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). Our instruction as to speaking in a godly manner is in Ephesians 4:29 “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification, according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Even apology cannot erase the destructive influence of unwholesome words.


     At the ladies Bible study a few weeks ago, one sister told us she was riding in the car with her daughter who was driving. They were suddenly cut off by another driver almost causing an accident. She said she then heard a very quick outpouring of expletives and profanity proceeds from her daughter’s mouth. She could not believe the intensity or the choice of words. Her reaction was one of shock, disbelief, and embarrassment so that she couldn’t say anything for a moment. What should we speak in similar situations? We may be at the apartment potluck, or work, or with the family and want to respond in a godly manner. We can speak the truth in love that we are not comfortable when our Savior’s name is spoken so disrespectfully. Let’s not be holier-than-thou but have the courage to speak out in love, and remember that it may turn into an opportunity to witness for Christ.


     Then we come to the OMG expression that has pervaded our language as a response to anything and everything by everyone, of any walk of life, any religion, believer and unbeliever. Any situation or circumstance will bring this quick response, and it is unknown exactly what the speaker means when he says it so loosely. We as godly women can choose not to use this expression which takes the name of God in vain. The Psalmist said (17:3) “I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.”


     Most trouble is caused by what we say: wrecked homes, broken friendships divided churches. Therefore, it is imperative that we have a clean heart, so that the words will be wholesome reflecting God’s light. Man must depend upon God to control his thoughts and their expression. So then Philippians 4:8 says “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Keep our hearts and minds clean thinking on these things, so our words may reflect the beauty of Christ and be pleasing to Him. With our tongue we can pray, praise Him, share and teach the Word.


     “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

 Joy Ann Kia

The Christian Life is a Spiritual Walk

     The Christian life is a spiritual walk; it is not about a new religion or religious experience.  The new creation we have become is unlike the person whose end is to live in the world.  A person who is living in the world, would embrace Christ as Saviour, but lives in pleasure and puts earthly pursuits above that of the Lord, and sinks his life into acquiring name, fame and money (1 John 2:15-17; 2 Peter 2, 18, 20).  This is walking in the flesh.
     Human wisdom and strength are useless in spiritual endeavors (John 3:6; John 15:5).  The desire to make a name for oneself is carnal and antagonistic to the Spirit of God.  All these are a contradiction to the Spirit of Christ.  Therefore, these are a preference, an attempt to make a good appearance on the outside while the inside is corrupt.  The Christian life is beauty from within and radiant reflection of Christ outside.
     This person possesses a divine life and is capable of making God visible on the earth and ruling the planet with divine authority.  As a Christian, one has been given God's uncreated life.  As such, one is not called to live by "a Christian code of ethics".  Instead one is called to live God's life.  When a person lives by God's life, that person would possess divine impulses, instincts, promptings, senses and tendencies.  This would yield to the person the secret of growing up with the Head, who is Christ (Ephesians 4:15).  When collectively as a Body we live by the Lord's life, the character of Jesus begins to take shape within (Galatians 4:19).  In the words of Detrick Bonhoeffer, "Jesus calls men not to a new religion, but to a new life." (John 10:10; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:4; 1 John 5:11-12).
     God's mind is that humanity would share His life.  He wanted us to live in union with Himself and express His goodness in the earth.  That is what the Tree of the Lord offered.  Hence, Frank Viola, warned that when we strive to be "good Christians we are eating from the wrong tree. " Living by 'right and wrong' is not Christianity.  It is old covenant living and its very human, certainly not spiritual.
     By contrast the Christian life is to live by the energy and direction of divine life which dwells in us.  It is to depend upon the living Christ rather than upon one's knowledge of good and evil; right and wrong.  Thus, the man who partakes of the divine nature lives by the indwelling Christ rather than by ourselves (2 Peter 1:9).
    Having been transformed into a new creation in Christ, one who walks in the Spirit is largely delivered from idolatrous abominations and Protestant misconceptions of Scriptures, and brought again to own in simplicity to the headship of Christ, the presidency of the Holy Spirit in the assembly of God's people and the authority of the written Word over the conscience of all who call upon the name of the Lord.
     These believers consciously seek to avoid losing sight of the tremendous importance of walking in the Spirit in living, fully realized fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, to whose peerless name God would gather all His own.  Their Christian walk or life points always to Christ in them, the hope of their glory.  They are creations in Him, walking in the Spirit.

