The land that the Lord promised

Then Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carry the ark of the LORD’s covenant, and to all Israel’s elders (Deu 31:9 NET).

There are different categories or levels of leadership. From the scripture above, we could identify the priests and the elders. And here Moses handed over the law to them to handle and appropriate.

Going back to verse 7 of the same Deuteronomy chapter 31, there was another leader which was Moses himself. And this time, his time was up, he handed over his leadership baton to Joshua, as God instructed. And the duty of Joshua was clear:

Then Moses called out to Joshua in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will accompany these people to THE LAND that the LORD promised to give their ancestors, and YOU WILL ENABLE THEM TO INHERIT IT (Deu 31:7 NET).

While the priests and elders handle the law, Joshua was to ensure the people get into the land. The Israelites have received the law. And under the able guidance of the elders. Yet, they were still in the wilderness.

It will take a leader to move them out of that land of dryness to a new land flowing with milk and honey. It will take a leader to move a people out of their usual occupation and environment to an occupation and environment that God has designated for them.

While we listen to voice of the priests and elders as they teach us God's word, we must acknowledge the voice of the leader urging us to move out of our 'comfort' zone to a new zone, a new occupation, a new environment, that will change our economic status for good. 

Those who did not keep God's word never made it out of the wilderness. While those who abide by God's word, were enabled to move to a new occupation and environment when the time came.

Live righteously

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people (Proverbs 14:34 NET)

It is not possible to hold unto sin and righteousness at the same time. It is like an ON and OFF switch. When you put on an active switch, you see light, but reverse is the case when you put it off.

Most of the time, people want to see light consistently but they struggle to keep the switch ON all the time. This moment, they are testifying, preaching and praying as a righteous person, the next moment they are engaged in act of sin.

There is no amount of righteous act that can cover up act of sin. Act of sin is only dealt with through repentance. It is not even solved by discussing how difficult it is to overcome act of sin, thereby giving excuses to sin. One just has to repent from sin.

Jesus taught us to pray: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This will prayer will only happen when we match it with corresponding righteous actions. When you need light, keep the switch on?

Sadly, many people pray, study the bible, preach, etc but in contrary go about switching off the light. For one reason or the other, they lie, cheat, inflate figures, make dishonest gain, take bribe, curse, gossip, etc... And at the end we see darkness - corruption, bribery and all manner of evil even among God's people.

If we truly want change or rather want to see the manifestation of the kingdom of God in our environment, we have to watch our acts. While we pray, preach, study the bible, etc we must go on living righteously no matter what it takes.

Be fully equipped

Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-11 NET).

The full armor of God comes from the following underlisted, as captured in Ephesians chapter 6:

1. Truth

2. Righteousness

3. Peace

4. Salvation

5. Faith

6. Word of God

7. Prayer

8. Alertness

9. Perseverance

Looking closely, we find out that they are not material in nature. They are not like money, house, car, business, etc, that  can be seen with physical eyes, yet potent enough. The battle is spiritual; it is not against flesh and blood even though flesh and blood could be involved as part of the schemes of the devil.

Note that having any of them or some of them is good, but to win the battle against the schemes of the devil, one must be fully equipped with them all.. For instance praying is good, but not enough... Knowing the truth is good, but not enough. Knowing the word of God is good but not enough.

To be victorious in every area of our lives, we must put all the armor together. One armor cannot replace the other. They complement each other and all have their proper places... Just imagine preventing a theif from coming in through the front door while the back door is open.

The Lord of host has provided these effective armor, it is for us to engage them all. And through that, we will be strenghtened in the Lord and also in the strength of his power to experience a victorious life.

Love your wife

In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:28 NET) 

True love is reflected in deed and in truth... Love is not just what you say with your mouth but what you do in truth.

If you love someone, it is good you express it with your mouth, but it only becomes real when you match it with the right actions.

Right actions because not all actions are reflection of love. Some in the name of love have end up engaging in wrong acts and thereby hurting themselves. 

In this life, it is not possible to live for yourself. Your action or inaction will always impact positively or negatively on someone else.

As a husband for instance, you cannot live for yourself... In reality, the love you have for your wife is a measure of the love you have for yourself. You are one... mutually bonded.

