Thoughtful

It Pays to THINK BIG

2009-07-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

While thinking big is subject to interpretation, it is crucial to employ the faculties of the mind, soul and body that helps in doing just that.

Many times I have heard people use a similar phrase in describing a haughty person saying "He thinks big of himself".
"So for those who are ignorantly modest, they associate lack of achievement with humility, lack of significance with modesty and lack of relevance with superiority."
I have been educated on the need to think big, and it is more than closing your eyes, and thinking (for some, sleeping).
When you learn how to think big, everything you get involved with almost automatically gets a “big” approach.
In fact, when you step into a role temporarily, your outlook in the role exudes your big thinking.

In a Daily Telegraph advert with the same heading “It pays to think big”, Jimmy Hendrix, Barack Obama and Richard Branson all featured. The images are showing exclusively days of small beginnings for achievers in their generation.

In his book, "Think Big", Ben Carson expounds the siginificance of thinking big as the foundation of a successful life.
Ben was the younger of two brothers whose lives, as young boys were heading in the wrong direction. Their mother (with very little education) turned their lives around by limiting the hours they spend watching TV, encouraging them to read - 2 library books a week and writing reports about the books. It didn't take long before the fruits were evident to all.
Labelled as dumb before, within a year, Ben was on top of his class. He went on to become a world re-known neurosurgeon, and in 1987 made medical histroy with an operation to successfully separate a pair of siames twins.

So I leave you with the "THINKG BIG" concept as laid out by Benn Carson.

Talent: Our Creator has endowed all of us not just with the ability to sing, dance or throw a ball, but with intellectual talent. Start getting in touch with that part of you that is intellectual and develop that, and think of careers that will allow you to use that.
Honesty: If you lead a clean and honest life, you don't put skeletons in the closet. If you put skeletons in the closet, they definitely will come back just when you don't want to see them and ruin your life.
Insight: It comes from people who have already gone where you're trying to go. Learn from their triumphs and their mistakes.
Nice: If you're nice to people, then once they get over the suspicion of why you're being nice, they will be nice to you.
Knowledge: It makes you into a more valuable person. The more knowledge you have, the more people need you. It's an interesting phenomenon, but when people need you, they pay you, so you'll be okay in life.
Books: They are the mechanism for obtaining knowledge, as opposed to television.
In-Depth Learning: Learn for the sake of knowledge and understanding, rather than for the sake of impressing people or taking a test.
God: Never get too big for Him.

Divine Destiny – “Too Ordinary”

2009-05-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

Divine Destiny – “Too Ordinary”

In the past posts of this series, I have tried to assure you that you are talented, encouraged you not to be afraid, and enlightened you or the dangers of being busy doing the wrong thing.

However, in this post “Too Ordinary”, excuse me if I say, this time around, you are right, and I am confirming how simple, common, general and undistinguished you probably are.

Look around you; are you surprised to see that you look like every other person?
One head, 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 mouth, in school, at work, jobless, criticizing the money guzzling MPs in UK, concerned about the state of the economy, fearful of what the future holds and hustling through the remains of large scale redundancies.

Irrespective of your geographical location, you are one of billions of people that are driven by the domineering controls of pain, fear and greed.

I know you have heard of the uniqueness of your DNA, and although that in itself is meant to give you succour and assurance that you are somehow unique, but you quickly dismiss the idea because DNA seems to be more of a criminal discovery technique than an identity recovery technique.
The news is full of revelations on how crimes committed in the 19th and 20th centuries are being solved with the help of DNA.
In fact, to find positive uses of DNA in mainstream TV, Jeremy Kyle Show and Trisha Goddard Show seems to be the first points of call. You will hear about scandalous practises where paternity is constantly an issue.

In all, you have followed the crowd for so long, that you are lost in the crowd.
“I am just an ordinary guy” you say (or girl). The truth is, the people around you know as well.

I wish I can say that you are not ordinary, but you tell me, what becomes of you after you die?
If you are poisoned, will you not lose your life?
If you fall ill now, is there any hope for you, save the decision to remove ‘life support’.
Are you worth any more than the pipes, and inhaler stuck to your face? Tell me, are you?

Your usefulness is as far as your breadth can carry you. When you die, you become useless.

Isaiah 38:18 -19 (NIV)
For the dead cannot praise you; they cannot raise their voices in praise.
Those who go down to the grave can no longer hope in your faithfulness.Only the living can praise you as I do today. Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.

The bible even describes how ordinary life, your life can be:

1Peter 1:24 & Isaiah 40:6-8
For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall...”

I may not be able to capture the thoughts going through your mind now; however, I can add this one to it.

How about me? I mean myself, the writer of this post. Do you think I am ordinary too? Would you like to ask me? If you have just asked me that question, then my answer is:

NO!!!!! --------------- I am not ordinary, in fact, I am extraordinary.

If I am poisoned, I will not die. {Mark 16:18}
I should not fall ill. {Exodus 23:25 - 27}
If I eventually die, I am part of an elite group of people who are transformed to reign with God. {2 Timothy 2:12}
I live a different life. {Galatians 2:20}

Are you tired of being “Too ordinary”?
Fed up with the status quo and not content with letting every other thing take control your life?

Then allow me to introduce you to Jesus.
Knowing Jesus will bring peace into your life and a sense of belonging.
In time past, I was lost, hopeless and ordinary, but all that has changed:

1 Peter 2:9 (AMP)
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light. [emphasis mine]

1 Peter 2:10 (NLT)
Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy

Living an extraordinary life is living above limitations, and I invite you to join me and many others who are already enjoying this life.

If you are reading this and you are already living that life, then pass this on to as many people as you can who need a change of Destiny.

If you are reading this and you have an idea of what I am talking about, but you have not surrendered your life to God. You are still trying to do things your way, find your own answers, and by your acts continue denying the existence of a great God.
It is time to stop, and acknowledge that it is only a matter of time before you steam runs out.

I grew up with my parents telling me how unique, special and one of a kind I am. They showed me in the bible that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. They believed I am unique and I believed it too. Generations before them also believed in that uniqueness, but alas, it took science this long to verify that we truly are unique.

Are you still basing your existence on scientific proof?
You may not live long enough for science to find out, but there is a short cut. All you need to know about yourself is in God’s word (The bible).

You don’t have to stay on the level of the ordinary; you can be transported to the horizon of the extra-ordinary. You are not just unique, you are special.

I would encourage you to let it all go [the hardship, the toil, the pains, the hurt, the fear and the ridicule] and let God fix your brokenness.

Say this prayer with sincerity, accept Jesus into your life and enter into divine rest.

“Jesus, I thank you for your love shown towards me in dying for me, resurrecting to give me hope and making me a candidate of a new life promised to all who believe. I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that I accept you as my lord and saviour. Come into my life and refresh my existence. Amen”

If you have said that prayer, CONGRATULATIONS, you are BORN AGAIN. Your Spirit man is now awakened and this begins the process of the regeneration of your mindset so that the devil will no longer cheat you again.

