Understanding our Righteouness in God

“ not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” Philippians 3: 9.

No amount of law-keeping, self improvement, discipline or religious effort can make us right with God. The righteousness that comes from God is by faith through Christ. If it was by law or works, none of us would be right with God for His standards are way beyond our reach.

Our righteousness comes by trusting Christ for God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” 2 Corinthians 5: 21. At our conversion, Christ righteousness is poured into us for God’s offer is to trade His righteousness for our sin.

By nature we tend to be attracted to that which is contrary to God. However when we accept Christ as our Lord and savior, God works in us “ both to will and to do for His good pleasure” Philippians 2: 13. God knowing our nature and weaknesses helps us to want to obey Him and also gives us the power to do His will.

God does not leave us alone in our struggles, but instead He comes alongside us and help us to “work out” our salvation, Philippians 2:12. When we make mistakes, we know that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, 1 John 1: 9.

Confession eases our consciences and lightens our cares which helps us to be at peace with God. Unconfessed sin gives the devil ammunition with which to continuously torment us. True confession involves a commitment not to continue sinning because one has a changed heart and not because they are caught.

In admitting our sins and in seeking forgiveness through repentance not only do we defeat the devil in his whiles against us but we also;

a) Agree with God that our sin is truly sin and that we are willing to turn from it

b) Ensure that we do not conceal the sin from God and also from ourselves

c) We recognize our tendency to sin and in the process choose to rely on God for sustenance
Our goal as Christians should be to know Christ and becoming more like Him. To do so we must lay aside anything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. This could be a relationship, a job or material things, only you know .

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/503081_understanding-our-righteousness-in-god#ixzz1PlGz5lXs

Remaining Steadfast and Focused while in the Wilderness

As one reads and studies scripture, it becomes more and more clearer that the old testament was a preparation of the things to be manifested in the new Testament. The children of Israel were a physical manifestation of the church which is the spiritual Israel.

The children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt for over four hundred and fifty years before God Sent Moses to physically deliver them from Egypt and lead them to the promised land (Exodus 3: 7-10).

Their deliverance was a physical manifestation of God’s eventual spiritual deliverance of His people from the bondage of sin through Christ. Paul writing to the Romans says “ now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, Romans 3: 21-26).

In fact Paul shows that the promise of God to Abraham, whom Israel claim as their father, that he would be heir of the world “was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect----. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” Romans 4: 13-17.

When God delivered the children of Israel from bondage, He first put them in the wilderness where He fed them with manna from heaven before He ushered them into the promised land. In the wilderness the children of Israel sometimes expressed their rebellion and would complain of their hardship and wish they were back in Egypt. God sent a plague of serpents to punish them for their rebellious attitudes and many were bitten by the serpents and died, Numbers 21: 6.

After the children of Israel repented against their rebellion to Moses, God asked Moses to “ make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live” Numbers 21:7-8. What God was teaching the children of Israel was obedience. God’s ways might sometimes not make sense to us and that is why we must die to self in order to understand God.

God expects complete obedience to His instructions if we are to be saved from our enemy. In this scenario the children of Israel needed faith in God to do what was required of them. It thus followed that those bitten by the serpents and doomed to die, could be healed by obeying God’s commandment to look up at the elevated bronze serpent and believe that God could heal them if they did (Numbers 21:9).

Teaching on the concept of salvation, Christ used the wilderness experience to connect the Israelites event with his purpose. He said that “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:14-15. God has provided all human beings the means to be healed of sins deadly bite just like he did to the children of Israel in the wilderness.

When we look up to Jesus Christ and accept him as our savior by faith, then sin has no power over us because God deposits the Holy Spirit in us who helps us in our weaknesses. Apostle John writes that “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in Him; and he cannot sin because he has been born of God” 1 John 3: 7-9.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/470339_remaining-steadfast-and-focused-while-in-the-wilderness#ixzz1JNSU2mTm

Wait Upon God and Do not fret

Jesus encouraged us to persist in calling on the Lord through prayers without quitting until the issue that troubles us is fulfilled, Luke 18: 1-7. Waiting on the Lord renews us as we rest and the Lord does the work for God “the creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary” Isaiah 40: 28.
Waiting upon the Lord requires faith. Faith that God is who He says He is and He is able to meet the need in question. Scripture says that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”, Hebrews 11:6

We also need to commit the thing that we are praying about to God and trust that God is able to bring it to fruitation. David in Psalms 37 implores on the believer to “commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to Pass” Psalm 37: 5.