T. Cyprian Kia

A Tribute: Caroline Gross, God’s Gift to Nigeria Among the Igala

     Jesus was a faithful High Priest in all of God’s house. He was an Apostle, a Good Shepherd, and a Master Teacher. He was the Good News manifested in the flesh (Hebrews 3:1-6).
     He went to heaven and sent His Spirit. He took parts of Himself, and spread them out over the Body of Christ, the Church. Every true believer, therefore, is endowed with any one of these gifts (Ephesians 4:7-11). Caroline and Paul were certainly gifted. They were builders, a gift to Nigeria among the Igala speaking people. Their authority to serve was derived from their gift, not from their position as foreigners who lived among the Igala as missionaries.
     The Hewstones and the Grosses as well as Miss Gillette were the pioneer missionaries of the Plymouth Brethren work in Nigeria. Paul and Caroline assumed leadership of this growing and fruitful work upon the death of Paul’s parents. Paul’s heart was prepared as he grew up observing the dedication and commitment of his parents to the Lord in their service to Him. He saw firsthand the extreme challenges of pioneering missionary service and learned well.
     Caroline, whose parents were also missionaries, learned greatly from the life of their devotion, dedication, and spiritual engagement to the Lord. Though Caroline and Paul were both missionary children, their decision to serve the Lord in Nigeria was not intellectual or emotional; it was an exercise of devoted hearts, in response to the Lord Himself. They were sent to build, and build they did (Romans 10:14-15).
     Having been sent by the Lord, together they endured the trials that came to them. They did not shrink from doing anything helpful in proclaiming the message to all they met in the land. Their method was holistic, addressing the needs of the human body, soul, and spirit. They were incarnational in ministry, adapting to challenges and changes as they occurred.

     When Paul died in 1982, Caroline carried on the work through dedicated men and women whom they had raised in their many years of fruitful ministry. At long last, Caroline has gone to be with the Lord she loved and served and her husband who had earlier crossed the veil. The work she left is with us as the Lord’s work in Nigeria. It will not be remembered as the Gross empire.

     Caroline and Paul did things worth writing about as evidenced in the various aspects of the work under their brand name: Christian Missions in Many Lands, Nigeria, Inc. They were not limited to themselves; they reached out, loved, and worked well with all in the land who were equally reaching out to the lost for the greatest of all Masters. The works they mentored, nurtured, and assisted were Ejoka Mission, Ayangba Fellowship, Faith Bible College, Robert Hyslop’s Bassa Mission, Igala translation work, Iyale Memorial Hospital, and Ministry of Mercy. In addition, every day in their home they entertained friends and strangers. Besides, they represented the ministry of Grace and Truth in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as their daily radio broadcast in Igala through the network of ELWA.

     Today their day may have ended with their deaths, but certainly their legacy and the cherished memories of their labor of love will remain with us, as service without hate, bitterness, or rancor. We celebrate their passing as lives well spent on earth. We join, therefore, the Lord in saying, “Well done, thou faithful servants.” Adieu! Till we meet again at the golden daybreak.

