“ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4.

My Lord and my God I come to you again this morning with a heart charged with excitement and expectation. I am blessed to be given the amazing privilege to know you as my heavenly Father through the abundant grace lavished into my life by Your Beloved, Jesus Christ. The peace and joy that fellowship with Your Holy Spirit pours into my life as I read and meditate on Your Word surpass the fleeting happiness of the attractions and riches of this life. I am incredibly grateful, and say ‘ Thank You my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’

I humbly approach Your throne of grace this morning in appreciation of Your promise for a bountiful harvest of souls this year, 2015. You proclaimed in the Scriptures that the just shall live by their faith. While we thank you for the great awakening to righteousness, and the souls won to the kingdom of God so far, we stretch out in faith for more. Your mercies are new every morning and Your compassion fails not. We open not only our mouth wide this morning, but also our heart to receive the true treasures of heaven as we gear up to pen this message for the body of Christ. Hallelujah!!!

 

It is with a mixture of humility and great joy that I share this praise report. Over the years the Lord has shown me how awfully difficult it is to change people’s heart. Man by nature has a self-willed tendency. Even little kids soon manifest this terrible inclination towards independent existence. Parents often exert tremendous amount of time and energy repeating the same instructions, aimed at correcting and directing their children to what is noble and profitable, so that they grow up as matured and responsible adults.

 

So for a grown up man or woman with a fixed mindset to surrender to God through Christ in repentance, is a huge and big deal. To magnify this victory in soul winning, this new convert happens to be one highly learned— a medical doctor. He is a surgeon in one of our hospitals. The Lord provided the opportunity to witness; we shared His Word that triggered something in this brother’s soul. He joined us to fellowship in our local church, and together with our pastor and two other brethren, we led him to salvation in Christ. This young, rich medical doctor has passed through the ‘eye of a needle’ into eternal life. Hallelujah!!! It was a beautiful and memorable moment as this great guy wept in true repentance. To God be the glory!!!

 

Transformation to a vessel of honor

 

“ And the light shines in the darkness……….” John 1:5.

 

Gleaning from the Genesis account of Creation, we know that God’s plan is for mankind to have dominion over other created things. It is the Will of God for mankind to cultivate the resources both within and without to richly influence the livelihood of all created things, including other humans. It is therefore common observation that every human wants to be relevant and esteemed by others. We strive to excel in knowledge, skill, beauty and power to have a sense of self-worth, importance, great influence and acclaim in the society. This is all good. However, quest for power, dominion or influence apart from God is vanity and leads to not only self-destructive tendencies but also abusive, controlling and oppressive relationships.

 

The world will sing your praise when you achieve stardom, especially without God at the center of it all. In fact, you will be earnestly sought after for various enviable positions of honor, such as endorsements for many products, public speaking and guest of honor to the rich and powerful. You will influence your world. However, the Lord sees everything perfectly clearer than man. He looks at the heart. Since all mankind have eaten from the ‘ Tree of good and evil’ and so partakers of such knowledge and wisdom, no man or woman can bear the right fruit that will please a Holy and Righteous God. To burst our bubble and humble every soul, the Lord declared His ways and selection criteria to true stardom and godly influence.

 

“ For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 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. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption——that, as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” 1 Corinth. 2:26-31.

 

Comprehending the light of Truth

 

We have so many good and great people in this world; incredible men and women who dedicate their lives to accomplish great feats for the betterment of the society. They are responsible, adorable and acclaimed ‘saints’ by all. Many of us fall into this category of the population. I tried my best and against many huddles and struggles of life became an accomplished medical doctor with a strong desire to serve my community and be a blessing to my family and others.

 

The Word of God will always be proven true. While I prided myself that I was all good, the Word of God revealed the contrary after my conversion to faith in Christ. In the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 17, verse 9 & 10, God declares, “ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind…”

It was in a vision of the night that the image depicted below by our friend, David, the artist, was shown to me. In my eyes and the opinion polls of the world, I had accomplished much in education, has a great career and lots of people looked up to me but from the impeccable probing Eyes of God did not measure up at all. My heart and my mind were terribly flawed and desperately sick!

 

This reminds me of a profound story in the Book of Luke, chapter 19, about a man called Zacchaeus. He was a Chief tax collector. This man was described as rich but had a short stature. No doubt, he must have worked very hard to attain such a prestigious position and enviable influence among his peers. As I meditated on the insights intended by this powerful account of history as recorded in the Bible, I finally decided to do further study on this important personality. I see a similarity between this guy and my life before my renewal in Christ.