Our waiting must be in God alone. Many times we say that we are waiting on the Lord but in reality we are trying to do things our way. Isaiah writes that “---those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” Isaiah 40: 3.

When we do this God will come through for us “ For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him” Isaiah 64:4.

Why God waits before acting:

1) Waiting on God makes us focus on Him than on our desires. God uses our waiting time to teach, refresh and to renew us. This is why the Psalmist calls on us to “delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” Psalms 37:4. To delight in the Lord entails us knowing Him better and appreciating His great love for us.

2) God uses the waiting time to stretch our faith. This is the time we will know the condition of our heart. God is never late the way we understand lateness, for a thousand years in God’s sights is like “yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night” Psalm 90: 4. Many people confess their faith in God until that faith is tested. Our faith is meant to grow as we understand God even more.

3) Our motives may also be wrong when we approach God for something. The waiting period helps us adjust our motives to fit with God’s will for the situation.God is more interested in our character development than in making us happy therefore “wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27: 14.

4) The circumstances of what we ask for may not be right. For example one maybe praying to get married when they are not ready. The words of the wise one say that “hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life” Proverbs 13: 12.

5) The waiting period reminds us of God’s sovereignty and the fact that without Him we are hopeless. Jesus said that He was the “Vine” and we are the “branches and “as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. --- for without me you can do nothing”, John 15: 4, 5.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/442164_wait-upon-god-and-do-not-fret#ixzz1JNMsahs9

Knowing God by Name, Part 3

God manifest Himself to us according to our needs and in the process demonstrates to us that He is the great “I AM”. It takes faith for us to accept God as He is and believe that He is the all sufficient God. This faith “comes by hearing, and hearing of the word of God” Romans 10:17.

Joshua was instructed by God to meditate on the word of God “day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it” Joshua 1: 7. God assured Joshua that if he was obedient to the word, success would follow him. In His word God reveals His attributes and character and in the process helps us understand Him. As we understand God we develop the confidence to approach Him in times of need by His name.

7) Jehovah-Jireh (The Lord will provide): Abraham discovered this name of God when he was tested beyond measure. Abraham had waited for years to have a son that had been promised to him as an heir by God. The son was eventually born when Abraham was one hundred years old (Genesis 21: 5) and was named Isaac.

God then tested Abraham’s faith by asking Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac to Him. This is a son that he had waited to have and now God was asking Him to sacrifice him. Just like fire refines ore to extract precious metals, God also refines His people by allowing difficult circumstances into their lives. Through these difficult situations we learn to trust God.

Abraham on his part did not question God when asked to sacrifice His son. He woke up in the morning and began one of the greatest acts of obedience by a human being recorded in History. He traveled for three days accompanied by two young men and his son to the place of worship. One can only imagine the struggle that Abraham may have had concerning this command. Perhaps God’s faithfulness before, including the birth of Isaac may have given Abraham the confidence to trust God even in this difficult command.

Isaac on seeing the fire, commented to his father, “look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” and Abraham replied, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering” Genesis 22: 7-8. This statement shows that Abraham was somehow trusting that God had a purpose through this, even though he did not understand everything.

He writer of the book of Hebrews says that “by faith Abraham, when tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, --- concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead” Hebrews 11:17,19. Faith entails trusting God even when we do not understand everything. It entails believing that God is the almighty and in Him there is every provision we need.

Just when Abraham was about to slay his son in obedience to God’s command, “the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham, ---Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son, from me” Genesis 22: 11-12. Abraham lifted his eyes and looked “and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. ---and offered it for a burnt offering instead of his son” Genesis 22: 13.

God again had come through for Abraham and proved his faithfulness. Abraham named the place where this happened “The lord will provide” because it was in this place that God had proved to Abraham that indeed He is the provider of all our needs. In this case God substituted the death of Abrahams son with that of a lamb which is very symbolic because He would later provide the “Lamb of God” who would substitute our death with his death.