T. Cyprian and Joy Ann Kia

The Christian Life is a Transformed One

   Christ is expressed and extended when an individual, in a relationship with Christ, responds to the leading of the Spirit of God.  This is what the Holy Spirit testified to, when in Romans, we are told “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brothers” (Romans 8:29).  When we respond to the leading of the Spirit, we are simply allowing Christ within us to be seen and touched through us.  If, as a group of believers, we walk in response to the Spirit, we collectively reflect the fullness of Christ.
            However, what we see daily is a people who collectively act like spoiled children demanding for attention,  rather than giving headship to so great a salvation and the Author of it (Hebrews 2:1-4).  Our actions are due to the fact that we have so easily forgotten that the central issue in a Christian’s life is the becoming more like Christ than it is to merely go somewhere or do something.  Our efforts should be to realize the necessity of a God-centered focus instead of a man-centered approach to the pursuit of God.
            It is an act of immaturity to relegate spiritual reality to the past or to the future.  We should never be satisfied with a return to the barren pathway of living in the past experiences or the dreamy imaginations of the future.  Spiritual reality demands that we participate in the life of the Sprit, cultivating the Lord’s presence, and responding proactively to the Spirit’s leading in our walk.  In this way we become a channel of God’s expression of His glory, pleasure and satisfaction; a situation that allows us to be in a continuous living relationship with Christ Himself.
            For this reason, the Holy Spirit testified through the Apostle Paul saying, “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.” (Colossians 1:15-17).  God’s intent is for all of Himself to be in His Son.  For at last, God’s secret plan is now made known in Christ Himself.  So, just as one trusted Christ to be saved, one must also trust Christ for each day’s problems to be taken care of as they arise, if we are in a vital union with Him (Colossians 2:2).  For in Christ is all of God (Colossian 2: 9).
            So we have everything when we have Christ, and we are filled with God through our union with Him.  Christ is the highest ruler over every other power (Colossians 2:10).  In this new life one’s relationship was not based on nationality, or race or education or social position in life.  All these are unimportant.  Such things mean nothing.  What matters is whether a person has Christ and He is equally available to all.  Indeed, any person who would accept Christ’s offer of Himself, as the true path to eternal life, and a relationship with God, achieved on the basis of His death and resurrection,is on the path to Christlikeness. The Christian life, therefore, is becoming more like Christ, which is Christ likeness, our expressive calling in life.
T. Cyprian Kia

Welcoming Tough Times is Wisdom

    The Apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, counseled all and sundry that tough times, troubles, hurts, and sufferings of our lives after all are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessings in our lives (2 Corianthians 4:18 TLB). It is for this reason that we must thank God for the tough times of our lives, knowing that we can use them for our good.

    To this end the Scripture does testify saying: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His son in order that he might be the first born within a large family. And those whom He called, He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified” (Romans 8:28-30).
    Take for instance Joseph the son of Jacob who was told by Pharoah the King of Egypt “See I have set you over all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:41). Let’s face it, this was after all he suffered at the hands of his brothers. It is not much fun having your own brothers sell you as a slave to a group of passing foreigners. It is not very enjoyable spending time in prison for something you didn’t do. In like manner, it is very painful when those with whom you are in fellowship choose to hurt you. These hurts are deep when they are inflicted without provocation.
    This explains why during tough times doubts are often a constant companion, a condition of mind that may lead to self-pity, self-defense and an overwhelming sense of being under siege. It is wisdom to remind ourselves that the root of doubt is in lack of understanding regarding what God gave us in Christ. In Christ we are allowed to enter into our inheritance in Him where every problem has a solution.
    We must, therefore, learn to draw upon Christ and to sink our being into Him. When we do so, we will emerge finding ourselves in the deeper will of the living God. It is then that we are changed with that power that fell on the disciples of old. It is the forging of our way into the uplands of the faith.
    In Zechariah, a prophet in Israel was asked this question: “What are these wounds on your chest?” In answer he said, “The wounds I received in the house of my friends” (Zechariah 13:6). “Rejoice, therefore, and be glad for your reward is great” (Matthew 5:12).

    Joseph, the son of Israel, eventually saw that God was working in these events that made up his life. Proof that Joseph understood God’s dealing was evident in the names that he gave his sons. Manasseh means God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house”. He called his other son Ephraim which means, “God has saved me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction” (Genesis 41:50-52). How clearly through the Old Testament types, symbols, and stories, the Holy Spirit flashes light upon this mystery. This mystery is the fact that we can benefit from tough times.

    Joseph is buried in an Egyptian prison before he rises to become a savior seated on the throne that he seemed to share with the mighty Pharoah (Genesis 39:19-23, 41:38).

    Forty years on the lonely slopes of Midian the fiery Moses is schooled. There were graves, if one may so speak, scattered all over. The mountain sides were where hope after hope was buried until at last self went into utter humiliation. Except for these graves the man of God, who became the moral giant of antiquity, who spoke face to face with Jehovah, and whose guiding hand will be felt in the affairs of nations until the end of time, could not have been (Exodus 2:15-24; Exodus 33:12-23).

