Joseph Sayibu's Blog

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Written by Dr. Loretta Borsah

Christmas is finally here! Season’s greetings. This year we have a Guest Writer, my dear friend Dr. Loretta, with an insightful message of Christmas. Be blessed as you read.

Have you ever wondered if Mary, the mother of Jesus was the only Virgin at the time of angel Gabriel’s visit; and why she so happened to be the vessel to carry the second Person of the Trinity (Jesus Christ) in Luke 1:26-30?

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

NIV

Mary was not only chosen because of her purity but more so her yield to God’s will. She gave up her will so that God, and His Christ, would have a vessel to work through. The will of man is the one thing that God doesn’t disregard. He created us with the right to choice and not as robots and so even after the angel appeared to Mary had she disagreed then that honour of being the mother of the King of kings would have eluded her. It was to be after surrendering her will, that she would fulfil that which was written concerning her.

And as we celebrate Christmas today, take a moment to surrender your will to God and submit to His purpose for your life. Don’t be deceived by the devil. Remember, to whom you submit, his “slave” you become.

Christmas is not just another religious festivity but an occasion for us as believers and children of God to ascertain whether we’re living out the divine scripts written concerning us by God in eternity past.

Out of love Christ was manifested; for a purpose, He lived and by purpose, He lived.

For a purpose He lived – My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me (John 4:34).

By purpose He lived – I do nothing on my own accord or will except the things the Father tells me to do (John 5:30).

So, the question remains; to whom is our will surrendered? Are we living daily as it is written concerning us? Do we live for a purpose, and by a purpose? Our lives are divine scripts written in eternity past. Therefore the only thing that stands between us living out what God has written concerning us is our will.

Christmas is always a time to celebrate when love came down, and took on the form of man to tell us how possible it is to live as human and yet function as God our Father on earth – showing us the possibility of living naturally while being supernatural.

Therefore in all the merry making, and joy that the season brings, one thing remains paramount for us in this dispensation, and it is this: that we become living epistles having God’s purpose for our lives at heart, seeking His face in prayer and yielding to the Holy Spirit to produce in us the very nature of God.

I wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Who betrayed Jesus with a kiss? The answer: Judas Iscariot – the guy with the infamous kiss of betrayal in Gethsemane Garden that identified Jesus to his enemies. His name has gone down history as the traitor. He is best remembered for his betrayal of Jesus.

No one wants to be called a traitor, and no one wants to be betrayed. As it’s true of many Christians today, we will be quick to condemn Judas for betraying the Lord. But upon a more sober reflection, we can see we’re not any righteous than him. Daily, we betray the Lord Jesus in our lives. I looked up the word betray  in the dictionary and found this simple definition by Merriam-Webster,  “to hurt (someone who trusts you, such as a friend or relative) by not giving help or by doing something morally wrong.” And if hurting a friend who trusts you be betrayal, then the question is, how many times have you betrayed Jesus? “You’re my friends,” says Jesus.

You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

 John 15:14-15 NIV

Jesus trusts you. Do you trust Him? He loves you. Do you love him? He gave his life a ransom for you. Do you live to please him daily? The Lord has made known to you his Father’s business. He went about his Father’s business. Do you go about the Father’s business he left for you to occupy till he comes? He has entrusted you with the truth of his Word. He has sanctified you through the truth of his Word. Do you boldly proclaim the truth of his Word to the lost that they too may be sanctified? He has revealed to you what is the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven; the deep thoughts of His Father. Do you stand in awe at the beauty of His Holiness, worshipping His majesty?

I don’t know what your answers to the above questions are, but if we can’t answer in the affirmative then we’re not any different from Judas – we all betray Jesus. Just like Judas, we hurt Jesus “by not giving help or by doing something morally wrong.” 

He gave us His commandments. We hurt and betray Him when we don’t obey them. We deny Him and do not love Him when we fail to keep His commands.

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. 

John 14:21 NIV

How many times have you betrayed the Lord? For how many pieces of silver have you traded your faith in the Lord Jesus? Are you another kind of Judas? For thirty pieces of silver, Judas betrayed his Master. For how many pieces of silver do you betray the Lord and Master of your life? Is your silver the lust of the eye, the riches of this present world, or the opposition of this world? None of these is worth our kiss of betrayal.

Let this Easter season be a time of repentance and reconciliation. Jesus is giving you every opportunity, and encouragement to turn back to him for reconciliation. He’s not mad at you. The Lord knows your weakness, yet He loves you. He chose you, you didn’t choose Him. Peter had a second chance, so can we.