Scripture says that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16. Unlike Isaac, Jesus knew and understood His calling and He willing went to the alter of sacrifice that we may through Him have eternal life. Yes, God provided the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.

Can you doubt Him in anything after that? If He did not “spare His own son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32. Do not withhold anything from Him when He asks, for He has good plans for you and His desire is that you may know Him. When you reach the end and you do not know how your needs will be met, you can trust that the Lord will provide, for that is His name.

Indeed Jesus warned us about worrying about our needs because “ your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” Mathew 6: 31-34.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/402836_the-power-of-knowing-god-by-name-part-3#ixzz1IDIq6H9f

The Power of Knowing God by Name, Part 2

As discussed in Part I of this article, it is important to know God by His name for He manifest to us in various ways which reveals His attributes and nature.


As scripture teaches, “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” John 1:1. To know the word is to know God, for “He is”. In the first part we discussed God as EloHim, El Elyon and as El Roi. In this article we continue discussing God’s name according to His attributes, character and nature.

4) El Shaddai (The All-Sufficient one): God revealed Himself to Abraham as El Shaddai at Abrahams 90th birthday during which He also changed his name from Abrams to Abrahams. God said to Abram, “I am Almighty God; walk before me and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between Me and you, and you will multiply exceedingly” Genesis 17:1-2. On hearing this Abram “fell on his face” , Genesis 17:3.

El as previously discussed in part one means power or might and is always attributed to God. The translation for Shaddai is not as clear in its meaning amongst scholars. One view leans towards a definition of God in His might and power as seen in His judgments. Another view sees it to mean “the pourer or shedder forth, that is of blessings, temporal and spiritual---”. Both views, in my opinion manifest God as Almighty.

On the one hand, God is experienced as mighty and powerful and able to and does exercise judgments. On the other hand God is experienced as a Father who pours forth to His creations; who has, “shed forth His Spirit” to His people . Abraham needed to experience God as El Shaddai, for at 90 years and Sarah 89 years, they had no children of their own despite God‘s promise to bless them with an heir.

God established a covenant with Abrams and called him Abraham, which means father of nations. God then promised to make Abraham and his descendants extremely fruitful as well as promising that nations and kings would come from him. God went further to allocate the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants “as an everlasting possession” Genesis 17: 5-8. All God expected of Abraham was for him and his descendants to keep his covenant with God, Genesis 17:9-14.

God wants us to know Him as El shaddai and to trust Him with our weaknesses and failures. He works through our weaknesses to reveal His power and establish Himself as the Almighty God. All He expects of us is obedience to His word as revealed in the scriptures and made clear by the Holy Spirit living in us. It is not possible in the natural for a man of 90years and a woman of 89 years to bear children, yet with El Shaddai nothing is impossible.

No matter what you may be going through or what you think is impossible either because of your physical limitation or financial burden, let El Shaddai be true to His name. If you need a place of refuge and cannot get it in the world, run to El Shaddai whose might will shield you against your adversity. If what you need is impossible in the eyes of men, run to El Shaddai for He pours out His being in our weaknesses and makes the impossible, possible.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/400163_the-power-of-knowing-god-by-name-part-2#ixzz1IDH34CIC

The Power of Knowing God by Name, Part 1

The writer of the book of Hebrews writes that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is” Hebrews 11: 6.

God manifest Himself to us according to our needs and in the process shows us that He is Lord over all our needs. This is why the writer of the book of Hebrews emphasises that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is” Hebrews 11: 6.

To believe that “He is” takes faith based on our understanding and experience of God. This is why God commanded Joshua to “meditate “ on the “Book of Law” “day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” Joshua 1:8. In other words to know God and "believe that He is" involves meditating on His word and being obedient to the word.

Scripture teaches that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God” John 1:1. It is therefore evident that to know the word is to know God, for “He is”. How then do you recognize God by name when He present Himself to You?

1) Elohim( the Creator) - The bible introduces God as the creator of the heavens and earth , Genesis 1:1. El means “mighty” or “strong” and is used in reference to God. The ending “him” is used in plural in Hebrew language acknowledging the trinity. Genesis 1: 2-3 reads, “ The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” while the writer of the book of Hebrew states that “by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God” Hebrews 11:3. This two scriptures introduce the Holy Spirit and the God head who spoke creation into being.