 

It is obvious that despite the impressions, both good and bad, people might have had of him, Zacchaeus reflections about the Man Jesus revealed such a great gulf of contrasting persona that he despised himself and longed for an encounter with the Holy One. He may have worked hard and so deserved every inch of accolade that accompanies excellence but he knew how imperfect he was. No amount of good deeds, charity work could eliminate the guilt of dishonesty and the emptiness of souls without Christ being at the center of our lives.

 

“ Because you say, ‘ I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—“ Revelation 3:17.

 

The message of the gospel that I continually heard in the Church, and that penetrated my heart as I read the Bible awakened my consciousness to my own inadequacies and weaknesses. I felt terrible about my past life and believed God will never consider me to be good enough for His divine great purposes. In that dream I was lying on the floor wretched and miserable in contrast to the saints of God who appeared distinguished in appearance and exuded heavenly wisdom.

 

It was while I pondered deeply and rather dejectedly about this revelation of what God sees in me that suddenly a mighty figure loomed into the background. It was an astonishingly unique and impressive white Light that stood at the doorway. His Spirit called out to my spirit, beckoning to me. I was in utter disbelief. I was fully aware of my worthlessness and hence unworthiness to approach this powerful Light. Though I had confessed Christ as my Savior, I held onto an erroneous idea that my shameful past had stuck on me like glue for the rest of my life. What a welcome surprise! It was His gentle and reassuring persuasions that finally impelled my soul and spirit to proceed out of myself towards His amazingly pleasurable Light. What had happened was akin to the ghost of the dead leaving the worthless body onto eternity.

 

Against every limiting thoughts from his mind, against the limitations of his short stature, against the encumbrance of the power of his riches and public acclaim, Zacchaeus defied them all and moved forward to have a clear view of the Lord and Savior of our souls. In the same way, the mighty and outstretched Hands of God pulled me out of my darkness and misery into His marvelous Light. Hallelujah!!! My knowledge and wisdom have been perverted from the beginning. Every unregenerate soul draws life from the Tree of good and evil. In the Book of James, chapter 3, God’s Word describes such knowledge and wisdom this way, “ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”

 

Returning to the Living Stone

 

The Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit is variously described with many symbols in the Scriptures. He is the Eternal Word, the Bread of Life, the Light of the world and was represented as the Tree of Life in the Genesis account. Our heavenly Father has graciously invited everyone to the Great Supper of His Son. The only but necessary condition is a humble and repentant heart. The precious Blood of Jesus Christ is forever sufficient and omnipotent to cleanse and wash the ugliest of stain of sins of the world. God granted me repentance and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit but I continued to be torment by the lies, deceptions of the devil that was fostered by my years of satanic abuses. However, God will always perfect whatever He initiates. We have an Almighty God who will never fail to complete the works of redemption and restoration of mankind, if we cooperate with His plans and purposes.

 

“ I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  John 8:12.

 

“ A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” John 12:35-36.

 

In the Acceptable time, at just the opportune moment the grace of God was passing by. Zacchaeus heart could not contain the persistent knock any longer. He defied everything that had held him back for so long and surged forward to catch a glimpse of the wonderful Son of God. He climbed and attached himself to a sycamore tree to see clearly from above. He needed a vintage position to get a better perspective far from the clamor of the crowd below.

 

“ For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree…..” Romans 11:16-17.

“ I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5.

 

The Bible teaches me that the Lord looks at the heart. The good news and fragrance of the love of God perfectly demonstrated in the person of Jesus Christ was so powerful and captivating that nothing could hold Zacchaeus back. He decidedly broke free from every human consideration to attach and connect with the source of life, meaning, fulfillment and true riches. So also, the message of His unconditional acceptance, forgiveness and kindness softened my heart. Nothing else mattered. He is my life and everlasting peace. I couldn’t help but abandon all the perversions of my carnal old self to leap into His exceedingly joyful and enriching powerful light.

 

“ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:17-18.

 

“ Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:1-3.

 

It was the change of heart in repentance, and turning to this New and Sure path of the Lord that transformed the values, priorities and desires of Zacchaeus. Breaking free from the Tree of good and evil and wholeheartedly embracing the Tree of Life completely transformed my life. Just as Jesus halted his movement and did not neglect Zacchaeus, the Lord came for a wretched me. He specifically came for me. He saw my powerless and miserable existence despite all the yardstick of worldly success that crowned my substance. Out of his transformed heart Zacchaeus made a declaration reflecting his new perspective on acquisition and management of money. Hear him:

 

“ Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” Luke 19:8.