What you do for your wife, is what you do for yourself... It's like loving your neighbor as you love yourself. The love you have for yourself is real to the extent of your expression of love to people around you. 

If you pay attention to your wife, you are paying attention to yourself... It will still benefit you in the long run. And if you neglect your wife, you are neglecting yourself... It will backfire in the long run.

As a husband, when you properly channel your time, attention, energy, resources, and patiently groom your wife as part of your responsibility, you will find out that you are becoming a better husband in the process. And you will all consequently experience an amazing home...

Choose your suffering

For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: (1Peter 2:20-21)

You have seen yourself suffer simply because you are on the side of the truth. You are not alone! Following the truth does not prevent suffering, it rather prepares us to achieve great things even through the things we suffer.

If you suffer for doing wrong things: for not speaking out the truth or for not being on the side of it, that is a well deserved suffering. Many are suffering today because of the wrong decisions they made, for example while voting. That is well deserved suffering, right?

Would it not have been better to suffer abuse, deprivation or even imprisonment for not following the usual poltical trend but instead stand out. Just imagine if the church accepts the consequences of not trying to follow political trend, and unanimously have their preferred Godfearing and qualified candidate.

It's like speaking and acting decisively against injustice in your office, risking the fact that you could be fired or sidelined, or on the other hand keeping quiet and let the injustice continue.

The consequences of not following the truth lingers without any known solution that works. But the consequences of following the truth is only temporary, and afterwards produces life changing results.

Instead of thinking we can escape suffering, we should rather choose our suffering. It is self deception to think that things will change by mere suffering. Things will change when the people learn to suffer for the right reason.

The wonderful home, society, and country we desire will only come when we learn not just to suffer but to suffer for the right reason, and in that we give room for God to show up in the true sense of it.

The influence of the church

But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything (Ephesians 5:24 NET).

Sometimes we do not want to accept the truth because we feel we will be disadvantaged if we do so.

While it is true that we might suffer certain things when we embrace the truth, but what of the consequences or the negative impact if we do not.

Many wives struggle with the scripture above especially when they think their husbands will abuse their submission. However, the scripture is also referring to the church and the Christ.

The wife is to submit as the church submits. Which one comes first? Of course, the submission of the church. The church shows the way: the wives are to learn to submit as the church does.

It is like reaping what you sow... In other words, if the husband, being part of the church, submits to Christ in everything, it follows that the wife will also learn to submit.

The society could influence people's behavior in a good way, to the extent that the church influences the society. 

If we as the church is positivity changing our environment through our total submission to Christ, we will also see the impact in our homes.

Focus on your kindgom duties

Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept (Matt 25:3-5 NKJV)

Sometimes, when we first read the scripture above, we will think it was only the foolish virgins that slumbered and slept, while the bridegroom tarried. But when we read it closely again, we will see that they all (including the wise virgins) slumbered and slept.

As earlier pointed out in the previous chapter, while Jesus was talking about the end time signs, He stated that many false prophets will rise and deceive many. And that only happened when many believers were offended as the result of the impact of the end time signs.

Now we see false prophets everywhere, so who is to be blamed? There is no need to pass the bulk to anyone for the situation we are in, in this end time. What the wise virgin did was to wake up from their slumber and sleep, and then trim their lamps, and also ensure their lamps didn’t go off.

When believers are not watchful as they should, they become encumbered with the things of this world, and many things will go wrong around them. In the parable of the sower, the Lord said that pleasures, riches, and cares of this life are like thorns around a believer that can choke the believer and make the person unfruitful (Luke 8:14, Matthew 13:22).

So when we don’t see the desired change around us, we should rather check if the fruit we bear is positively impacting people around us or whether we are even bearing fruit at all. It is sad that false prophets influence many people negatively, but it is to the extent of room given to them or territory lost to them.

The end time signs are wakeup call to the slumbering and sleeping believers, just like the wakeup call to the wise and the foolish virgins. When they heard the call, they woke up and trimmed their lamps. It is amazing to notice that both the foolish and wise virgins woke up, yet only the wise ones were distinguished – they kept their lamps on.

While it is good to wake up, it is just a part of it. We also need to pay close attention to kingdom matters. And there is no need trying to pass the blame to anyone, rather we have to focus on our assigned kingdom duties and keep up with them.