Keep His commandments so you will love Him. Happy Easter!

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)

As we celebrate Christmas today, let’s not be carried away by the ‘noise’ that comes with it. For us, as believers, Christmas has always been and will continue to be, all about Christ. On this day our Lord and savior was born.

Let’s us remember that it was on this day that God’s love invaded the earth, bringing us good tidings of great joy, peace and good will. God’s ultimate gift to mankind came wrapped up in a manger. In a manger? Yes! In a manger. It was no coincidence. It was part of the divine protocol needed to be observed. It would later become a sign to the shepherds to find the new born king. (“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”)  Among the many new-borns in Bethlehem on that day, he was to be the only one in a manger. Hallelujah! An identity that leaves no doubts about which baby was the Messiah.

The baby was to be called Jesus (which means saviour), which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb (Matthew 1:21). Think about this for a moment; that the saviour of the world came wrapped up in an open manger, in an open farm house somewhere in an open neighbourhood. Isn’t it amazing that God had us all in mind when presenting His best gift (salvation) to the world? This royal birth didn’t take place in a castle, a royal hospital or a palace. It took place in an ordinary farm house so that even the least of persons could have access to the new born king and saviour. The ordinary shepherds had access to the saviour, likewise the great wise men. This was the plan of God that His gift of salvation be made available and accessible to ALL men regardless of their ‘state’.

In Luke chapter two, we see Simeon called baby Jesus the ‘Salvation of God.’

“Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    (Luke 2:28-32)

Simeon saw the salvation of the LORD. Have you seen Him yet? He’s Jesus; the reason for this season. He’s available and accessible to ALL who would seek Him. He’s God’s best gift to humanity.

And today, this very same gift of salvation that came in a manger is still OPEN for ALL to see and receive. Are you willing to look upon the salvation of God? If you’re willing, this gift of salvation can be yours too. Come to the open farm house and see the salvation of God.

Accept Jesus into your heart today, and partake in this wondrous love of God.

God’s best gift came in a manger.

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

The

Ephesian church was full of believers who neglected their first love for Christ. They were careless believers. Are we guilty of the same negligence? Even though we may keep on with our good works, if our love for Christ is not as great as it was at first, we are in danger. It is time to return to our first love. The hour of restoration is now! How do we return to our first love, you may be wondering? Christ answers that:

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works… Revelation 2:5 In this scripture, Christ outlines a roadmap to returning to our first love. He mentioned three things:

Remembrance: We must remember our honeymoon love with Christ and see how far we have fallen.

Repentance: Repent and turn from our sins. This is the turning point. It is not enough to just remember. We must repent!

Repetition: Repeat the first works. Do the first works you did. We cannot end our quest for restoration half way the roadmap! We have to complete it, and that is to repeat our first works of love for Christ.

The roadmap is therefore:

Remembrance + Repentance + Repetition (first works) = First Love Restoration.  

             

This is a formula for restoration and revival.

We need persistent perseverance to reach the finish mark. You may have fallen so far, God needs you back to the level of your first love. Turn from your sins and do what you did at first; love! The bridegroom is awaiting your return; make haste while there is still time. He says: “with deep love I will take you back I will show you my love forever.”

Isaiah 54:7-8 TEV

This letter to the church of Ephesus is the very same letter God is writing us today. He wants us to be faithful to the very end. The epistle of Jude encourages us that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called, to stay in the love of God.

“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 1:20-21).

Let us make haste and return to our very first love!

It’s a good thing to believe and to trust, but to KNOW it in your spirit is best. Believe and trust has it’s own place in God’s Kingdom. But to KNOW is FAITH.

Source: FAITH IS KNOWNING

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 KJV

On the subject of faith, Hmm! what can I say to help you understand? I thank God that I have no seminary training (seminary training is a good thing though; I would gladly pay for it, if I have the opportunity) so I don’t bring you some ‘high sounding’ theological words and their Greek or Latin meanings.

So, just as you, an ordinary Christian and a layman who loves the Lord, this is what I have to say about the subject of FAITH. I pray you’d be blessed.

If you’d ask me, I’d say that FAITH is a special kind of knowledge. That ‘I just know it’ kind of a thing. You just know it in your spirit, period! If God says He will do, you don’t believe He will do, you don’t trust He will do, you just KNOW He will do. You can’t explain it because it’s not a feeling; neither is it a belief. You simply just know you KNOW God can!