Get in touch with a local bible believing church to share your experience and get support as you start to fulfil your God given “Divine Destiny”.

You can also message me on facebook, call me or text me on 07874156104 if you need any help as you grow in God.
God Bless you.

tobyMac Lose My Soul

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com

Divine Destiny - Too Busy

2009-05-26T03:25:00.000-07:00

"Divine Destiny - Too Busy"

In this fast paced world that we live in right now, being busy has almost become the norm for everyone. From school days to university days to office days to every other day, everyone seems to wish that the day is longer than 24 hours.

To be busy is to be actively or fully engaged or occupied. So when you are too busy, then you are ‘too’ all of the above.

We probably know some people who claim “they are too busy to eat” [I say and do that sometimes], but we also know that, lack of food is detrimental to the sustained functioning of the human body. Hence, being too busy to eat is not a good idea [fact].
In fact, if you are busy doing anything, a balanced diet should be one of them.

We have to be busy though; we have to be doing something.
Apart from the insanity that boredom and stagnancy can bring, you should be aware that the devil finds work for idle hands.
A step into making sure the devil is not using you is to be doing something [hoping that thing is not the devil’s work]

Jesus also said in Luke 19:13 “....occupy till I come” [more on that later]

The pressing question is what are you busy doing?
Are you too busy doing your 9 – 5 or 6 - 6 job that you ignore the things that really matter in life?
Are you too busy doing coursework and writing exams when you should be playing free kicks on the football pitch and restructuring your education around your football career?

Are you too busy on the phone, too busy sleeping, too busy playing, too busy talking, too busy partying or even too busy thinking, in expense of fulfilling your destiny?

Are you too busy doing the wrong things?

Scientifically, work is done when a force moves a body a certain distance.
If you carry a load weighing 10kg (100N) on your head, and you stand stationary, the amount of work done by you is zero.

Work done = force x distance moved (100N x 0 = 0)

To be a little bit lenient, let’s say your scalp compresses by 0.5mm (0.5 x 10-3m) under the influence of the load, then:

Work done = force x distance moved (100N x (0.5 x 10-3m) = 0.05J

If you now squat a distance of 1m and back up again with the load on your head, then your work done is approximately 200J.

Question!!!!!
Is there a reason for carrying that load on your head?
Do you know the purpose, because recognisable work is done when the force moves a certain distance and accomplishes a purpose or better put achieves the right result.

Are you covering the distance that leads to fulfilling your Divine Destiny?

Martha and Mary are busy individuals who engage in a lot of things.
In Luke 10, the bible tells the story of Jesus and these two sisters.
Martha was too busy making ready and putting all things together to be a good hostess that she couldn’t sit down with Jesus.
Almost in the same way, Mary was too busy sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening, that she couldn’t help Martha out with the preparations.

Martha voiced out her concern saying “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Jesus will not be fooled by this singular concern of ‘lack of help’ so He responded
“"Martha, Martha ...you are worried and upset about many things..."

Many things!!!!! I thought it was just one thing, but Jesus knew better and finally He said
"But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

What are you busy doing?

Proverbs 22:29 (AMP)
Do you see a man diligent and skilful in HIS BUSINESS? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

It is not about being diligent and skilful alone, it is also about “your business”. Are you doing your business or you are busy with someone else’s.

Luke 19:13 says “..... Do business till I come”. Another translation says “...occupy till I come” and when the master came, he asked of the servants according to each person’s business.

Have you ever wondered that the servant that didn’t do any business [who hid the mina] probably helped one of the successful ones, either by giving ideas, being a critic or just giving encouragement – not minding his own business!!!

We have to be occupied, not just because it is good, or it keeps the devil away, but because Jesus said we should.

In my last two posts:
‘Too untalented’ assures you that God has given you the required capabilities to fulfil your Divine Destiny.

‘Too afraid’ elaborates on the gigantic nature of God’s plan for your life and the importance of knowing that fear (cowardice or timidity) is not in your nature/being [2 Timothy 1:7]

In this post, the admonition is to keep busy “Doing the right thing”.

What is the right thing you may ask, what has God planned for me to do on this earth?

I am currently on that journey with a “Purpose Driven Life” course which will finish in 5 weeks. If you want me to share my experience, please let me know.

In conclusion, God is happy when you do His will, so why not say this prayer to Him:

“God, if you are there and you really care, please show me my purpose on earth, because I want to be busy doing the right thing.”

Divine Destiny - Too Afraid

2009-05-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Following on from my last post “Too Untalented”, I am hoping that you have been encouraged and motivated to begin the process of finding out and using your talent to glorify God.

Remember this series is about day to day hindrances to walking in Divine Destiny.

“Divine Destiny – Too Afraid”

http://www.robertamsterdam.com/prodi_scream.jpg

I am very tempted to start by saying “fear is the opposite of faith”... Ooops, did I just say it???...

Ok, let’s take it from here. Fear, acted out, is an emotional response of some sort to danger or possibly threat.

The concept of fear is broad and cuts across all disciplines as it is widely regarded as one of the innate emotions that we possess as humans.

However, for this series, I am concentrating on the fear that is responsible for you not achieving your Divine destiny.

This fear often expresses itself in anxiety [fear of something that is yet to happen, or anticipation of a future occurrence].

To be more direct, a very familiar phrase is “What if I fail”?
Some fearful positive thinkers say “What if I don’t succeed”? Claiming they don’t use the negative word “fail” – a ‘half full glass’ mantra.

Many successful men and women in the world today will tell you that “trying is the first step towards fulfilment”
If you do not try, then you do not have any probability to succeed. So we say the probability to succeed with a fear of trying is zero or better put, I say:

“To stop trying is to have failed.... because you can never succeed without trying... It’s like football... you cannot win a game by not scoring... you may not loose... but you will not win."

– Emmanuel Onitiju

Notice I did not say ‘to not try is to have failed’, rather ‘to stop trying...’
I know you have tried, are trying, and still trying, and until you breakthrough, then don’t give up.
During a Sunday sermon, my Pastor shared the story of Abraham Lincoln (learn from failure), and, what courage the 16th President of USA has to continue trying again and again without giving up.

A search through the word of God – ‘the Bible’, gives examples of people who were ‘too afraid’ when it came to fulfilling their Divine Destinies.
Sometimes this feeling of fear comes from our feeling of inadequacy, but have you seriously thought about it?
You will always feel inadequate because, God almighty, the creator of the universe wants to do something and he has chosen you.

