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WHAT DOES IT MEAN To "SEEK THE LORD"? By Rev. Maxwell Makimi Wunangi

Seeking the Lord means seeking his presence. “Presence” is a common translation of the Hebrew word “face.” Literally, we are to seek his “face.” But this is the Hebraic way of having access to God. To be before his face is to be in his presence.

But aren't his children always in his presence? Yes and no. Yes in two senses: First, in the sense that God is omnipresent and therefore always near everything and everyone. He holds everything in being. His power is ever-present in sustaining and governing all things.

And second, yes, he is always present with his children in the sense of his covenant commitment to always stand by us and work for us and turn everything for our good. “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

But there is a sense in which God’s presence is not with us always. For this reason, the Bible repeatedly calls us to “seek the Lord... seek his presence continually.” God’s manifest, conscious, trusted presence is not our constant experience. There are seasons when we become neglectful of the Lord and give him no thought and do not put trust in him and we find him “unmanifested”—that is, unperceived as great and beautiful and valuable by the eyes of our hearts.

His face—the brightness of his personal character—is hidden behind the curtain of our carnal desires. This condition is always ready to overtake us. That is why we are told to “seek his presence continually.” God calls us to enjoy continual consciousness of his supreme greatness and beauty and worth.

This happens through “seeking.” Continual seeking. But what does that mean practically? Both the Old and New Testaments say it is a “setting of the mind and heart” on God. It is the conscious fixing or focusing of our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection on God.

    “Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God.” (1 Chronicles 22:19)

    “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

This setting of the mind is the opposite of mental coasting. It is a conscious choice to direct the heart toward God. This is what Paul prays for the church: “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:5). It is a conscious effort on our part. But that effort to seek God is a gift from God.

We do not make this mental and emotional effort to seek God because he is lost. That’s why we would seek a coin or a sheep. But God is not lost. Nevertheless, there is always something through which or around which we must go to meet him consciously. This going through or around is what seeking is. He is often hidden. Veiled. We must go through mediators and around obstacles.

The heavens are telling the glory of God. So we can seek him through that. He reveals himself in his word. So we can seek him through that. He shows himself to us in the evidences of grace in other people. So we can seek him through that. The seeking is the conscious effort to get through the natural means to God himself—to constantly set our minds toward God in all our experiences, to direct our minds and hearts toward him through the means of his revelation. This is what seeking God means.

And there are endless obstacles that we must get around in order to see him clearly, and so that we can be in the light of his presence. We must flee every spiritually dulling activity. We must run from it and get around it. It is blocking our way.

We know what makes us vitally sensitive to God’s appearances in the world and in the word. And we know what dulls us and blinds us and makes us not even want to seek him. These things we must move away from and go around if we would see God. That is what seeking God involves.

And as we direct our minds and hearts Godward in all our experiences, we cry out to him. This too is what seeking him means.

    “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)

    “If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy...” (Job 8:5)

Seeking involves calling and pleading. O Lord, open my eyes. O Lord, pull back the curtain of my own blindness. Lord, have mercy and reveal yourself. I long to see your face.

The great obstacle to seeking the Lord is pride. “In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him” (Psalms 10:4). Therefore, humility is essential to seeking the Lord.

The great promise to those who seek the Lord is that he will be found. “If you seek him, he will be found by you” (1 Chronicles 28:9). And when he is found, there is great reward. “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). God himself is our greatest reward. And when we have him, we have everything. Therefore, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”

Shalom 💚

PROVERBS 31: AN IMPOSSIBLE STANDARD? By Rev. Maxwell Makimi Wunangi

Many women, and men, too, avoid studying Proverbs 31:10-31 because they think it presents an unrealistic and unattainable standard for women. I can’t tell you how many articles I have read that describe this lady as ‘superwoman’ and, therefore, not applicable for the average female.

But would God really put a job description in His Word if it were unattainable? Surely our knowledge of Him says the description of the woman of noble character was placed in the Scriptures to encourage us, male and female. It’s for our edification; there is much we can learn from it about becoming wise women.

Proverbs is a textbook on wise living. The phrase “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” is found 14 times in Proverbs and notably, the book closes with a flesh-and-blood example of one whose whole life has been given to the pursuit of wisdom—the Proverbs 31 woman. She demonstrates in daily life that wisdom is not an esoteric idea dispensed to learners; it is living in wise ways, living in harmony with God’s creation and His laws. Wisdom is right living, good decisions, and honorable choices.

