“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” – Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
“…and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” – 1 Cor 1:28-29 (NKJV)
I had a dream…
I was doing laundry at an apartment complex. It was a sunny day, with the washers and driers lining the street directly in front of the entrance to apartment, and the street was bustling with people. As I went to do my laundry, I noticed that the prices per load had become very expensive, and I was upset. A close friend of mine walked up to me, and we both began to discuss how we were upset at the price of laundry having increased.
It began to rain, and we spoke about how the rain prevented us from drying our clothes on lines outside (we would have done this to save money). Then, we began to discuss how I would later talk about a particular bible passage with a girl named Amaka (meaning ‘God is beautiful’). As we moved inside the apartment, my friend told me about how we were soon going to attend an event/bible study. At this event the event’s hostess would also be discussing the passage. We sat down, and she opened my bible to 2 Corinthians 5 to get my opinion on it. As I begin to read the passage, a video began to play in place of the words on the page.
The video showed clips of people who were the leaders of great social/moral/political movements throughout history. One of them being Martin Luther King Jr. giving a speech during the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. There is a voiceover in the video, and it speaks about how such large movements are no longer taking place because people are now spending too much time on media, and during those revolutions people did not spend as much time on their electronic devices.
The voice then proposes two solutions, one being limiting the amount of GB/data people have access to, and the other being limiting the amount of time people would be able to spend on media.
At this point, I woke up.
When I woke up, I prayed and went to 2 Corinthians 5 to hear what the Lord had to say.
I was convicted and urged to repent, because in all honesty many of my priorities/time commitments were not aligning with my purpose. I needed to make some tough lifestyle changes, and I am still working to cultivate discipline and consistency with staying offline. Even when it comes to consuming Christian content.
I have procrastinated academically, professionally, and spiritually (ignored nudges from God), just because I wasn’t in the mood or would rather opt to escape from some aspect of my reality via content consumption. Sometimes, the way I process stress or pain isn’t productive. Instead of making God my refuge, I would seek comfort or companionship in media. I can’t say how many opportunities for revelation I missed by opting for entertainment instead of intimacy.
Don’t get me wrong, the media can be a tremendous blessing. God has spoken to me through podcasts, sermons on Youtube, and posts on Instagram. I’ve been able to witness moves of God all over the world, testimonies I would have never had access to if not for the internet (or divine revelation). Without the world wide web, I wouldn’t have this blog. But my commitment to screen time, my craving for white noise, and my addiction to entertainment was hindering me spiritually. And according to the Holy Spirit, I’m far from being the only one.
Good News
Let’s reflect. A ‘selah’ moment…if you will. At this point take time to process the fact that the I AM, YAHWEH, the Creator of All That Is, yearns… to spend more time with us.
Isaiah 30:18-
“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.” (NIV)
“So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion.” (NLT)
“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you:” (KJV)
Even more exciting, he doesn’t just want to spend time with us. Spending time with God is never purposeless, and it was never meant to be passive. He wants to use us. He wants us to sit under him so that he washes over us. The presence of God is a heavy living water, and his glory carries weight. He washes over an individual and imbibes glory into them, empowering them with the favor and excellence to be used for exploits.
Daniel 11:32-
32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.
A Culture of Complacency
The kingdom of God is not a matter of words, but of power (1 Cor 4:20). The church can talk all it wants about God delivering his people through the Red Sea (Exodus 14), and sending fire down on the mountain in the days of Elijah (2 Kings 1). If we remain satisfied with living vicariously through believers who have already achieved their purpose and died, all we will ever do is talk. Christians of today must crave even more than the glory, honor, and power of yesterday. We must run after the Spirit of God to be demonstrators of the signs and wonders of today. If we want the influence necessary to change culture, reform policy, restructure systems of government, innovate in lucrative industries- to be the fingerprint of God in history (Psalms 107:43), we must put down our cellphones.
Psalms 107:43 -Those who are wise will take all this to heart;
they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord. (NLT)
Who does God hold responsible for darkness?
Wherever darkness abounds, God asks, “Where are those who are supposed to be shining bright?”
Isaiah 58: 10, 12
“10 Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
12Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.”
Christians have a tremendous amount of influence and power, in this world and in dimensions that most cannot see. (Job 22:28) The world, having no knowledge of God being the Light, are not responsible for shining. When times are dark, Christians must first take the time to examine ourselves for sin, self-centeredness, and compromise.