It is high time you stopped feeling and start participating, stopped thinking and starting acting, stop fearing and start believing. – Emmanuel Onitiju

What excuses have you been giving, that is feeding your “too afraid” state of mind?
Moses said he is slow of speech
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was very old
Jacob was a trickster
Rahab was a harlot
Zaccheaus was too small and you may be too big
This is what the bible says:

2 Timothy 1:7
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

The Greek word translated timidity or fear is “Deilia” meaning cowardice and that is the only time the word occurred in the New Testament.
The person that you really are [a Spirit being] does not have cowardice in the makeup.
Do you know why these are given Spirits? Because God knows that in yourself [flesh] you are limited in what you can do, so you are expected to maintain a connection with the Spirit so that Love, Power and Sound Mind can become alive in your life.

I am now confident enough to say “fear [in context] is the opposite of faith”
Divine Destiny is the blueprint of God for your life.
God’s plan for your life is gigantic; so much so that it is only Him, working through you, can make it happen.
I am tempted therefore to say that because the plan is so big, it is natural for you to be afraid, but that is not true.

Fear (grk: Deilia) is not in your nature, therefore it is necessary that we walk in faith as we press towards the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Arise and step forward to be counted, you are taking what is yours, and nothing can stop you.
“Stop being too afraid... start being tuned in faith”

Divine Desitny - Too Untalented

2009-05-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

In my church, the month of May is our month of “Divine Destiny” and I am posting a 4 Part series on the same topic, however, dealing with physical day to day limitations that inhibits our climb to achieving our God given destinies.

Check this American Untalented video and see talent - not singing....

TOO UNTALENTED

If any work/project is to be done, believe me, there must be resources available.

Simply put: lack of resources = abandoned projects.

When people say I’m too untalented [or good for nothing, useless, waste of space etc] the next question is to ask them, is that a fact or fiction?

WHY?

I believe there can be people who are untalented!!!!!!!!

Now before you stone me, accuse me of blasphemy or close your browser (as if it has been possessed), just give me a few minutes to explain the predicament of untalentedness, if anything can be called thus.

Matthew 25:14 – 30, tells the parable of the talent, describing what the “Kingdom of heaven is like”.

All the servants were given talents according to their abilities. To the first servant, he gave 5 talents, to another, 2 talents, and to one just 1 talent.

The talent(s) that you have are a reflection of your ability.

“Do you want to know how good you can be? Then, check how good you already are.”
- Emmanuel Onitiju

The first servant had 5 talents, traded with them and in return, made another 5.
The second servant had 2 talents, traded with them and made another 2
The third servant dug the ground, hid the Lord’s talent, and was bold enough to vehemently show his rejection of the task the master gave him.

Vs 28 “Therefore, take the talent from him......”

At a particular point in the life of the 3rd servant, he became untalented.
Initially, the servants never knew they had talents until the Lord of the house revealed it to them.
After the revelation, the servants assumed the role of taking care of, nurturing and growing the talent until the day of accountability. However, due to the 3rd servant’s handling of his talent, it was taken away from him... and he became untalented.

I hope by now, you are in deep reflection of the possibility of becoming untalented, but before you put yourself down, or jump for joy that your suspicion about you being untalented is now biblically proven, it is important that you understand the process of becoming untalented.

1.) Firstly, you have to have found your talent.

2.) Secondly you must have underperformed, been wasteful and not made “ANY” returns on your talent, and

3.) Thirdly the Lord of the house must have come back to make you account for the talent(s). Until these happen, you CANNOT be untalented.

You will be glad to know that if you are reading this, you are not dead yet, and if Jesus has not come, there is NO WAY you can be untalented.
It is true you may not have found it yet, but that you don’t have any talent is false.

Now that it is established that you are talented, and your talent is an indicator of your ability, then your ability is necessary to achieve a certain goal.

1 Peter 4:10 – 11
“As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ABILITY which GOD SUPPLIES, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever Amen

Your talent(s) and the corresponding abilities are for the glorification of God.

Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

And in John 15:8
“When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honoured and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.

Jesus said, bearing fruit which glorifies the father makes us His (Jesus’) followers.
All through Jesus’ life, a constant theme that is at the forefront of his mission is to do the will of His Father, so that the father might be glorified in the Son.
In other words, Jesus’ endowment i.e. talents were all used to help him fulfil the will of God on earth.
In order to achieve His aim on earth, and accomplish the deeds of His “Divine Destiny”, Jesus applied his talents and corresponding abilities to fulfil the will of the father.

Jesus has called us to be his followers, and also made it clear that as we follow him, our purposes in life are different.

Mark 8:34
“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me”

Your cross is your cross, hence the uniqueness of your talent(s) according to your ability.
There is a plan fashioned by God for your life, and He has given you the combination of resources that you would need to make it.
Using your talents bring glory to God as you apply them to the purpose for which they were given.

Divine Destiny is the blue print of your life made by God.

If you want to bring glory to God, you need to do His will, doing his will means walking in Divine Destiny.
Divine Destiny calls on the provision of your talents and the ability that God has given you.

All that will be thrown away if you “hala, shout, whisper, mutter or think that you are not talented.”

You are talented... and you need to use those talents to glorify God.

If you want to be untalented – simple – bury your talent and wait for Jesus to come back. ------------- Now I know you wouldn’t do that... right?

The word is “Let your light so shine....that they may glorify your Father”

IOU (Obedience)

2009-03-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

Obedience

1 John 5:3, John 14:15, John 15:10, Genesis 35:1, 7

The main aim of this teaching is to alert you to the fact that ‘obedience’ is not a choice. I know this may sound very untrue and hard to grasp, but it is my aim that, to the best of my knowledge, I would be able to make things clear.

Concept 1: Free will
Free will is simply the ability for us, humans, to choose our actions. And it is a gift from God. God gave us the ability to choose what we want to do. Irrespective of situation or circumstance, however, there are other reasons why we don’t just choose things. In every human, free will is present and ultimate. Free will is above every other of our choices.

Concept 2: Choices
Apart form the influence of free will; we (humans) also have a lower level of decision making called - choices.
In this context, we choose without necessarily drawing from the power of free will.

It is this dimension of choice that I say obedience is not based on.
Obedience is not something you choose whether to do or not, obedience is part of the make up of life.

It will be clear in the course of this teaching that our perspective of obedience affects our disposition towards it.
As long as we think obedience is a choice, we put ourselves in a position to choose for or against it.

Example:
As an engineer, we design a lot of things, including lifts. For every lift designed, there is a maximum capacity (i.e. load it can carry). This is boldly written in the lift. This warning requires obedience, and you really do not have a choice on whether to obey or not. The limit is part of the design of the lift. (Obedience is part of the make up of life)
If you disobey, you will face the consequences, (i.e. lift being stuck or get broken, endangering lives). However, you should know that the consequences of disobedience were not designed with you in mind. You were not the reason for the stated punishment.
The punishment also was part of the design.