The poem opens with the idea that a wise woman—one who fears the Lord—is valuable, though quite rare. And she is worth the search! For when found, she will be of the highest personal character and fiscally responsible. She is described in verse 10 as being of “noble character” and “worth far more than rubies.” Verses 11-12 speak of her financial savvy. Her husband has “full confidence” in her and “lacks nothing of value.” Those are monetary words. And so are these: “she brings him good, not harm.” She not only guards the family assets; she also brings in a significant amount of income. She’s a moneymaker!

The first major section of the poem, verses 13-19, delineates how hard this woman works to provide for her family and to earn income. It’s arranged in a chiastic structure, with ideas leading up to the main idea and then backing away with parallel ideas. Kinda like the way my sister and I communicate. If you hear us talking, you may be confused—we give each other an idea, and then another and maybe one more before we finally get to the main point. Then we back out, repeating our ideas as we go. That is what the chiasm does.

So as we work our way in and out the chiasm, we see that the wise woman works hard to provide and to bring in income for her family. She works hard with wool and flax (verse 13), using the distaff and spindle (verse 19), tools that enabled her to make the sheep’s fleece into woolen thread and the flax plant into linen so they could then be woven into fabrics. Wool, of course, was the winter fabric, snuggly guarding its wearer against the chill. And linen was the comfortable, breathable cloth for warm summer time.

She plans and trades, using her resources well and bringing profit from her endeavors (verses 14 & 18). And she works vigorously at all she does—rising early—using the strength of her body to finish her tasks (verses 15 & 17).

All this is done to turn a profit so she can invest the money in a vineyard; this is the climax of the chiasm in verse 16. She buys a property she has been eyeing—one that would bring grapes, wine, and income to her family.

As this first section of this beautiful poem ends, we see a younger woman, intent on blessing her family with her skills by acquiring wealth for her husband and herself. It reminds me of our early marriage. My ‘vineyard’ was a public school where I taught to provide for our family of two while my husband pursued his seminary degree and two doctorates. The investment I made in his education has blessed us financially for many years since because he has had options for ways to support our growing family. Both of us look back with joy on the years that I supported our family.

In the next section we learn what the woman who fears the Lord does with the profit from all her hard work and planning. Yes, it has taken her a number of years to get here, but now she has wealth and wisdom and she uses it to bless others, in verses 20-27. She has accumulated much, not to be greedy, but so that she can give it to others. She has, not only wealth to give, but she also has wisdom to give. The point of this second section, which is also a chiasm, is that this the kind of woman who brings honor to her husband. He is known in town as “noble woman’s lucky husband.”

Again, we see the corresponding ideas as we work to and from the central point. The first idea is that she gives—of her wealth to the poor and of her wisdom to those who need it (verses 20 & 26-27). To the poor, she is benevolent, actively involving herself for the needy in her community. To her household, she gives wisdom laced with kindness. She wisely watches over her household, ruling it with kindness. These two endearing qualities are the hallmark of her mature years—she is benevolent and she is kind.

She faces the future with confidence in verses 21 and 26; she has provided for her family, as fully as she can, for predictable essentials (the children will grow and will need new clothes for school) and unforeseen events (while it snows only rarely in Jerusalem, her household is prepared for it). She does not fear the future. She goes into old age smiling with confidence in her God.

She continues to use her talents to enrich the family as she trades the quilts and linen garments that are manufactured in her household (verses 22 and 24).

And her greatest gift is to her husband, because the respect she has earned in their community brings honor to her husband when he meets with the leaders of the township. They are well aware of her contributions and her talent for making money. They recognize that she is a kind and benevolent woman who has blessed their entire community. He receives reflected honor from her achievements, though he has achievements of his own as a leader in the community.

The poem concludes with her rightful receiving of the love and respect from her family in verses 28-31. They have observed this woman in all the seasons of her life and they give her praise and bless her. This probably didn’t happen when her children were small. So, those of you with small children, don’t hold your breath! But as the children grew up, they realized what she had done for them and they expressed appreciation. Some of you reading this may need to make a phone call or write a letter to your mom to tell her how glad you are for the good job she did. It will encourage her to hear that from you.

The author concludes by noting that all of this didn’t just randomly happen; this was a life lived in fearing the Lord. The woman of noble character shows us what it looks like to live a life of wisdom, from the beginning of adulthood to the end. She is the embodiment of wisdom, right living.