What sin is God exposing now? Is it the sin of idolatry? Are we so addicted to being entertained that our fires have gone out, and we don’t care? It’s left for every individual to be examined by God, and then examine themselves.
Jeremiah 17:10- “I, the Lord, search and examine the mind, I test the heart, To give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds. (AMP)
Jeremiah 5:30-31
30 A horrible and shocking thing
has happened in this land—
31 the prophets give false prophecies,
and the priests rule with an iron hand.
Worse yet, my people like it that way!
But what will you do when the end comes?
2 Corinthians 13:5: Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.
The true power of a Christian that walks in the good works they were prepared for is the ability to rebuild and restore. This is the potential of every Christian, not just some elect class of Christians.
Out of all the leaders I saw in my dream it was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the paragon of “I have a dream”, who was the only one I was allowed to remember. He earned his legacy as the champion of a freedom movement. MLK was an ambassador of freedom unto change, to the point that it cost him his life. In reading 2 Corinthians 5, I could see why God would use him to express his heart towards his children. God’s vision of every Christian is of an ambassador of Heaven, with the heavenly influence required to sanctify culture and rule over nations in order to bring God glory. In fact, each Christian is a nation: cue ‘Baba’ Abraham. You can’t hear my Naija accent but trust me, it is there.
The church is looking forward to heaven for change, but first we must look in the mirror. Heaven wants to take dominion on earth through us, and we shouldn’t be satisfied with waiting until we get to heaven to see heaven. Christians are, like MLK, ambassadors of freedom unto change.
“Christians are… ambassadors of freedom unto change”.
The Passage
I’ve broken down 2 Corinthians 5 into parts.
1.Assurance of the glory to come (verses 1-5)
1“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.”
The first section assures us that when we die, we will have a glorified body and home to live in. Being a representative of heaven is hard work, and God will personally reward us for our labor.
2.An unction to please (verses 6-9)
9“For whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him”.
The second section reminds us who we are really serving, and that God will judge each person some day.
3.The heart of an ambassador (verses 10-15)
13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us.
Ambassadors minister out of a sincere heart, not a proud one. It’s love, for God and for people, that motivates ambassadors to live for Christ. Pointing people towards Jesus is a lifestyle, and it requires a humble heart position.
4.The mind of an Ambassador (verses 16-19)
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.
Knowing Christ transforms our minds. In knowing him, we think differently about others. Where there was once selfishness, love makes a person soft and giving. Its love that changes our minds and allows us to see ourselves in the broken world around us. This is where compassion does its work, making us willing to sacrifice. As we mature, we no longer see just the labor sacrifice, but the gift as well.
5.The responsibility of an Ambassador (verses 20-21)
20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
Ambassadors have a responsibility to preach the Good News. In Christ, we can share intimacy with God once again. Once we have this gift of intimacy, we should use limited the time we have here on Earth grow in it.
As we make changes
Sanctity (holiness of life and character) costs. Everything worth having requires sacrifice. It will cost more and more as we go deeper into the end times. There are no shortcuts. Don’t rush your time with God, and don’t try to rush through his process. Ask God, “What will I have to sacrifice to be your ambassador?“
Being an ambassador requires sacrifice. It requires not watching that tv show, losing sleep, missing some hangouts, and enduring seasons of isolation and separation. If you sign up to be a Christian, you sign up for long seasons of pruning and waiting. I am most definitely in one now. It is not easy, in fact it would typically be impossible, but in God all things are possible. Now, I must seek God for the specific changes needed in my life surrounding media so that I can be more intimate with him. I don’t want to waste any more time amid God’s processing. This season has been beyond tough, but it’s also been the most delightful time of my life.
In 2022, let’s not let anything get in the way of going higher in the things of God. I’m excited to see how God will raise up, in me and you, the next MLK. The next Abraham.
Jeremiah 15:16: “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies.”
Prayer:
“Dear Lord, we thank you for your grace, and the mercy of your conviction. Please draw us near to you, and allow us to delight in spending time with you. Help us to be balanced, to put down our devices when necessary, and to no longer let entertainment keep us from communing with you. We pray to be ambassadors of heaven, experiencing your glory, honor, and power every day. Give us the grace to be bold and shine bright in the world. We love you. In Jesus name, Amen.”