When God told Adam not to eat of the tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden, God was not trying to test Adam or put him in a risky situation. That instruction was just part of the design of the garden. And surely there were consequences for disobeying.

The laws of a nation are put in place not because they are looking for people to jail, but because that is the design for a peaceful nation for all the inhabitants.
In fact, if you obey, you are not doing anyone a favour; you are only doing your part in making the design work.
Your parent giving rules about certain things is their way of making your life better. It may not be right, but once you know obedience is not a choice, you can work your way backwards and find the ultimate design for that situation.

Concept 3 – Better than sacrifice

1 Samuel 15 vs. 22: “Obedience is better than sacrifice”. Adam disobeyed and the sacrifices of animals could not restore the relationship with God.
The sacrifice of Jesus brought us back to God – those who are willing.

When you acknowledge that God is the creator of the universe, then you will realise that whatever He tells you to do is part of the ultimate design.... and obedience becomes part of the package.
When can you disobey?

Ø When it is not part of the ultimate design.
Ø When it goes against God’s will.

In conclusion, obedience is a short cut to gaining other’s trust.

IOU (INTEGRITY)

2009-03-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

INTEGRITY

Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. (OALD)
Integrity is the basing of one's actions on an internally consistent framework of principles.

Integrity is a personal choice. However, as humans and as Christians, our integrity has to be based on God’s laws.
In simple terms, I will define integrity as

“Godly principles that we choose to live by individually and consistently”

Integrity makes people respect you.
One of the reasons (amongst many) that people are bullied either as adults or young adults is because they are too simple.
People will carry you the way you carry yourself.
If you present yourself as unserious, disrespectful and abusive, people will react to you just like that.
In short, without integrity, people will walk over you.

How can we obtain integrity?

Draw a Line, then draw a second line – Be conscious of your limits. The first line will tell you the things you would like to do or not do in other to become a man or woman of integrity. The second line on the inside will serve as a safety margin to help you stick to your principles .

Become aware of choices – Head or tail do not work, make conscious effort to choose right in accordance to the principles you want to live by.

Accountability – You can’t do it all alone. Find someone you can be reporting to, to help in the times of trouble. It will help you stay on track.

Indicators of Integrity

The golden rule: “Do unto others as you would like them to do to you” (Luke 6 vs. 31). Integrity requires you to understand the need for consistency in warfare (daily living). As written by an author, knowledge and imagination are required to work this rule. Firstly, you must know the effects of your actions, and secondly you must be able to put yourself in the position of the recipient and ask yourself “can I take what I have just given”

Size does not matter: Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16 vs. 10). Are your actions in small matters or small environments the same as those in bigger ones? When you are alone and no one is watching do you still do the things you proclaim as good? Or you are like a chameleon that changes to the colour of the environment.

YES = YES: Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5 vs. 37). A confused soldier is on his/her way to defeat. Likewise, if you, as a soldier are giving false information or confusing the people around, then you are just whiskers away from defeat because very soon no one will believe whatever you have to say.

Living a life of integrity is a must for us believers, albeit it may be hard, but the battle is always on and more importantly, God’s grace is sufficient.

PEOPLE LOVER

2009-02-23T12:57:00.000-08:00

PEOPLE LOVER

I have always been around the circle of individuals that think 'people' are very crucial.

If you pause to meditate on the statement above, you could conclude that I probably recently graduated from the animal kingdom to being human, because obviously we 'people' are crucial.

Without people the world would not have been what it is today. The built environment, the infrastructures that we see and use, the advancement in technology, the transports systems, all influenced and made by people.
I mean, without people, it is unimaginable what the cockroaches et al would have turned this world into.

People are crucial, is a statement that is indisputable.

Take iconic structures for example, say, Guantanamo Bay, designed by people, built by people, to be used by people, to help some other people, protect some people, and provide jobs for other people.
It is all with the people in mind, isn’t?

However, when I say people are crucial, I am not talking about people as a congregation of hate lovers, or love haters, but rather, I'm talking about you and your relationship with 'people'.

Are you a people lover or a Lone ranger?

Experience, some say is the best teacher, but I say, to be taught by experience can be brutal. You really don't want to start building a car or designing a television or inventing the fluorescent bulb all over again, some people have done it before, learn from them.

Is there a journey you want to take? Find someone that has taken such, and cut your journey time.

Is there something you want to start? Get help.

Alas, for you “I can do it myself” type, the lone ranger has a horse and (Tonto)...

Don't cherish isolation, even Guantanamo Bay, is being closed down.

You need people to get you to where you are going.

Be a people lover.

Obama needed a McCain to become America's first black president.
Freida Pinto and Dev Patel needed a Danny Boyle to become overnight Oscar Winners and thrown into the world of fame.

We all need a helping hand... Don't be like the man in the pit, hands in pocket and expecting to be pulled out.... That means he'll have to be pulled out by the neck - he may not make it.

If you are not a people lover you may end up biting the hand that is meant to feed you...
You don't want that do you?

Exactly!!!!

HOTN - NEWNESS

2009-01-04T15:49:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Thank you for taking the time out to you all as I introduce to you the final part of the series HOTN.

It is my prayer that 2009 will be a year of accomplishment for you in Jesus Name.

In this “Thanksgiving” series, we have talked about “The Heritage Of The Nation” as our possession, when we thank God for those things that He is yet to do. (HOTN).
I wrote about Hospitality, Oracles, Teachings and today Newness.

Newness is walking in and believing that if God has said it, then He will surely perform it.

I know you are still thanking him for a child He is yet to give, but is your Moses’ basket ready?

Are you prepared for the things you are thanking him for?

It’s time you start believing and walking in your new found promise. Do something different that will glorify God.

Expectation is the door, preparation is the key. If you are thanking God for it, you must be expecting it, but be prepared also. God will not go back on His word.

The virgins in the parable of the 10 virgins all knew the master was coming (Matthew 25). They all probably praised their God for the possibility of going home with the groom.
When the groom came, he met and took only 5; the others were left behind because they were not prepared.

Don’t be like the foolish virgins.

Being a virgin is not enough; you have to be wise to make it.

HOTN - TEACHINGS

2008-12-28T11:23:00.000-08:00

Quick question:
What has God promised you? Do you know them? What has he revealed unto you, do you remember them?

Consider how hard it could be to express thanksgiving for nothing or randomly.

“I just want to thank you.” Even the person you are talking to would ask, for what?

Communication is an integral part of any relationship, and God is constantly talking to each and every one of us.
The things He says to you form the basis for your expectation and thanksgiving.

Do you take notes?

Show me a Christian without a journal, and I'll show you a Christian that finds it hard to thank God (for what is yet to do).

Habakkuk 2:2
“write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.”

God knows the importance of you remembering His promises which are in His words to you (Rhema & Logos), that's why He looked into new 'technology' to work it.

