Chosen to join the dream Team

For the past Furaha Sports events, every session has started with those present chosen to join a side. Each side anticipating victory would thus pick out the best for their side. In the bigger picture of life taking sides is the norm, one cann't sit forever on the fence if there is one at all!

Our side
….I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.' (John 10:10)
Here Jesus is speaking of life in Him, eternal life as well as physical life. Jesus came to give us life, health, and new life in Him, He is on our side and infact choses us to be on His winning team.

Right through history God has spoken through His prophets; God has demonstrated His power. He has set the captives free, He has healed the sick, He has showed His love and compassion for us. Then Jesus came and fulfilled the Old Testament with His own life, even dying on the cross:

`For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.' (John 3:16)

The other side
'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; …. (John 10:10)
The thief, the devil, comes to steal, kill and destroy through sickness of the body or mind or through temptation, problems, hurts and many other things. Don't be lured to join his side! He definately has no good planned for you and me.

The winning side
Over the ages the life of Jesus changed history as millions realized their need for God, turning from the new Greek philosophy that man is God to their new found faith and truth in Jesus. As the news of Jesus spread throughout the known world of Greece and Rome, it forced the ideal of that day under-ground, only for it to fight back and rear its ugly head again until our modern times as humanism. But read on .... football or any other game is not over till it is over!

The remarkable thing is that as Christians, God has chosen us to share his in glory because we are his children! Jesus said, "I have given them the glory that you gave me" (John 17:22 NlV), and he prayed that his people might one day see his glory in heaven John 17:24). God has called us to eternal glory (1 Peter 5:10), and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is the assurance hat we shall arrive in his glorious presence to share his glory forever (Eph. 1:13—14). In fact, according to Paul, we have already been glorified (Rom. 8:30), but the glory hasn't yet been fully revealed (Rom_. 8:18—19).

The game now..
Somebody has defined "glorifying God" as "making God look good before a godless world." The life and ministry of Jesus Christ are the best examples of this, for he manifested the glory of God in all he did and said. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory" (John 1:14 NKJV). As he faced the cross, he was able to say with confidence to the Father, "I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the mark which you have given me to do" (John 17:4 NKJV). No ser­vant of God could want to file a better work report!

God is glorified by turning weakness into power when we trust him, as when David defeated the giant Goliath (1 Sam. 17n Had David been a mature, experienced warrior, wearing strong armor and wielding fearsome weapons, the victory couldn't have brought nearly as much glory to the Lord as, then a teenager felled a giant with a stone hurled from a sling.

In our day and generation, we seek the evidence of the power and anointing which begins to follow our ministry in obedience to the call of God. We look forward to a very practical experience with the Lord which relates to everyday experi­ence. God uses the ordinary people like you and me to demonstrate His power and glory. The Bible says that not many high or mighty are called, but 'God has chosen the weak to confound the mighty.' Jesus said: 'He who believes in me ... "Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water."' Talk is not enough – we need this demonstra­tion of the power of Jesus in the world today!

Through His life in us He is able to change us into His likeness. Through His anointing, as we spend time in His presence, we come closer to God and closeness to God enables Him to work in and through our lives to others. Therefore His purpose in the world can become our purpose as well; 'but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' (John 4:14)

We become in Him a spring of water welling up to eternal life enabling us to share His word with others, or pray for others, even with signs and healings and miracles as Jesus also did on this earth. Simply drinking daily in His presence from His living waters, His Holy Spirit can enable us to walk on this earth in a new dimension in His life, and His life will radiate through our lives wherever we go.

The final score
'In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and darkness has not overcome it.' (John 1:4—5)

True strength is not power or might, but to know what is right and to stand for the truth, no matter how high the cost as we love and serve our Lord against any opposition that may try and come our way. This opposition tries to prevent us, returning to the original plan that God created all people for, to have fellowship with Him and to live a full life with Him for all eternity.

The coming of Jesus is drawing near. In his book of life is written the name of every redeemed man and woman, boy and girl. When he searches for your name; I pray He will not say, "It's not here," and there and then find out you had waited too long and thus sealed your fate. This is because the people whose names had been written with love He will gather to take to His Father above. There's only one life and when it comes to this last call let’s not find out then that the Bible was true after all but rather lets get our selves ready today to respond to God’s call right now and be selected to join the winning side – God’s side!