And she is in the Scriptures as an example, and an encouragement to us 21st century women, that we might fear the Lord and live as wise women.

Shalom💚

Dating The Right Person... Written by Nana Kyereh

Marriage is like going to the market to buy garden egg . it may look very fresh and good but the inside may be the inhabitant for maggots..
( Date before marriage)
When you presume that everything is alright, you may end up eating maggots....
One thing is to date, another is to date the right person because dating the wrong person can be hurting and complicated...

*DATING WITH THE RIGHT PROCEDURE:*
∆ Friendship...
∆ Relationship..
∆ Dating = Courtship = Engagement.
∆ Marriage..
Each stage will make way for the next step, which will enhance your relationship. Do not overlook any stage...

*THE RIGHT MENTALITY BEFORE DATING:*
~ Date with purpose..
~ Date with love / true feelings..
~ Date with honest intention..
~ Date with vision..
* When there is no feelings, there is no need to date..
* Dating without true love is dead already..
* Without honest intention, dating becomes a child play..
* Dating without vision becomes a distraction.

*HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE DATING THE RIGHT PERSON?*
√ Feelings are always mutual..
√ The intimacy is not about SEX but what you felt for each other..
√ He/She is always afraid to lose you..
√ He/She will always listen to your advice, also he will respect your opinion..
√ Your past will never be use against you..
√ Even when you don't have same vision, there will be respect and regards for each others vision and admirations..
√ You can predict his/her actions..
√ He/she will never hide things from you..
√ There is no room for unnecessary silence and malice...
√ The right person will manage your weakness.
√ The right person does not expect too much from you..
√ Care, Attention, Appreciation, Love and compatibility remains their bedrock.

WHO IS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT? By Rev. Maxwell Makimi Wunangi

A great many saints today have pride of race, pride of face, and pride of grace - they are even proud they have been saved by grace! My friend, your salvation ought not to make you proud, it is not even something to brag about. It is something about which to glorify God, and it is something that should humble you. Aren't you ashamed of yourself that you have to be saved by grace because you are such a miserable sinner? I wish I had something to offer God for salvation, but I have nothing. Therefore, I must be saved by grace, and I cannot even boast of that.

Pride is that which is destroying the testimony of many Christians and has made them very ineffective for God. They go in for show, but the thing they are building is a big haystack. They are not building on the foundation of Christ with gold and silver and precious stones. Pride has a great many saints down for the count of ten; it has pinned the shoulders of many to the mat today.

What is pride? Pride of heart is the attitude of a life that declares its ability to live without God. We find in the Book of Obadiah that pride of heart had lifted up the nation of Edom just like Esau who had despised his birthright. Even in the home of Isaac, where there was plenty to eat, he liked that bowl of soup, and he liked it more than he liked his birthright. He didn't care for God at all. In despising that birthright, he despised God. And now Esau had become a great nation that had declared its ability to live without God.

"Thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?" (Obadiah 1:3). They dwelt "in the clefts of the rock." They were living in great buildings which were hewn out of solid rock inside this great canyon and up and down the sides of it. They were perfectly secure - at least they thought they were. The Edomites had signed a declaration of independence. They had a false sense of security and had severed all relationship with God. They had seceded from the government of God. They had revolted and rebelled against Him.

Now what is God going to do in a case like this? "Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord" (Obadiah 1:4). The eagle is used in Scripture as a symbol of deity. The Edomites were going to overthrow God as Satan had attempted to do, and they were going to become deity. They were going to handle the business that God was supposed to handle. "And though thou set thy nest among the stars" - this was the sin of Satan, for he sought to exalt his throne above the stars. God says, "Thence will I bring thee down."

How many people today are attempting to run their lives as if they were God? They feel that they don't need God, and they live without Him. The interesting thing is that when God made us He did not put a steering wheel on any of us. Why? Because He wants to guide our lives. He wants us to come to Him for salvation first, and then He wants to take charge of our lives. When you and I run our lives, we are in the place of God. We are in the driver's seat. We are the ones who are the captains of our own little ships or our own little planes, and we are going through the water or the air just to suit ourselves. That is pride, and anyone who reaches that position, if he continues in it, is committing a sin which is fatal because it means he will go into a lost eternity.