God Said
"…..I will take away a heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh…..” "….I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts….” (Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 31:33)

If you don't know the story of Jehoshaphat, please read the account in 2 chronicles 20.

He was an example of someone that was well taught and who took notes...
When the kings came to attack Judah, Jehoshaphat went to God and explained what he knew about the situation ----- from his notes:

2 Chronicles 20: 5 -17

Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard and said:
"O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.
O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.'
"But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."
All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.

God was moved at such an informed conversation and God answered

'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.

Jehoshaphat was confident enough to put singers as his lead army because he knew what God has said.

Henceforth, make an effort; start keeping a journal of God's promises for you. It will dramatically enhance your disposition towards thanking him.
If you have forgotten some of them, then pray to God again to reveal them to you afresh.

Remember:

"Show me a Christian without a journal, and I'll show you a Christian that finds it hard to thank God (for what is yet to do)."

HOTN - ORACLES

2008-12-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

ORACLES

In talking about oracles, I am talking about the unchangeable Word of God.

The Psalmist said (Psalm 138:2) "For You have magnified Your word above all Your name." and Isaiah reiterated the efficacy of this word, saying (Isaiah 55:11) – “it will not return void, without fulfilling the purpose for which it was sent”.

Without messing about with your intellectual head, this simple fact of ‘accomplishment’ assured me that Jesus would not have squandered His mission on earth, because He is the Word of God – the same word that must not return without fulfilling its mission.

Now, trying to live a life of ‘Thanksgiving’ requires that you know what the unchangeable Word says about thanksgiving.
There are many references to ‘Thanksgiving’ in the bible and I would implore you to be aware and responsive to these anytime you are studying the word of God, because only a few can be mentioned here.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will expound these words in your heart and grant you the grace to embrace a life immersed in ‘Thanksgiving’.

Through the whole of the bible, God’s children are advised, admonished, enjoined, beseeched etc to know, follow and do the will of God.
Jesus said
“For whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)

However, the will of God varies from situation to situation, person to person, and in this age of the Holy Spirit, is very personal (but never contradictory to God’s Word).
God, through His word has revealed different parts of His will to us; nonetheless, we just tend to be ignorant of these.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”

Other similar ‘Will of God’ include – sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3), doing good (1 Peter 2:15) etc.

The word of God (oracle) says, ‘give thanks’.

In obeying the word of God:

“…….You shall make your way prosperous and have good success” (Joshua 1:8)

That brings to mind one of the famous lines of Jesus “Father I thank you”.

John 15:7
“If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” - So don’t be surprised when thanksgivers thank their way into their Heritage Of The Nations.

The last hint on this post is this – there is a time factor too…. How long do you want to be in your heritage for?

1 John 2:17 “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

Follow the ORACLES

“Thanksgiving is an act of obedience.” – DO IT

HOTN - HOSPITALITY

2008-12-14T15:53:00.000-08:00

Thanking God for what He has done is an obligation (don’t you think?). If you do something for someone, courtesy demands that the person appreciates you. If they don’t, as humans, you know what you’ll be thinking - I will not do things for the person again. If we don’t thank God for what He has done for us, it is just sheer lack of cognisance and respect. Therefore in the whole of this series, ‘Thanksgiving’ is used regarding appreciating God for who He is and for the things he is yet to do for you, not for the things He has done.

HOSTPITALITY

While I am trying to keep this series short and concise, I want to take my time to explain why this is one of the foundations of Christian living.
What exactly is hospitality?

Simply defined, Hospitality is the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly and generous way.

In relation to thanksgiving, being hospitable is saying “God, this is what you have given me, I am expecting more, but in my expectation, I am sharing and giving what I have.

If you are thanking God for what He is yet to do, then there is no better way to express your lack of faith (unbelief) than when your expectation is not followed through by a lifestyle of hospitality.

You are simply saying:
“God I am thanking you because I know you will do it, but I can’t let go of some of what you have given me because ......., well, you may not do it.

Folks, “If thanksgiving is an act of faith, Hospitality is the works behind it.”

Hospitality has nothing to do with whether you are rich or poor. Some may argue that being rich makes it easier to be hospitable, but hospitality is a mindset that shines through every ounce of our lives, irrespective of whether we have or have not.

Jesus said Mathew 25 31:44
“......for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.......”

The bible never mentioned whether or not they had more than enough to give – think about it.

In fact, when the widow of zarephath told Elijah “This meal is for me and my son to eat and then die”, Elijah said (paraphrased) If you want more, then show hospitality out of the little/lack that you have, cook for me first.
The widow obeyed – showed hospitality in the midst of lack, and abundance was given unto her. (1 kings 17: 8 - 16)

Abraham was praying to God for a child. One day, angels in the form of men were passing by on a mission to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
I would like to think they were equipped with spiritual weapons of mass destruction.
Abraham showed hospitality to them, and the angels took time out from the message of death and destruction to pronounce a blessing of life and multiplication to Abraham.

You may ask; does this really work?

Just a few hours later, Abraham’s nephew Lot, replicated the act of hospitality, and the angels ensured He was safe before they destroyed the city. We were never told whether or not Lot was asking anything from God, but through Hospitality, He was able to survive the destruction that he never knew was imminent. (Genesis 18 & 19)

I could talk about, Melchizedek the King of Salem, Rahab the harlot and David the king, who all made Hospitality their lifestyles.

If you want to live a life of thanksgiving, start showing hospitality. Again always remember:

“If thanksgiving is an act of faith, Hospitality is the works behind it.”

HOTN - Heritage Of The Nations (1)

2008-12-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

Hello to you all and welcome to this new series on Thanksgiving.. I pray that as you take this journey, God will gracefully endow you with a heart of gratitude.
Doing God's will is our ultimate aim on earth, and brethren, this is God's will - Thanksgiving (1 Thessalonians 5 vs. 18)

HOSPITALITY

Hospitality should not be a ‘last card’ option, but rather, should be a daily living practice. When hospitality becomes a lifestyle, it shows a heart that is constantly thanking God. When we are warm, caring, accommodating and engage in sharing, it means we are thanking God for the things He has given us in expectation that He will do more. Hospitality was a lifestyle to Abraham’s family, and when his nephew Lot showed hospitality to the angels, God gave him more to thank Him for – surviving the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18 & 19)

to be continued...... (on monday)

Divine Wisdom (Head Service - Partiality)

2008-11-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

Head Service (Partiality)

Simply put 'Head Service 'is running the show carnally and can be defined as
“When the agenda of man becomes the benchmark for a Godly cause”

'Head Service' in biblical terms means partiality.
As Eye Service is eating away the goodies of being a Christian, Head Service is the catalyst that encourages this obnoxious act.
Wanting to give bribe is not enough, there must be someone on the other side who would gladly or is willing to accept.
In essence, they go together, hand in hand... Head Service and Eye Service.

