Come and Ride with Me: Inspirational Spiritual Messages On Matters of Faith and Issues of our Time

By Chris Nwoke

Come and Ride with Me is a call for action. God is saying you can depend on me. In both the physical and invisible realm, well, before global navigational systems emerged, the word of God has been a guiding light. The Psalmist declared in Psalm 119:105, saying, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." The word of God enlightens presently the path for the living in this world and has been since the beginning of time. The precious word of God is true, living, ageless, and relevant today and will be in years to come as it was in the past. It is holy, righteous, blessed, and priceless. Considering its origin, it will not fail. God who is faithful and true has blessed it. The full impact of its power is in the application. From joyous to sad times, from easy to challenging times, the word of God shines a bright light into the hearts and souls of the hearers. Whosoever receives and applies it to their lives will forever know the difference.Consistent with the call to serve, I have traveled to various countries of the world proclaiming the gospel. In each place, I beheld the working power of God through changed lives. In the beginning, I shared weekly messages online on many topics. Each message is inspirational, speaking to the hearts and minds of people. Over the years, I had desired to compile those messages in a book for the benefit of more readers. So to that end, with much prayer, we have incorporated in this book those messages with some images and testimonies that reflect the great commission. I encourage youto read by faith to discover how God has done extraordinary things in the lives of ordinary people.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098037130

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Love of God

The Love of God

Reflecting on the Love of God is something we should do often, because, it will help us see our blessings. When we count our blessings, we will realize the need to stop and say thank you Lord. Do you know someone personally who loved you so much to die for you? If you don’t know anyone, you are not alone because it is hard to find that kind of love and commitment in our world. There are many who have heard of him, but do not know him personally to really understand what he has done for them. Jesus Christ is he that I speak about. He came to earth for a single purpose: to die for you and I. He died even while we were yet unaware and still sinners. The Bible tells us, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We also learn in the scriptures that for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Jesus Christ did not only die for our benefit, but he died on Calvary’s cross in our place.

We obtain salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. In salvation, people who deserve hell obtain heaven. This cannot be explained apart from the grace of God, which is His unmerited love, and His goodness toward the undeserving. It is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.

In this act of kindness, it is clear, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son, Jesus Christ to be the sacrifice for our sins. If you don’t know Jesus Christ in a personal way, you can. Yes, you can receive Christ by repenting and turning away from your sins and inviting Him to come into your heart today. If you know Christ in a personal way, glory to God, who has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. The Love of God is true and we love him because, he first loved us.

Personal Faith in Jesus Christ

Let’s take a moment to consider personal faith in Jesus Christ. The simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ requires a simple act of faith. The scripture refers to it as the faith of a mustard seed—faith in the unseen, the faith of a child. This faith is supported by a genuine love and trust in God. Jesus said suffer little children and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Again, Jesus said in Matthew 18:3-5, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

What is the real source of faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ? The word of God. The scripture (Romans 10:17) says so then faith cometh by hearing and hearing the word of God. Does everyone have faith? The answer is yes, but not necessarily in things that make eternal difference. For instance, skydivers have faith that when they jump off an airplane, their parachute would deploy when they need it. Race car drivers have faith that their brakes would not fail when they apply it. Imagine the kind of faith we place on various objects or things made with hands. We consistently exercise this type of faith on a daily basis.

Trust and confidence in God and His Son, Jesus Christ calls for faith of a different kind. Contrary to faith in things made with hand, faith in Jesus Christ matters in a special way and yields everlasting result. The scripture (John 3:18) says, He that believeth in him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Consider what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:5, that our faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

We have to have faith to believe that Jesus Christ died on Calvary’s cross for us more than two thousand years ago. We have to believe that if we turn from our sins, he is faithful to forgive us our sins. When we find ourselves a new person in Christ Jesus, we learn of his love and power. We become equipped with the testimony of what God can do. So as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth; and be rooted and grounded in love. Therefore, let not your faith in Jesus Christ stand in the wisdom of men, but in the wisdom and power of God.

