Prophet John’s Encounter With the Lord

Matthew 3:13-15 (NLT)

Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.

This is Prophet John’s first encounter with Jesus, at the Jordan River. We see them having a conversation and we can learn so much about the relational attribute of the Lord as we study these verses.

1)   The purpose of their conversation was to get to a place of mutual agreement. John did not want to baptize Jesus because he deemed himself lower than Jesus. Yet Jesus said John should let it be so for now. So, we learn from here that when it comes to our relationship with the Lord, there is always room for a healthy conversation such that we can all come to a place of agreement. And this is really how the Lord relates with us. He does not impose on us; neither does he agree with everything we say. When He disagrees with us on any aspect, He has a way of carefully guiding us back to the truth. That is exactly what He did with the Prophet John. In this dispensation, our relationship is with the Spirit of God. In John 16:13a Jesus tells us that the Spirit of truth will guide us into all truth.  The key here is that He will “guide us” not “impose” on us.

2)   Mutual respect is also an aspect seen in their conversation. Although Lord, Jesus will not do that which has been assigned for us to do. We are told in verse 13 that Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. There is a sea in Galilee yet Jesus respectfully went to the Jordan River. There was nothing Jesus could not do for himself however, He still did not trespass when it came to authority and assignment. Amen.

3)   This leads us to the aspect of respect of boundaries. Jesus did not do what He ought not to do and He did not permit John to not do what He ought to do. Meaning, Jesus did not baptize Prophet John like he wanted and Jesus did not accept Prophet John’s refusal to baptize Him. Amen. Respect of boundaries. Everyone diligently completed their assignment.

4)   There was no abuse of power. Jesus the Lord has all power to do anything yet He did not take advantage of His power. Rather, he had respect for the process. He operated with example showing us that the kingdom is systemic. Amen.

This was Prophet John’s encounter. The relational attributes of the Lord that He encountered as seen in this portion of scripture were mutual agreement, mutual respect, respect of boundaries and zero abuse of power. Again, what are your experiences as you relate with the Father? Please share with us. Amen.

Apostle Paul’s Encounter With The Lord

When we began this series, one thing we did mention was that it is not very feasible to talk about all the relational attributes of the Father within a short period of time. However, as we attempt to stir you in the right direction when it comes to His relational attributes, there are so many aspects of Him that you will come to discover in your relationship with Him that will highlight an aspect of Him that you may not have known. Summarily, you will get to know Him not only through what you have been told but through your experiences with Him. Amen.

Previously, we talked about the importance of having a relationship with Jesus by making Him Lord of your life because when you do, you begin enjoying a deeper and intimate relationship with the Father. Discovering Him better through your relationship with His Son. Amen.

So, let’s continue this series by examining how He related to men and women in the Bible through His son. And also examine the aspects of His relational attribute that stood out in their relationship.

We will begin by looking at Saul who was later named Paul. His first encounter with Jesus is recorded in Acts 9:1-9. I will read for you Acts 9:3-5 (NKJV)

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.  Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

For anyone who knows the details of this story well, you will agree with me that it was indeed a life-transforming encounter for Saul. So transforming that even His name changed. So, the question is this, what are some of the relational attributes of the Lord seen in this encounter.

1)     We see the mercy of the Lord being demonstrated herein that the Lord had every reason to punish Saul for threatening and murdering the Christians. As a matter of fact, Saul was on a mission to threaten and murder more Christians when He had an encounter with the Lord. Yet, the Lord was merciful to Saul; it was in the power of the Lord to punish Saul for what he was about to do and the many bad things he had done but the Lord did not do so. Rather, He was merciful. Amen.

2)     We see the patience of the Lord also demonstrated as He answered every question asked by Saul. In verse 5 Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” In verse 6 Saul asked, “What do you want me to do?”

3)     We see that the Lord is a restorer. The Lord told Him to Arise and go into the city and he will be told what to do. As the story goes, Paul’s restoration began and today we are beneficiaries of the great work He did. Amen.

So, in the context of relationship, we see a few relational attributes of the Lord (merciful. Patient and restorer). Amen. This was Paul’s experience. What are your experiences as you relate with Him? Are there certain aspects of His character that have stood out to you as you relate with Him? Please feel free to share with us what those experiences are. We will be glad to know. Amen.