 

In the same way, the goodness of God to me has drawn me to Jesus Christ. His awesome manifest presence has had profound impact and influence in my heart forever. The unquenchable fire of His Spirit and sweetness of His fragrance has evoked inevitable praise and thanksgiving from my heart. All I have comes from Him and everything must be brought to the Counsel of His Will for His good pleasure. Just as He affirmed Zacchaeus, Jesus has proclaimed His affirmation to me that ‘whoever comes to Him will by no means be cast away.’

 

“ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:9-10.

 

The Chief tax collector was formerly driven by the worldly spirit and ambition of Nimrod; But now the Spirit of the Lord and zeal for the will of our heavenly Father have captured his heart. In the same way, my goodness and charity work with all I have acquired, many through dishonest means, is found wanting before the perfect justice system of heaven. In His presence I have been transfigured after our spiritual father of faith, Abraham. In the glorious splendor of His marvelous light, confusion has vanished and clarity of vision and purpose has been ushered into my life. Now I can truly be a Chief and divine Influencer of those who are living in the shadow of death. I am no longer the god of others but one freed from the power of darkness, and empowered to inspire and lead others to the Great Shepherd and Overseer of the children of God…Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!!!

 

In Pursuit of True Treasure

 

Almost everyone is aspiring for something greater and better. Ambition is not an evil attribute of mankind, so long as we recognize that there is One above all who watches every soul. In fact, the Bible teaches that God hates an idle and indolent spirit because it robs His children of all that He has in store for them. The Almighty encourages diligence and aspiration towards greatness. But first one must humble himself before His maker and gain right relationship towards others, especially the poor and weak, who God also created in His likeness and image.

 

“ He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.” Proverb 14:31.

 

As we come close to the end of this message, it should be abundantly clear to the reader that it is humanly impossible for the tree in the Part 1 story to bear the fruit God was looking for. You cannot find apple fruit from an orange tree. The fruit of God’s Spirit can only be found on and in His planted Tree, even in our Lord Jesus. It is our severance from the wild olive tree and humble connectedness to the glorious cultivated olive tree that inspires our ability to bear fruit to God. In exchange for the fleeting and fading riches of this world, you should behold and gain true and everlasting treasures in Christ Jesus.

 

“ Do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:19-23.

 

Far above the bias and prejudices of our human nature; in stark contrast to the estimations and expectations of our religious people, answering God’s call to repentance initiates a new beginning. Acceptance, Fulfillment, Wholeness and  Empowerment are found in the loving presence of the Risen Lord. He is the ultimate Game Changer and Equalizer of all souls. He has drawn me to a path that is sure, secured and steadfast unto everlasting life. The demonic strongholds of self-exaltation, power of money and even erroneous self-deprecatory thoughts after my salvation have been shattered forever. Hallelujah!!!

Armed with the truth, I am being trained and equipped for the mission of ‘ proclaiming the good news of His salvation from day to day.’

 

“ Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ……Behold, I lay in Zion a Chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 1 Peter 2:4-6.

 

Exhortation

 

I feel privileged and blessed to use this forum that the good Lord has provided to share my story and the treasures of God’s grace poured into my life. I wish to encourage you my brothers and sisters all over the world not to neglect so great a salvation granted freely to us through the precious Blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that the diligent hands will rule. However, ambition to greatness without spiritual knowledge and intimacy with Jesus is just like one who excitedly picked up a glamorous looking date from a nightclub, only to find out next morning, a wrinkled, bald and toothless person. What an embarrassment! Only a fool says there is no God.

Every prideful heart will be crushed at the judgment seat of Christ!!! Be wise then and repent and embrace His grace before it is too late!

 

Prayer

 

My heavenly Father, I thank you for the overflowing grace that proceeds from your throne. We have freely received from You, and by Your power have shared this divine truth with the rest of Your children and those who will come to Christ through our testimony. You asked us a profound question what it would profit a man ( or woman ) if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul; or what a man can give in exchange for his soul? Thank You so much because these questions continue to awaken me to the reality of the prime value attached to every soul. I, therefore, earnestly pray that every person who gleans from our sincere report of who You are will surrender to You. Heal hearts, open eyes, break chains and bring my brothers and sisters to enjoy with me the riches of true treasures in the life of Your Son, in Jesus mighty name.