Who is my Neighbor?

Jesus commanded that we love one another, even our neighbor as ourselves. But a certain lawyer asked him, who is my neighbor? This is an important question. In our world today, there are territorial boundaries, between nations, states, cities and counties or local governments. Within neighborhoods and subdivisions, there are property lines. Geographically, you can pick your neighbors and literally they are limited. However, spiritually, your neighbor is not only next door, but can be a stranger who lives several thousand miles away in different country or hemisphere altogether.

What would you do if you are given an opportunity to do good to a total stranger, someone you do not know? How would you respond? It would not be uncommon or surprising for one to pass an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. In those moments, the question that may come to mind is what is in it for me? If there is no clear path of gain or benefit in sight, in some circles, such a move may be deemed irresponsible. In major cities, statistics show that people are unlikely to intervene in the affairs of those in harm’s way. As passersby on the street, too often, people choose to walk away instead of helping a stranger. Occasionally, major news outlets show instances street cameras have captured images of robbery or assault victims surrounded by individuals, yet no one is motivated enough to intervene. In hindsight, could someone had made a difference by intervening? Shouting Stop may be all that was needed.

Risking bodily harm to make a difference in the lives of total strangers would be extraordinary. It shows character and the cloth out of which heroes are cut. It truly takes courage and self-denial to get involved in the affairs of others. It is disheartening to see that non-intervention is the prevailing norm rather than the exception. What happens if the victim is someone we know? Would the response be different? Let us hear what Jesus said about your neighbor. Not only did our Lord Jesus Christ command that we love one another, he taught us to love others, even our enemies. This is the challenge of a Christian, who is called to a higher standard than what is accustomed to us naturally. Jesus said in Matthew 5:43–45, you have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that despitefully use you, and persecute you. That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

On the basis of human standard, this challenge is a difficult one, if not virtually impossible, but by God’s standard and grace, those who believe are empowered to meet this challenge. Jesus said (John 15:10), if you keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. If you abide in his love and walk in his spirit, you will find yourself following in his footsteps. What is so remarkable about abiding in the love of God and his Son, Jesus Christ is that doing the will of God becomes a reality without a struggle. The truth will be evident in the life of anyone, who not only receives Jesus Christ as Savior, but also as Lord. By receiving him as Savior, we recognize that he died in our place and by receiving him as Lord, we recognize his lordship over us.

Therefore, we live our lives in obedience to his commandments and serve him with reverence and godly fear. If you don’t know Jesus in the pardoning of your sins, you can receive him today by repenting of your sins and inviting His Holy Spirit to come into your heart. By this simple act of faith, you will receive power from God to really love like Jesus and follow in His steps. We see the example Jesus showed us when he died on Calvary’s cross for our sins. He loved us, even while we were yet sinners and by nature enemies of God. So, who then is my neighbor?

As in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–36), Jesus told a story of a certain man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his clothing, and wounded him, and left him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, take care of him; and whatsoever extra expenses, when I come again, I will repay. Which now of these three, do you think was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?

Three people had the same opportunity to share their time, resources and love with a total stranger, who lay helpless and dying. While two of the three who saw him chose to not do anything about this man, the third had compassion. The Lord described the man, who had compassion as a good Samaritan. He was not too busy to stop and render aid. The Lord asked, of the three, which one was neighbor unto this man that fell among thieves? The response was he that showed mercy as the neighbor. Yes, the man that stopped to show love even to a stranger. Again, who then is my neighbor? Everyone. The family next door or the stranger on the street is my neighbor! The Lord has commanded that we love our neighbor as ourselves. There is joy untold in hearing and doing and not in hearing only.