Apostle Peter’s Encounter with The Lord

The Apostle Peter authored the book of 1^st Peter and 2^nd Peter. He was amongst the first group of disciples who followed Jesus. When He first encountered Jesus, this is what the Bible has to tell us in John 1:41-42 (NIV).

Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).

From this point on, he was called Peter. Other translations will still refer to him as Simon Peter, however, Jesus said he will be called “Peter”. This is Peter’s encounter with the Lord gradually unfolding. Amen. In the context of appreciating the relational attribute of the Lord, we see that one attribute that stands out between Peter and the Lord is that of confidence. Peter grew to a place where he was so confident in the Lord. This confidence began manifesting itself right after his encounter with Jesus as “Messiah” (Christ). Peter began by effortlessly accepting a name change and secondly, he left behind everything he had worked to follow Jesus. Amen.

When we genuinely encounter Jesus as the Messiah (Christ), we experience transformation and a name change. Remember this was the case with Saul who was later called Paul after his encounter with the Lord. The significance of the name change is beyond a physical change but a spiritual change. It is noteworthy that the genuine encounter always precedes the name change and this name change which might not always be physical, have a tendency of changing our destiny. It has the potential of causing us to effortlessly leave behind the things we once held so dearly to for the sake of the kingdom.

Another situation that reveals the confidence Peter had in the Lord is recorded in Matthew 14:22-33 where Peter walked on water. Verse 28 is the verse of interest here. Peter said, “Lord if it is you, tell me to come on the water”. We see another situation where confidence was being emphasized. Peter was willing to walk on water for as long as it was the Lord. That is why when his focus shifted from the Lord to the wind, he began sinking. I believe that if Peter maintained His attention on the Lord, he should have continually walked on water until he met the Lord.

So, when it comes to the relational attribute of our Lord, one more thing we learn about Him is that He is reliable; He is trustworthy; He is someone you can put your confidence in.

Apostle John’s Encounter with the Lord

When you read the books of the bible written by the apostles of Jesus, you realize that John was the only one who referred to himself in his writings as “the one whom Jesus loved” or “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. Have you noticed that? It was not the case with Matthew, Mark and Luke.

So, there must have been something or an experience that the Apostle John had with the Lord which made their relationship so unique. Amen.  The Apostle John seemed to have had an in-depth understanding of the love of God. The Apostle John authored the book of John, 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd John and the book of Revelation. A common theme that runs through most of his books was the subject of love. The Lord’s love for him stood out so much that he could not help but refer to himself as the “the disciple whom Jesus loved” and also talk about the love of God as he taught the body of Christ. Amen.

I will read to you a portion of the scripture which talks about the last supper. This is John reporting the event and He says this in John 13:23 (NKJV)

Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

We see here that John understood the Lord’s love for him such that he did not only talk about it but he demonstrated his confidence in the Lord’s love by leaning on His bossom, knowing that he will not be rejected. Amen.

 This is just one example yet very powerful. Love was a relational attribute that stood out in the relationship between the Lord and John. I will ask you this question again “which relational attribute of the Lord are you practically experiencing?

A Better Way To Enjoy The Kingship of God

There is a deeper and more intimate way of enjoying the kingship of God and this is through His son Jesus Christ. A proper way to begin enjoying this relationship is by first of all accepting Jesus as Lord of your life. This is what we call salvation. The intention of God the Father is made very clear to us in John 3:16 that He loved the world so much that He gave His only son to die for our sins and anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Amen. I will say salvation is the starting point for anyone who desires to understand and enjoy the kingship of God the Father. The bible tells us in Romans 10:9 (NKJV) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. This is the only way to be saved. To bypass what this verse says and seek any other way is self-deception.

Here is another truth I want us to understand. Without salvation, you cannot see nor enter the kingdom and begin living the kingdom lifestyle. Secondly, after salvation, there is what Jesus referred to as the kingdom of God. When we talk about the kingdom, we are not referring to a physical location, but rather a way of living (a way of doing things). Jesus himself, speaking to Nicodemus (a Pharisee, ruler of the Jew) said this unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 NKJV).

Then, later in John 3:5 (NKJV), Jesus, speaking to Nicodemus said this “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”.