    If we have tasted of the Lord, if we pant after the vine of heaven, if we cannot be satisfied with anything short of the fullness of the Spirit, and if our hearts are “furnaces of desire” for the deep things of God, then welcome tough times in your life’s journey.

    David does not come to the throne until in the caves of the Philistines, where he was hunted down like a dog by the infuriated Saul. He literally went through the shadow of the valley of death several times. The Psalms, in all their varied loveliness so adapted to human woe, their seraphic unfolding of the life of communion could not have come about except for the inner submission which allows him to welcome the tough times of the persecutions he endured. It is wisdom to welcome tough times.

    In 1775 the life of Fenelon on earth came to an end. During his life time he wrote many pieces that gave insight and understanding regarding the straight and narrow path we must all walk as believers. In The Seeking Heart he reminded us that tough times are difficult moments of our lives which encourage us to take cover every time we encounter them. We are told to embrace the difficult circumstances we find ourselves in, even when we feel they will overwhelm us. We must allow God to mold us through the events he has permitted to enter our lives. It makes us flexible toward the will of God.

    This is because our impurities are melted and our old ways are lost. God is found in the middle of the events of our everyday life. Look past the obstacles and find Him (1992:14, 15; Spiritual Classic Vol. 4). It was Hosea the prophet who warned that the destruction of God’s people could only come due to lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:16). Tough times help us to really know God.

    Commenting on the above verses, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie declared: There is nothing more important than the knowledge of God. With it life is sublime, without is there’s constant stress. It is the secret of true success, the source of wisdom beyond our understanding. It is the strength to endure in hard times. It is our ultimate goal, life’s greatest privilege, and our urgent need (Silent Strength 1990:40). Embrace tough times while submitting to the hand of the almighty God. He loves and cares for you.

T. Cyprian Kia

Living Under the Headship of Christ

When a person’s life is beautified within by Christ’s presence, that life provides a radiant reflection of Him in all they do and say. The Christian life displays Christ before the world. Christ’s presence within produces a longing to be with all those who love and adore Christ with a pure heart. The Christian life, therefore, should not be driven by a mindset of organized religion. If we do, it would be morphed into the incarnation of man’s efforts to capture God and put Him in a house of human construction. This would result in our gathering as a people of God and at a location as a man-made institution which would be completely at odds with the fundamentals of Jesus’ life and message. God cannot be confined by limitations of our human mind.


The problem is not about where we gather, but in losing sight of why we have gathered and truly understanding what we have become in Him. We were once dead, but are now quickened by the Holy Spirit into life. We are now being fitted into a habitation of God. Therefore, individually and collectively we are now God’s space to encounter humanity; where God now receives true worship and adoration (Genesis 28:1-22; 1 Peter 2:5).

“Welcome to the Living Stone, the Source of Life. The workmen took one look and threw it out. God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent. Look, I am setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor. Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it. To you who trust Him, He’s a stone to be proud of, but those who refuse to trust Him, the stone who the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone. For the untrusting it’s a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way.” (1 Peter 2:1-9, The Message).

The Holy Spirit that quickened us into living stones is the Spirit of Christ. Christ, therefore, is the Chief Cornerstone in God’s place of rest; the Church. In our collective expression of God’s resting place, Christ is the Head and our lives as believers should be lived totally and only in response to His leading and direction in our daily walk. (Ephesians 2: 16-20, 1 Peter 2: 4-6, 9).

In the first century the cornerstone was the first stone that was laid in the foundation. It was also the main stone of the building. It aligned and united all the other stones together. Each of the stones in the building was measured by the cornerstone. The building had to be in complete conformity with the cornerstone or else it could not be approved. Jesus Christ is the main stone, the Cornerstone in the foundation of God’s house; all things are measured by Him, united in Him and conformed to Him (1 Corinthians 3: 9-11).

What this tells us is that Christ, being the Chief Cornerstone, is Head of the collective expression of our Christian life on earth. Christ, therefore, should be allowed to make the decisions in our lives and in our midst. In reality, this means that the members of a local expression of the Lord’s body, the Church, should respond to their Head, which is Christ, through the collective view of the Body rather than through a few human persons who happened to be in a position of prominence. In other words, the Body of Christ, in union with the Head, expresses the Lord’s mind better as a collective then as a few making or taking decisions for the rest of the collective.