If the journey down wisdom lane is to go by, this is a very important reason to stay in the place of prayer until Divine wisdom is given.
Hear what the prophet said about Jesus - Isaiah 11 vs. 3 - 5
Vs 3 - "He would not judge by Head Service (paraphrased)" because the fullness of the spirit was upon him (including the Spirit of Wisdom).

If Eye Service is prominent in peer to peer and follower to leader relationships, Head Service is seen in peer to peer and leader to follower relationships.

Jesus our great shepherd was careful and equipped with enough to strike out the use and attached problems of head service.

John 8 vs. 28 – 29
“…. I do nothing of myself….The father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please him.”

God our creator is an impartial God (Romans 2:11) who is no respecter of anyone (Acts 10:34).

Our nature as humans play a prominent role in our willingness to participate in ‘Head Service’, hence unlike some other misdoings, this requires a sober approach.
First, the bible says the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

The bible also says to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6). And you would agree that to be carnal can be simply described as to be human…to be man…And there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end is destruction.
Folks, this is the destination of head service.

Why do we engage in ‘Head Service’?

1.) There is pressure on spiritual leaders to make decisions i.e. deliver....NOW, and that simply means leaders tend to act before they could hear God – be it leading a group or leading your personal life.

2.) We live in the era of grace, so the consequences of disobedience are not swiftly experienced as they probably were in the past. This probably accounts for why we don't know who is following God or their ‘Head’. Take Uzzah (2 Samuel 6: 6-7) and Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 4:32-5:10) as examples.

3.) People force the Spirit out. It is different to be under pressure not to hear God, but it is criminal when we consciously block out the Holy Spirit just so He does not convict us of the things we do.

4.) People not hearing right. Not every one is guilty of fraud, but many people are ignorant about the choices make.

5.) Lack of faith. Some people hear God, think it over, but probably because what God says does not make human sense, or seem hard to achieve, they choose the option that appeals to their nature.

As earlier mentioned, it takes a sober and conscious approach to side step the traps of head service. Yes, sometimes we may fall short, but God's grace is sufficient. Stay connected to the Holy Spirit and let Divine wisdom find expression in your life.

Divine wisdom is not partial and that is what we should strive to be - impartial in our involvements on earth.

Divine Wisdom (Hypocrisy)

2008-11-15T01:30:00.000-08:00

James 3 vs. 17

The Wisdom from above is without partiality and hypocrisy.

The dangers of ‘head service’ and ‘eye service’

Don’t get lost yet, eye service, you probably have heard of but head service?…hmmm, probably not.

Eye service is in itself hypocrisy. Pretending to be what you are not, especially whilst performing a form of service. Be it at work, in church, at home etc.

This series has been about spirituality (i.e. Godly/Divine wisdom) and devoid of any particular reference to how we do church, but this time, we are going to pass by church.

Church has different meanings to different people (don’t be surprised). Some people say church is a place, and some people say church is the people. The truths is, both are correct, (and before you stone me), I mean, superficially – if I am speaking grammar, church becomes a building, if I am speaking kingdom, church is the people.
From the early days, hypocrisy had been a major problem for God’s people. At a point, God said through Prophet Isaiah “This people honour me with their mouth, but their heart is far from me”.
In Jesus’ days, the Pharisees were masters of ‘eye service’. Amongst many situations, this was seen when Jesus taught about fasting. Jesus said “When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites…”
At the start of the church movement after Jesus ascension, hypocrisy was still very much in existence. The bible tells the story of Ananias and Saphira, who sold their possessions for God, but took some back. The Holy Spirit made a swift and fatal appearance.

In our today world, ‘Service’ is being hailed as what gives competitive advantage and the church is not left out, more often than not, service in church has been a straight forward route for hypocrites to operate. Hypocrisy, though widely practised, has damaging repercussions – God knows those who are His.
If you are by chance or by choice a hypocrite, then you don’t have the wisdom of God in you – FACT. The wisdom from above is without hypocrisy. Let me bring this home, if you’ve decided to get involved just so you can show people that you can do it, there is no wisdom in that.

Before Jesus fed the 5000 men + women and children, He saw their hunger for God (wanting to know Him), and He was moved with compassion. After eating, these same people sought after Jesus early the next day, but their focus had changed. Jesus said, no, you are now looking for me because of the food I gave you. They were still searching, going to church, working in departments, preaching, singing, but Jesus saw beyond that, he saw their hearts which was far away from Him…… HYPOCRISY.

How about you?
Hypocrisy can creep into our lives when we don’t pay attention to our service to God. This post is not about condemning anyone, but that through this knowledge, we might ask God for wisdom. When you open the package of wisdom, folks, there is no hypocrisy in it… and that is exactly what we need.
Divine Wisdom

Divine Wisdom (Full of Mercy)

2008-10-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

James 3: 17

The wisdom from above is full of mercy/compassion.

How many times have we as christians shown resentment and vengeance?

But when you have the wisdom of God, you get with it an empowerment to show compassion.

Your supernatural ability to resolve issues (divine wisdom) brings with it the innate responsibility of being moved to action (compassion).

Jesus showed compassion all through his life on earth. From healing the sick, feeding the 5 thousand and ultimately dying for you and me, and in the process praying for his killers - "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." - (Luke 23 vs. 34)

Question is, which one came first, the compassion or the wisdom?
Was Jesus naturally merciful, then wisdom added later? Or vice versa i.e. did he have wisdom, then learnt/shown to be merciful?

In Isaiah 11 vs. 1-2, the bible tells us of the 7 Spirits of God that will rest on Jesus. Included in this list is the Spirit of Wisdom, but the fullness of the Holy Spirit came after he was water baptised, so before then, did he lack wisdom... And hence compassion?

The bible tells us in Luke that the child grew in strength and wisdom. Whaoooo!!!!!!!!! (Luke 2 vs. 52)
Jesus, from an early age received the wisdom from above (the same wisdom that is full of mercy.)
From that age, he grew up being merciful. That same wisdom is available to you. James 1 vs. 5 says if any lack wisdom, let him ask.

If you want to know how to be merciful, then this wisdom is what you need because it is full of mercy. With this wisdom, that one sheep becomes important, you see the Zacchaeus on the tree, and you get a revived compassion for the lost souls.

Divine Wisdom (Willing to Yield)

2008-08-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

The wisdom from above is... “Willing to yield”. James 3 vs. 17

Some other translations use words like “reasonable”, easily entreated”, “submissive”, “and sensible”.
At first encounter, I was confused to learn about divine wisdom that is submissive.
How can the ultimate solution to any problem be submissive and submissive to what exactly?

It is not imaginable that the divine wisdom we crave has a characteristic of “willing to yield”.
Still mesmerized by this revelation, I paused to think, who could possibly make divine wisdom surrender?