So, you see that it is systematic. You cannot escape one level and think you will make it at the next level. Salvation grants you permission to see the kingdom. The word and the Spirit then grant you entrance into the Kingdom.

I will say this, your initial entry into the kingdom is not a guarantee that you will always be in there. It takes the word to understand the kingdom such that you do as directed by the word.

You may ask yourself, how all these are related to our topic of interest (the relational attributes of the Father). It is very much related in that He is King as previously stated and a better way to enjoy the relational aspect of His kingship, is through His son Jesus.

There was no other way to get you to the place of understanding of how the process works without briefly mentioning the reason for His death, how to be saved, an idea of what the kingdom is all about and the difference between seeing the kingdom and entering the kingdom.

So, I will conclude by saying this, if you have not accepted Jesus as Lord of your life, I invite you to do so. If you need help on how to go about it, please do not hesitate to call us and we will be very glad to assist you in the process. Amen.

God Is "King"

Psalm 10:16a

The LORD is King for ever and ever;

Emphasis Mine

God is King and He is king over all creation and He remains King forever. This is a very significant aspect of our relationship with Him. It is important that even as we enjoy diversity in our relationship with Him, we should not lose sight of this aspect. He is King over us not from a domineering perspective, but from a love.

There are many aspects to His kingship, however, this is what I want us to see in the context of relationship. Relationship requires orderliness. There must be an authority that you bow to when in relationship in terms of your standards and values. By this, I mean that there is no place for indifference in relationship. We are either implementing kingdom values or worldly values. If we choose kingdom values, understand that God is the author of kingdom values.

Therefore, when you relate with Him, reverence these aspects of Him. Allow Him to teach you His ways, in the context of relationship. Do not undermine His kingship by choosing your way over His. If you do, there are consequences to that. Also, when you yield to the kingdom values, there are benefits.

Throughout scripture, we see men and women who upheld kingdom values in their relationship with the King.

Abraham and Moses are men in the bible who had high regard for the King and it was evidenced by the obedience to Him. As they enjoyed different aspects of His relational attributes, they did not lose sight of His authority as King.

The Apostle Paul is also a great example of one who lived an intimate relationship with the King, yet never regarded himself at any point, to be higher than Him.

We can learn from these individuals by doing likewise. It is a privilege to enjoy this relational attribute of God the Father. Amen.

       In addition to everything we have said about the king and the kingdom, I will us to understand that there is a deeper and more intimate way to enjoy the kingship and this will be through His son Jesus Christ. We will look at that subsequently.

God Is "Reward"

The subject of reward can be best understood in scriptures when we begin by looking at the life of Abram. The very first time the word reward is mentioned in scripture is in

Genesis 15:1(NKJV)

“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

Emphasis Mine

God says to Abram, I am…your exceedingly great reward. Meaning God is the reward. He did not say I will give you something as a reward. It suffices to say that the reward to Abram was not a “what” but rather a “who”. Amen

Other scriptures make this clear.

Isaiah 62:11 (NKJV)

Indeed the Lord has proclaimed, To the end of the world: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.’ ”

Emphasis Mine

Revelation 22:12 (NKJV)

 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

Emphasis Mine

Here is the point we are emphasizing. In your relationship with Him, understand that He is your reward. In Abram’s relationship with God, God established with Him that He (God) is his reward. However, we can see that Abram did not really understand the depth of that statement from God because right after the statement was made Abram said to God “What can you give me since I remain childless…? (Genesis 15:2 NKJV).

Even Jesus, when He first talked about reward in Matthew 5:12 (NKJV), He referred to the location of reward saying rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.

Abram’s approach is not an uncommon approach because even in our relationship with Him today, we relate with Him based on “what” we can get not for “who’ He is. Amen. So our goal today is to cause a shift in our thought pattern as concerns reward and relationship with the Father.

Please do not forget “His reward is with Him” Isaiah 62:11 (NKJV) and in Revelation 22:12 (NKJV) He says, “My reward is with Me”. So, please do not look for reward out of Him. Amen.

Back to

 Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Emphasis Mine

Your knowledge of His existence precedes His reward and that is so because, if you do not believe He exists, He cannot be your reward because He is the reward. Amen.