When the collective, under the headship of Christ, address problems and solve them, they learn the truth of being built together as one and discover what the Cross was in the process. The Cross is the instrument of death. It’s the principle whereby we lay down our own life in order that the Lord’s life may be fully expressed. The Cross means death to self, our ambitions, our preferences, our agendas, our opinions, our desires, and our wishes (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34-35, Luke 9:23-24). For what reason?, one may ask. So that Jesus Christ can have His preference, His agenda, His opinion and His desire. Body life is built on the principle of the cross. It is built on the resolute decision to live by the Lord’s own words: “Not my will, but Yours be done.”.

Jesus Christ, when given the rightful place in the heart and walk of His followers would become the visible expression of Him and the house of His rest. This corporate human expression is the house of God. The final criterion of that house is that when they gather together as believers, God is present as a witness and proclaims His pleasure. The individual in this collective has abandoned himself in Christ’s hand, committed to a shared life with others under His exclusive Headship, leaving all decisions to Him.

This is a high calling of our Christian life (Colossians 2: 19); a life that is lived in trust and dependence upon the unseen Christ who dwells within us. He is the Head and this is what it means to live under the headship of Christ as a believer.

Wrong Doing Compounds Problems

     It is often stated that a wrong-doing can never solve a problem, but living our lives in accordance with the guidelines given to us by God WILL solve problems.  Take a look at a family brothers described in the Bible, all members of one family, the sons of Israel. Ten of them so jealous and hateful of Joseph their brother that the very sight of him provoked their worst behavior.
     One day they saw him coming to visit them, “Then they said to one another, ‘look this dreamer is coming!’ “(Gen. 37:19). Have you noticed how quickly one sinful act can lead to another? Joseph’s brothers are a good example!  As soon as they saw Joseph coming, they began to plot his death, but when Midianite traders came by, it seemed more advantageous to sell him for twenty pieces of silver. Getting rid of a brother and make money at the same time was an idea that appealed to their self-interest and fitted their hate.
     Ah, but the trouble had just begun. They had to kill a goat (clever deception) and wipe Joseph’s coat in its blood. Finally, there was the lie they had to tell Jacob. Helplessly they watched as their father was overcome with grief. After all, they were the ones who had gotten rid of Joseph- so what comfort could they possibly give?
     Another example is David the King, the sweet psalmist of Israel. Early in his reign he was at war with the people of Ammon. He sent his troops to battle and he himself remained at home. Instead of being in the battle with his men, he chose to rest, but in his resting he became restless.  Being restless, he became sleepless and went up to the roof of the house. There he saw a woman taking her bath. He desired her, a woman who was already married to one of his best soldiers (2 Sam. 23:39) and the son-in-law of another of his best soldiers ( 2 Sam. 23:23). This woman was even the granddaughter of his special adviser, Ahithophel (2 Sam 17: 1-23).
     David lured her to bed, and, when he was told she was expecting his child, he arranged her husband’s death in the battlefield. Think about it. It started with laziness that turned into restlessness, then insomnia, followed by lust of the flesh, misuse of power and influence compounded by betrayal, deception, adultery and finally cold blooded murder.
     How easy it is for one, seemingly isolated, disobedient act to spiral into compounded problems.  One lie leading to another lie and another lie spiraling out of control. How simple for one tiny deception to grow into a multitude of sins.
     God's guidelines clearly tell us to say "No" right away to disobedience.  Doing so saves us a lot of trouble in the long run.  "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and wordly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. " (Titus 2:11-14).

Who are you: Weed or Wheat?