I took a stern look at the life of Jesus, described as the “wisdom and power” of God and who is “from above”, to see if I can phantom what it means for wisdom to be ‘submissive’.

On quite a number of occasions, this wisdom (Jesus) epitomised what it means to be submissive. Paul described him in Philippians “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant”.

In Luke 23, Pilate asked him “are you the king of the Jews”, Jesus answered “It is as you say”.

I am sure, if I am the one, I would have given Pilate a piece of my mind.... exactly the reason why I need the Jesus kind of wisdom.

But I still think it goes against the norm if the solution that I know is effective has to “yield” to any other thing. Exactly how am I suppose to live with that?

This however is exactly what divine wisdom is about – yielding to God the giver.

Can you be patient enough not to spill the beans before God sanctions it? Can you trust God to be accurate concerning the execution of the idea He gave you?

The wisdom from above is divine, yet submissive, i.e. is constantly waiting for orders from God. Jesus confirmed, “I can only do the things I see my father do”.

Well, submissive wisdom exemplified. So should yours be.

Divine Wisdom (Gentle)

2008-07-03T05:24:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, I have been posting about the attributes of divine wisdom as written in James 3 vs. 17.

“The wisdom from above is... gentle...”

Gentleness is not only packaged with wisdom, it is also a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5 vs. 22). This tells us that as Spirit filled Christians, we have to be gentle.
Being gentle should not be associated with being slow or sloppy. To be gentle is to be careful, show kindness and pay attention to detail.

Ladies have a way of coining that phrase “he’s so gentle”... but I will be surprised if they are referring to Jesus.
Jesus said about Himself “..... I am gentle and humble in heart....” (Matthew 11:29)
The bible bears witness to a wisdom filled Jesus express gentleness as never experienced before.
On the night of Jesus’ arrest, after he had been betrayed by one of his disciples, and another disciple tried defending Him by cutting off the High Priest’s servants ear.
In the midst of the chaos, Jesus said “...No more of this” and he touched the servants ear and healed him.

We also have been anointed of the Holy One, we have the Spirit of God on the inside, and therefore we are gentle.
It does not matter what people have said about your character, tell yourself that was in the past. If you are born again you have the Spirit of God on the inside.... that means you are gentle on the inside and it high time you start expressing that gentleness on the outside.

Remember Divine Wisdom is gentle, if you can’t find gentleness in that solution... Please have a good look again... it might not be Divine.

“...Wisdom puts light in the eyes, And gives gentleness to words and manners...”
(Ecclesiastes 8:1) (The Message)

DIVINE WISDOM (PEACEABLE)

2008-06-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

James 3 vs. 17
“The wisdom from above is ….. Peaceable….”… or peace loving….” ……or peaceful...”

Whenever we think about wisdom, one of the first things that come to mind is “resolution without conflict”, the ability to solve complex problems or make seemingly impossible decisions in a peaceful way.

Peace follows on the trail of wisdom and it is not surprising because the wisdom from above as in James 3 vs. 17 is peace loving. As mentioned in an earlier post (PURE), divine wisdom comes in the form of instructions or revelations from God concerning a matter. An evidence of hearing right is something termed the “Inner Peace”. There may be trouble around, or the situation may be chaotic, but Godly instructions (divine wisdom) releases peace into the heart.

In 2 chronicles 20, some nations colluded to fight against Judah. After the people sought the Lord, He responded:

2 chronicles 20 vs. 14 - 17
The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
16Tomorrow go down to them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the ravine before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
17You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord [Who is] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.

King Jehoshaphat believed when God said “you will not need to fight in this battle”. An inner peace came into the heart of the people and this was evident when on the morning of the battle, they started singing praises unto God their deliverer.

Divine Wisdom does not just give peace on the inside. In the long term Divine wisdom also gives peace for all to see. Many a time, we wrongly assume that all God’s strategy will be in constant conflict with the physical world.
It is true that the bible says “God’s ways are different from our ways and His thought different from our thought”, but in the end, when we follow God’s leading, everything comes together in harmony. There will be an evidence of peaceful existence.

Wisdom says this about herself:

Proverbs 8 vs. 22 - 30
The Lord formed and brought me [Wisdom] forth at the beginning of His way, before His acts of old.
I [Wisdom] was inaugurated and ordained from everlasting, from the beginning, before ever the earth existed.
When there were no deeps, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains laden with water.
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth,
While as yet He had not made the land or the fields or the first of the dust of the earth.
When He prepared the heavens, I [Wisdom] was there; when He drew a circle upon the face of the deep and stretched out the firmament over it,
When He made firm the skies above, when He established the fountains of the deep,
When He gave to the sea its limit and His decree that the waters should not transgress [across the boundaries set by] His command, when He appointed the foundations of the earth--
Then I [Wisdom] was beside Him as a master and director of the work; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always,

Wisdom testifies to the peacefulness that reigns alongside her. The cosmos refers to a universe that is a complete, harmonious, and orderly system. . The physical world responds to the peace that divine wisdom brings as seen in creation.

In proverbs 16 vs. 7 the bible says

When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

A man whose ways please the lord is a man who walks uprightly with God…. And
….. No good thing will He (God) withhold from those who walk uprightly…..(Psalm 84 vs. 11)

Hence, if your ways please the lord, He will reveal things to you and give you divine wisdom which ensures peaceful living even among your enemies.

In 1 kings 3, King Solomon asked for wisdom, knowledge and understanding at the start of his reign and God gave him a wise and understanding heart.
This is an account of Solomon’s reign as king of Israel

1 kings 4 vs. 24 - 25
For he had dominion over all the region west of the [Euphrates] River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River, and he had peace on all sides around him.
Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all of Solomon's days.

The wisdom from above has a peaceful attribute. It not only gives an inner peace that enables us to trust and obey God, it also ensures an outward peace that provides evidence of our relationship with God even “our enemies will end up shaking our hand”.

DIVINE WISDOM (PURE)

2008-06-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

James 3 vs 17

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."
In the next few weeks, I will be blogging on divine wisdom. The core scriptural text is James 3 vs. 17.

It tells of the characteristics or attributes of divine wisdom and importantly how it differs from worldy wisdom.
Each of this attributes will be touched on, the need for us to use them as benchmarks for the wisdom we have conerning the obstacles we face and the things we need to do or not do for optimum results when implementint divine wisdom.
This post takes on the attribute of divine wisdom PURITY

PURE

The amplified bible says the wisdom from above is "undefiled".
On quite a number of grounds, we can confirm the truth in the purity of the wisdom from above. Because this wisdom is from above, it is from God, it is divine hence it is pure.
God will not give impure things. He is a Holy God.