Shalom💚

IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST FEELINGS TO MAKE OUR MARRIAGES WORK !!! Written by Nana Kyereh

What makes our marriages work is not just what we feel for our partners but our commitment and maturity in our attitudes. Truth be told - We would have no marriage standing if it were feelings. We stay in marriages because we make a decision and a commitment to be with our partners.

Feelings come and go but our maturity and commitment remains. Stop lying to yourselves. We will always meet people better looking, well shaped and doing better than our partners but, we can't leave to be with them each time we meet them. Even sex can be better out there - We just learn to have the best sex with our partners.

We stay with our partners because we chose to make them the best there is and committed to being with them through thick and thin despite the pressure of getting "Better" out there. That is why I say "Cheating is greatly linked to immaturity".

Pressure to go for better is always there. Both from men and women but, that's where you see and separate a child from men and women from girls.

Fools will chase and try to have every good looking man/woman they see but committed and mature people stick to who they make a decision to stay with. What we lack in most marriages today is commitment.

WHAT A MAN NEEDS FROM A WOMAN!!! .................... By Bishop Shin

Men are simple beings in character yet complex in nature. They are easy to live with yet complex to understand. Most ladies complain all the time that men are unfaithful and ingrates. You can do everything for them yet they will still stab you in the back or leave you stranded in a relationship.
So then, what does a man need from a woman? How can a lady keep a man and both will be happy?

To understand the nature of a man, we have to go back to the creation of the first man, Adam. At this point, man was pure and possess the qualities God imbued in him.

  God created the man first before the woman. God put man in charge of the whole earth, to subdue it and rule it. God told man to copulate and increase in number. When there was trouble and God came down to ask about it, He asked Adam first.

Below are the most important needs of all men from a woman.

RESPECT HIM: Most ladies mistakenly assume the biggest need of a man is sex as such once they are giving sex, the man should be loyal. It's a wrong assumption. When God created the earth, He left it in the hands of Adam(man). Man was the leader/boss/owner of everything on the earth. As such it is the nature of every man to lead, to rule and to be in charge. It doesn't matter his size, stature, finances or educational level. He is still a man and that nature of ruling is still in him. Anything that makes a man feel less of himself will be greatly resisted. This is why men get desperate and frustrated easily when he lacks certain things like money. As a woman, never make your man feel less of a man. Even if you are the one doing everything for him, never make him feel inadequate. If you can't tolerate his present condition, let him go.  It's better than being with him and continuously making him feel less of a man. When he becomes self sufficient, he will leave. Make him feel special and loved as a man. He will always value you.

MAKE HIM FIRST: Adam, the man was created before the woman. When there was trouble in the garden, God came to ask Adam. One of man's nature is to come first in everything. As a woman, don't and never compare him to anyone. Don't value your friends and others more than your man. Don't place him on the same level with anyone. Not even your pastor should have preeminence over him. He is the head and should be treated as such. He is the first and the last in the family.

SATISFY HIM SEXUALLY: To the married, sex is a part of every man. For the purpose of procreation, a man, unless riddled with diseases and some accident, can produce till he dies. That is how men were created. Starving your man or using sex as a weapon against him is an unwise thing to do. Depriving him of sex is like depriving him of food. A hungry man is an angry man. A well fed man have no desire for food from outside. To a hungry man, even meat pie looks like a cake.

ADD VALUE TO HIS LIFE: After creation, God saw that everything was good but man was incomplete(he was alone). God created the woman to complete the man(a helpmeet). Men will always prefer a woman who adds value to them. That's their nature. Instead of being dependent on a man, give him a reason to get better. Motivate him. Encourage him. Give him plans and ideas. Help him build. Don't be a spectator in his life. Don't sit down and wait for him to go and bring you the good things. Don't be with him and yet he feels alone. Be there with him. A man will easily bond with a woman who makes him feel that he has a support and a helpmeet.

ATTRACT HIM: When Adam woke up from his sleep and saw Eve for the first time, he was mesmerized by what he saw. Eve instantly attracted him and Adam immediately fell in love. Men are easily moved by what they see. Men like attractive women. A woman should be able to capture a man with her physical outlook. Be neat and well dressed. Be attractive and presentable. The truth is, no matter how virtuous and awesome you are, if you are too shabby and not well kept, it will be difficult, if not impossible to attract a man. Always look good for your man. That's one way of keeping him.

Men are in different kinds and everyone have what pleases them but ALL men needs these 5 points listed above. Do them for your man and you will surely keep him forever.