The deity of the third member of the trinity, Jesus Christ, is clear in scripture for , “ He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible , whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him”, Colossians 1: 15,16 . It is thus obvious that the whole trinity was involved in creation. The God head spoke, the Holy spirit moved, and through Jesus all things were created.

In creating the man God said “let us make man in our image, according to our likeness” Genesis 1: 26. The “let us” refers to the trinity , the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit. We are all a product of our creator and not accidents of nature as some may believe. David celebrated his life and said “ you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalms 139: 13-14.


Knowing God as Elohim helps you understand that God has a purpose for your life for He spoke into your being. God says this “ Everyone who is called by My name whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him” Isaiah 43: 7. It is God who “forms” and “makes” us for His glory. All we need to do is to trust Him as Elohim because He is all knowing.

When Moses tried to get out of his calling on the basis that he was not eloquent of Speech, God rebuked him saying, “ who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?” Exodus 4: 11. Everything and everyone has a purpose and when we recognize this then we can celebrate our creation by accepting who we are. We must never lose sight of the fact that we are created to glorify God. In us and through us, others will have the true concept of God

Read more at http://www.bukisa.com/articles/398399_the-power-of-knowing-god-by-name-part-1

What are you hearing and where is your faith?

What have you been hearing lately? How is this affecting you? What we hear has a way of affecting our thinking and the way we think we become. Daily the media bombards us with news which is repeated on and on and with time we start believing the message. There are many contradictory news that could leave one confused if one were to accept such news as gospel truth. This is why it is important to consider where you get your news from and who you are listening to.


Have you ever felt so confident about something and had such faith about it and then you heard a nay sayer and your faith was completely shattered? I have found every time I attest to something my faith is tested on what I have attested to. Recently something drastic has happened to test the faith of someone that I receive emails from frequently. This person is an inspiration to many in the Christian business sector and writes blogs and words of encouragement to others. Not long ago he decided to venture in the area of healing attesting that God is still in the business of healing. http://relijournal.com/christianity/what-are-you-hearing-and-where-is-your-faith/ for further reading

The Act of Forgiveness

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” Mathew 6:15-15.

Many times I hear people exhibit in anger wishes for death or some form of evil to someone who has hurt them or committed some heinous crime against them or their loved ones. We live in a world where everyone talks of their rights. People are quick to rush to court to enforce their rights and therefore the element of forgiveness in line with scripture requirements is laughable. We say that people should pay for what they did and when someone gets a sentence that we feel is less than we anticipated we cry wolf. It seems in this era of rights people are more vengeful and they want to draw the last blood. They vow to never to forgive the person for the acts committed against them. This kind of response I have heard with both Christians and non Christians alike.

For further reading go to http://relijournal.com/christianity/the-act-of-forgiveness/

Don't lose your Dream: You are on your way.

” The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all” Ecclesiastes 9: 11.

Have you found yourself in a place in life and wondered how you got there or what you are doing there? Sometimes life just does not seem to add up. Perhaps you were raised up in a nice family, had a good education and expected that everything would work out well for you according to the standards of the world. Today you look at your life and wonder what went wrong or why things are not what you anticipated. You wonder whether it is worthwhile to keep on striving when nothing seemingly seems to work. Well do not give up on yourself or life yet. The most important thing when examining your life is to first establish what your purpose is. You may just be surprised to find that things as they are actually make sense. This will help you persevere in the journey you are in.
For further reading go to http://relijournal.com/christianity/dont-lose-your-dream-you-are-on-your-way/

The peace of God

A lot of people in the world today are searching for peace. Many seek it in work, others in family others in alchohol and other destructive lifestyles. But what is peace? When we call on peace what do we really mean? Can we have peace in the midst of injustice? Can we have peace without resolving our conflicts? Can we have peace without rights?

The peace of God is not conditional to things being okay in our lives but is a state of being regardless of the circumstances. It ensures us a sound mind when we would be anxious and distressed under normal circumstances. Paul in his epistle to the Philippians says “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God , which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:6-7. Read more of this blog at http://relijournal.com/religion/the-peace-of-god/