     In every gathering of God’s people there are weeds, otherwise referred to as tares (Matt. 13: 24-30) in the Scripture. It makes all the difference for now and eternity which one you are. The great challenge is to liberate people from the category of weeds to the category of wheat.
    The Church of Jesus Christ is made up of Inside-Outsiders (weeds) and Inside-Insiders (those with real knowledge of personal salvation; wheat). The first is made up of people, who, by their nature are a danger to the corporate functioning and operation of the Church. They are weeds. Only two people have the prerogative of determining which group you are in – Jesus Christ and you.
     The Inside-Outsider and Inside-Insider often look alike, sound similar and both believe in Jesus Christ. Their relationship to Him as Lord, however, couldn’t be more dissimilar. What is the difference? One is an imitator and the other is in relationship with Christ by faith (Act 8:9-22). Inside-Outsiders have “neither part nor portion in Christ” (Acts 8:21).
     The Inside-Outsider is in the church but outside a deep, intimate relationship with Christ. He believes that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world but has never come to know Him as the Savior of his own soul and Lord of his life. There never has been a time of complete commitment of all he or she has and is-a commitment that allows one to experience the power of the Christian life in daily, specific surrender of the needs, challenges, problems and opportunities of life. The Inside-Outsider is inside the church, but outside of an intimate, impelling, indwelling experience of Christ as Lord.
     One of the most gratifying and puzzling phenomena of our time is the great number of church attendants who are discovering the joy and freedom of committing their lives to Christ. They are discovering the excitement of trusting Christ with their frustrations and fears. Recently a Church member realized the power of Christ and shared the delight of his experience with fellow members at the meeting. It was very disturbing to some when he said “I have been in the Assembly for many years. Last week I found out what it’s all about to be Christian. I’ve always believed that Christ was the Savior, but for the first time I know He’s my Savior.” He was saying that it was alarming to think of all the joy he’d missed by being an Inside-Outsider among God’s people. “Now I know Christ as the Lord of all my relationships and responsibilities.”
     The Church faces no more crucial issues today than how to make wheat out of the weeds in our midst. It’s never easy. This is because weeds think they have discovered all that is to be discovered in the Christian life, as they strive to achieve it. They are misfits because they want to do God’s work in their own strength. It won’t work.
     On the other hand, the wheat is the person who has truly embraced Christ and is in relationship with Him as Lord. Christ has taken charge as Lord. He no longer imitates the Christian life but allows Christ to be manifest in the flesh through his daily activities.
     Who are you: Weed or Wheat?

Behold The Man! (Ecce Homo)

     The opening verses of chapter 19 of John's gospel  bring us face to face with the sufferings of our Lord and the shame which was heaped upon Him.  We beheld Him scourged, crowned with a cruel crown of thorns, mocked, dishonored, smitten and then made a public spectacle of.  This is a deeply affecting scene for the heart of every child of God.  As we read it and meditate on it, our eyes fill with tears and our innermost soul is moved.  We praise Him that suffered thus in our stead.

     According to Josephus and other sources, Rome tormented malefactors in every possible way before they were put to death.  In many cases the scourging was with a cruel, knotted whip in which sharp pieces were exposed inflicting wounds that could lead to their death.  Rough, half-barbarians soldiers were His tormentors.  As they hated the Jews, they were only too willing to treat Him with the utmost cruelty.  The place where it was done was the common hall (Matt. 17:27), a filthy guard room.  The loving substitute of sinners suffered stripes on our behalf (Isa. 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).

     After the soldiers had their way tormenting Him, "Pilate therefore went forth again, and said unto them (the Jews), 'Behold I bring Him forth to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him" (John 19:4).  Thus He was acquited, but was not discharged before the law.  He added that He was innocent because "I find no fault in Him at all" (John 18:38).  Pilate did not discharge Him, but continued the trial of Jesus, "that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die" (John 18:32).

     The indictment before Pilate was that Christ said He was King. Pilate asked Him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" (John 18:33) and received a direct response.  From the writings of the prophets, particularly Zechariah 6:12-13, the Jews were aware of His Kingship, but could not bring themselves to acknowledge the fact he was the actual person the prophet was referring to in the prophecy.  They chose to reject Jesus because they were jealous of Him, regardless.

     The Lord Jesus, after all this, came forth wearing the crown of thorns and a purple robe.  Pilate said to the crowd, "Behold the Man!" (Ecce Homo) (John 19:5).  This is the message which would be sounded all over the world.  Behold the Man.  Behold Him, "the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

    Bearing shame and scoffing rude. In our place condemned He stood.  Sealed our pardon with His blood.  Hallelujah! What a Saviour! ...(Phillip P. Bliss 1839-1876).  Behold the Man!