By Rev. Alexander Faranpojo
Acts 14: 17: “And yet He left not Himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from Heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness”
There is something called fruitful season and you will enter it this year in Jesus name
Somebody’s post code and bank statement are changing forever, three people will meet their husbands this year in Jesus name. Some people would also hear more good news from home; some people will be discharged from hospital, somebody’s grace will come back in Jesus name. Utterances are powerful; make use of it especially when based on the word of God.
Hebrews 10: 35-39: “Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise. For yet a very little while, He that cometh shall come and shall not tarry. But my righteousness one shall live by faith: And if he shrinks back my soul hath no pleasure in him. But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition; but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul.”
Luke 9: 62: “…And Jesus said no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The Bible speaks about several things that show that God is interested in our lives, It also explains that God is our Source and our Sustenance; this is a statement of truth. There are moments in life when we feel our Source is not our sustenance and this happens when a believer lacks direction. There is nothing as frustrating as when a believer lacks direction. God wants us operational and functional towards our destiny but what makes a believer be in that position is when he/she is living under Divine covenant?
It is necessary that we know that our blessings are connected to Father Abraham. From the book of Genesis which was written by God himself, note that no one was there when God created the heavens and the earth but God narrated the Book to Moses. You will be amazed that God’s relationship with us is by covenant. God’s covenant connects us to Him. God is committed to His promises but wants your commitment for fulfilment of these promises.
God connected Jesus Christ to David and to Abraham because of covenant,
In Psalm 89:34 “My covenant will I not break; nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” God is a covenant keeping God. It is establish that if God has promised you anything He will bring it to pass.
In Titus 1:2, Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 6:17, these scriptures reiterates the fact that God cannot lie; knowing this with a strong conviction, then we need to embrace our destiny implying that the problem is no longer with God but with us.
Many of us for dysfunctional reasons we lack the true understanding of “commitment”. There are guys who want to have sex without commitment, such is a “Rogue”, they want the lady, they want the sex but no commitment, you see people who want attention but no reciprocity. You see people who want money no work, people who just want enjoyment without “commitment or any form of responsibility. They want God but no response, no fellowship, no intimacy. They want God like a dog.
I want to challenge you to stop that act, God is not a dog you use when you want to, you call when you feel like, and forget He exists after your needs have been met. God wants intimacy.
It is interesting to analyse our relationship with God.
In Africa, many people have used the function of our faith for survival, they reduced the element of faith to equal survival, I tell you that is the least degree of relationship with God. In Matthew 6, God himself said “…. do not worry about what to eat…”. Let it not be that your relationship with God is just all about your needs, come to think of it in an advanced country like the UK, the subject of survival is out of the question, this shows that God want a relationship beyond needs, He wants intimacy, commitment and responsibility from Christians.
Commitment is not that whatever God promised has happened or not, but it means through thick and thin you will stay in faith. Commitment is not easy we all know, but stay committed.
Many people have opted out of marriage due to lack of commitment, it is wrong and signifies a lack of responsibility. Some Christians allow their feelings to control them, Commitment is not about your feelings; you can’t come to Church when you like and not come when you don’t feel like; it simply shows lack of commitment. Some people are committed to nothing, not even their families, or any belief system; they act according to their feelings. I tell you if you are one of them it is a wrong way of living.
When God gives you a promise, God wants you to be committed to inherit that promise, this is explained with the life of Father Abraham. It is the covenant that makes God committed, it means that for the promise not to come to pass, God has to be dethroned, which is impossible. If only you know how God is committed to you, your attitude to life will change. I want you to know that it is impossible for you to be barren and stranded because God is committed to make a way for you even in the wilderness. I speak to someone’s heart today; stop giving up too quickly, God is committed to help you. God is even more excited to help you than you are to receive it.
Commitment is a word synonymous to loyalty, perseverance and for every commitment there is a reward. You do not want to lose your reward and all your faithfulness. You going to church is an opportunity to be committed to the course and for God to fulfil His promise in your life. Stay true to God. It is not in vain. Saying no to sin has a reward and you do not want to lose your reward because of lack of commitment (Hebrews 10:35).
In the Bible, there is the story about the 10 virgins, they were all virgins which is synonymous to holy but not all were wise; there were 5 foolish virgins. So you can be holy and still be foolish, that you are holy does not mean you are wise and God rejected the foolish virgins. Though you are not doing anything wrong but if you are not committed to a course then you lack commitment.
The Bible says “cast not away your confidence… (Hebrews 10: 35-39). That thing that you started, stay there! Be faithful to your convictions, don’t change your mind. Improving on your knowledge is great, but stay the course and be honest.
In Heb. 10: 38b, God himself says, “… If any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him..”. You believe in something at the beginning; you gave up on it later, why? God has not changed; you are the one that changed your mind. I speak to someone today it is the time for a new dawn in Jesus name, start by been committed to the course God has set before you. Be committed, it is your access to a new dawn.
* Rev. Alexander Faranpojo is the founder of Virtues Christian Centre, Lagos Nigeria. This message was delivered on February 16th, 2014.