God is Faithful

God is faithful from generation to generation. It is by the mercies of God, we see each new day, and His compassions fail not. Every morning, we behold the mercies of God, and great is His faithfulness. Personally, God has been faithful to me. Many years ago, I made a commitment to serve him, which has led to extraordinary life experiences. I surrendered my life to God and he has shown marvelous things to me. He has been the provider and supplier of my needs. I know that without him, my life would have taken a different path. Through mystifying challenges, I learned early that there is more to life than meets the eye. Later, I came to understand that the things we see are made and held up by the things we don’t see.

Moses reflected and prayed in Psalm 90:1–2: Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. He is God alone and there is none beside him. I have learned that if you live for God, he is mindful of you. I presented myself to God in the fall of 1997, during the month of November. The morning was very cold in Asheville, in the blue ridge mountains of North Carolina. In the midst of towering trees, I stood before God, surrounded by nature. The area was filled with majestic trees covered with beautiful and vibrant leaves of assorted colors as far as the eyes can see.

There I could feel the coolness of a gentle breeze that graced my face. God’s presence was evident in that place. As I stood in prayer with my attention toward heaven, he showed me that many are dying without knowing him. There, I saw the urgency of the gospel of Jesus Christ and I said here I am Lord use me for your purpose and glory. The commitment I made privately in the woods before God has been made known to many over the course of time. On that special day, that I presented myself to the Lord, I had asked a friend, Robert Minnick to go with me. He could not go with me because it was too cold for him. The desire to go was strong that I defied the cold to go alone.

Evidently, the Lord wanted me to be there alone and there he met me. Robert who shared a room with me at the Inn had come with me along with others as part of the group from Texas. The next day, the weather improved and was a bit warmer, I asked Robert to go to the chapel with me. This time, he agreed to do so. So someone gave us a ride to the chapel which was a few miles from the Inn. The ride to the chapel was smooth and quick. In the chapel, I sat down and reflected on all that had happened the day before. While I quietly sat there, Robert walked in the chapel sharing his thoughts and admiring the place. I remained quiet and said nothing in response. While sitting there, I felt a strong unction from the Lord, which seemed like someone touched me from behind that I literally looked back to see if someone was there, but I saw no one. I immediately asked Robert to go with me to the upper room to pray. He agreed without hesitation, but I did not tell him about the touch from the Lord.

We walked upstairs to pray. There we knelt down and prayed in silence. As we prayed, beautiful music began to play. The sound of which, we had not heard until that moment. It was heavenly music, which was sent to accompany our prayer. The music continued as we prayed and stopped as we concluded our prayer. It was amazing as it was an extraordinary experience. When I got up from my knees, immediately, I asked Minnick, if he heard the music. He said yes. We pondered what we had just experienced. There was no immediate explanation. At the same time, we looked through the window to see if someone was playing the piano/organ located downstairs in the chapel, but no one was there. Right away, we heard footsteps coming up to the upper room.

We were curious to see who was coming up. It turned out to be the manager over the chapel premises. He told us he was about to go to lunch, but wanted to make sure he does not lock anyone inside. As he talked, the music was still on my mind. We didn’t know if someone was playing music elsewhere in the building. To erase all doubt, I asked the manager if someone was playing the music. He said, What music? I then knew not to press it further, but understood, the music was from the Lord. We heard heavenly music in that place. It was there in Asheville, North Carolina, the Lord called me into his ministry. He has been faithful in ways words cannot say.

When time came for me to focus on the Lord’s ministry, we didn’t have a name. So I asked of the Lord the name of our ministry. He spoke Mantle of Hope into existence. Many lives have been transformed in many countries through the work of the ministry in

churches,

hospitals,

schools,

prisons, and

internet.

God is not only faithful in fulfilling His promises, He is faithful in supplying our needs. He declared in Malachi 3:6, I am the Lord, I change not. God is faithful and you can trust in Him. The scriptures tell us, the Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. What are your cares? Whatever your cares may be, turn it over to the Lord. Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). God is interested in your affairs. He knows you, even the hairs of your head are numbered. As God knows His creation, He knows our unique individual nature and our every need.

God is not bound by space or time. We learn in Psalm 90:4 that for a thousand years in the sight of the Lord are but