Faith isn’t “I believe God can or will do it.” Faith is “I Know God can do it”. Faith isn’t “I just feel it!” Faith is “I just know it!”

Faith isn’t “I’ve seen it before.” Faith is “I’ll see it!”

The Bible mentions countless men and women of faith. They just knew it; not believe it, not trust it. They KNEW it, and that made it faith. Hebrews chapter eleven has the Hall of Faith. Think of Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Rahab. Oh, how I love Noah! I see faithless multitude mocking him as he builds his famous ‘I Know Whom I Trust’ ark. He just knew it; he knew it will rain.

And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” Hebrews 11:32-34

It’s time to grow deeper and more intimate with your God. It’s time to stop believing, stop trusting and start KNOWING.

It’s a good thing to believe and to trust, but to know it in your spirit is best. You become unstoppable when you know. You’ll do exploits because you know. Daniel 11:32b says, “but the people who do KNOW their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” Why didn’t Daniel say people who believe or trust in their God? Believe and trust has it’s own place in God’s Kingdom. But to KNOW is FAITH. Like the disciples prayed, “increase our faith.” Let God increase your faith.

Don’t keep God waiting, it’s your time to do exploits! Only by knowing can you do exploits.

What Are You to Know?

The God You’ve Believed

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” 1 Timothy 1:12

The Word of God

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Isaiah 40:8

The Promise of God

“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20

LIFE APPLICATION

Have you been praying so long for something? Just KNOW that you’ve got it now.
Do you have a word from God? Just KNOW it’s true.
Has God promised you something? Just KNOW He’s done it.
Are you in need today of a job,  a healthy relationship, marriage, children, health etc? Just KNOW you have it now.

Always remember, that KNOWING our God is able to do just what He says He will do is FAITH.

If you blessed, please check out my new book Delilah, Excuse Me!

Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her… Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 8:7&11

Unlike Jesus, many of us are guilty of casting the first stone at a fallen brother or sister in the Church. We’re quick to condemn, to satisfy our self-righteousness. I pray every “Pharisee” in you be cast out in Jesus’ name! 

In the John 8:3-5 we read, “The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”

Was the woman caught in adultery? Yes!  Was the act sin? Yes! Did the Scribes and Pharisees quote the right law? Yes! So what was wrong with this new Rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth? Absolutely Nothing! 

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

The Law of Moses was pure and righteous, and Jesus would only fulfill it and not break it. Only through GRACE could the Law be fulfilled and not through stoning to death. 

The law shouted, “stone her to death!” Grace shouted, “neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more!” It’s only when we, like this adulterous woman, encounter the GRACE of God that we find the TRUTH that sets us free.

Let’s all like Jesus, choose the way of GRACE to share the love of God and restore sinners back to fellowship. Don’t be quick in condemning others. See them through the eyes of grace.

But for grace, I’ve got many sins for which I should be stoned to death by the “Pharisees” of this age. Today, grace says, GO and SIN NO MORE.

I’ve got no stone to throw, do you?

Joseph Sayibu’s Amazon Page

The enemy tells you, “you can’t make it; you’re not good enough.” Today, Jesus is telling you, “YES YOU CAN!”

Whose report would you believe?

“I have a Maker, He calls me His own..” I love that song. And my heart is lost in the present PEACE and COMFORT, when the line, “He Sees Each Tear That Falls” of this beautiful song is sang. Hallelujah! To know the God of Heaven sees EACH tear that ever runs down my cheek  is soothing to my soul.

The Songwriter wouldn’t miss the right wording. He writes, “Before even time begun, my life was in His Hands.” Your life is secured in His hands. What’s making you weep, my dear friend? Do not think the Lord hasn’t seen your tears. Don’t curse Him in your darkest times. For your weeping may endure for a night, but your joy would come in the day. Our God is a very present help in trouble; never last to our rescue.

My dearest friend in the Lord, today, with each tear that falls, remember the LORD SEES.

Marriage is not a cure to sexual promiscuity; it is wisdom and understanding. Stop it now, or you’ll make an unfaithful husband. Young man, don’t be deceived. Promiscuity is not a trademark of youthfulness neither is marriage a cure to promiscuity. The truth is that a promiscuous person lacks understanding, and not because he or she is a youth. If you don’t learn to discipline yourself when you are still single, you won’t when you are married!”

-Joseph Sayibu. excerpt in Delilah, Excuse Me!