"Be ye holy as I am holy” (1 Peter 1 vs. 16)

1John 3 vs. 1-3
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

God who is holy and pure is the source and giver of divine wisdom (James 1 vs. 5). Divine wisdom comes from receiving instructions from God concerning a matter. A major avenue for receiving divine instructions is through the word of God, both the rhema (spoken) word and the logos (written) word.
The whole world was formed by the spoken word and in Timothy the written word is described thus:

(2 Timothy 3 vs. 15b - 17)
“and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The psalmist tells us something about this word in Psalm 12 vs. 6

"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."

In the opening scripture in James 3 vs. 17, the writer James gave us the attributes of the wisdom that is from above. This attributes are there to guide us in examining the kind of wisdom that we profess to possess.

Is the wisdom you claim to have concerning that matter pure?
Have you decided to get things done by hook or crook and intend to normalize it with a testimony at the end?
Or have you diluted the divine wisdom that God has given you?

The wisdom from above is pure, but can the same be said of the wisdom we implement.

Maintaining the purity of God’s instructions/revelation (i.e. Wisdom) from reception (from the time God gave us the instructions or showed us the revelation) to implementation (when we act based on what God has shown us) is our duty.

There are examples of people in the bible who through their actions contaminated the wisdom that God gave them.

Moses is a great man of God who had the privilege of speaking with God directly. At a point in the journey from Egypt to the promise land, the children of Israel started murmuring about their lack of water. As a leader, Moses was in a difficult position, and he prayed to God for help. God, the source of divine wisdom told Moses what he needed to do.

Numbers 20 vs 8
“Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.”

As pure as this wisdom was at reception, things changed when it got to the implementation of the divine wisdom.

In verse 11
“Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.”

Moses contaminated the wisdom with his anger. Instead of speaking to the rock as instructed, he struck the rock twice. Water still came out and the people drank, and to the people, Moses would have looked like a superhero, but God was not impressed. In fact, that action cost him entry into the promise land.

Verse 12
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

How can we ensure the continued purity of God's wisdom?

Have a pure heart....
It will minimise our human tendencies to contaminate the pure wisdom from above.
Matthew 5 vs. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Pursue holiness….
Hebrew 12 vs. 14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Divine wisdom is only possible when we have access to God and holiness becomes a prerequisite.
Don't settle for rough signals....
You may have started small in the business of hearing from God or knowing the mind of God but don't stay small.... Improve your reception. There is a possibility for us to not get the full picture of what God is showing us or saying to us. In the book of Jeremiah, God asked the prophet to look and the prophet described what he saw.... And God responded "you have seen well".... Meaning there was a chance for the prophet to have seen wrongly.

Be willing to obey…
Samuel told Saul “Obedience is better than sacrifice”. Sacrifice most of the time is a reactive measure to purify something that has been contaminated. We should strive to get to the place where God’s wisdom is kept pure so we wouldn’t have to resolve to sacrifices.

WAR 6 (Winning Mentality)

2008-05-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

The fnal installment of this series touches on possessing the mindset of a winner. As we battle our way through each day, knowing, believing and doing all we can to win is necessary for survival.

While growing up, there are few things I hear older people talk about. Financial Issues, relationships, et cetera. While these discussions were hard to fully understand, one that really baffles me is when they advise us (the younger ones) and they talk about us having a winning mentality.

How do you get a winning mentality?... I really didn’t know but from what they say to us, I guess they couldn’t explain beyond words like, don’t give up or hang in there.
Sadly and blindly, I’ve always tried to do just that i.e. never giving up, giving it a go, hanging in there, trying not to be discouraged...... until an incident happened.

Some time ago, I was who I was (gentle, nice, never looking for trouble) and one day I got involved with one of the big guys in school.
He wanted to play football and asked me to look after his clothes for him. I kindly expressed my inability to do just that as I won’t be staying long enough.
I left the field shortly after and later in the day, the big guy came looking for me asking for his wrist watch. It isn’t with me I replied but he wasn’t going to have any of it, and neither was I. This is a battle I have to win because I told him I wasn’t gonna look after his stuff. After a few minutes of argument, I realised that winning this battle of words isn’t gonna be easy. Not long after, my bravery to stand up to him turned into fear, things are really heating up, and this guy will not hesitate to beat me black and blue if required, and surely I’m no match for him.
I was never going to win this...... I thought to myself

“I give you a week to produce my wrist-watch, if not, life will be tough for you in this school” so he said.

This is boarding school.... there’s nowhere to hide and truly if this guy says life will be hard, I knew he wasn’t lying.
Anyways, my winning mentality kind of failed me and really put me into trouble. A week later, I produced a wrist watch that my dad had to buy to stop the harassment or rather what some will call bullying.

Now that I’m older, I’ve realised that knowing when to fight, when not to fight, when to be silent, or when to speak, when to run or when to hide, when to be smart and when to be foolish all constitutes the makeup of a winning mentality.

In short, knowing what you need to do to win is testimony to your possession of the winning mentality.

Sometime ago, I was glued to my TV watching an episode of prison break. In the prison series, there’s a man who is constantly bullied and maltreated by the other inmates. Things got from bad to worse when he was challenged to fight one of the big guys.
The rule of engagement simply states
“Two people go into the ring, but only one person comes out alive”. Who that person will be was reasonably clear from the outset.

The fight started and not too long after, the bullied man prevailed. His winning move was a deadly upper court that knocked the big guy out.
All of a sudden, he’s become a hero, liberated himself from the hand of other bullies. He is now to be respected, left alone to leave a peaceful life. He can now walk through the prison yard with his head held high, his future as an inmate is starting to look bright.

But all the goodies of this hard fought victory never came to materialise simply because this man blew his chance of living a victorious life.
He won the battle by a piece of trickery. He had a piece of cloth that was soaked in a chemical that causes dizziness. So while he was fighting, the chance he was looking for was to get close to the big guy and stuff the cloth close to his nostrils, this will make him dizzy and then he can beat him. The plan worked, but once the fight was over, the man failed to protect the secret of his success.
He carelessly dropped the piece of cloth, another inmate found it and walked up to him letting him know that he knows the secrete of his success, and that if he didn’t answer to him henceforth, he’ll let everyone know how he won.
In other words, barely seconds after the victory, the bullied man was back to his original state. Fear crept back into his life and his hard earned victory was taken away from him.

It became very obvious that he lacked the winning mentality.

Winning mentality makes you grind results out, even when loosing. It makes you hold on to your victories and liberates you from the grips of failure.

Every sustained winner possesses a large portion of this winning mentality. However, like the older people that I’ve listened to, finding a definition for it is still a big task majorly because the things that spur us on differ from person to person.

Some people get the inspiration to win from other people, or from experience, or from a seemingly bad situation.
As Christians, God’s word says
“He that is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even or faith”
Note the word “overcomes”- talking about a position of continuous victory by our faith.
Remember:
Overcomers are God lovers, God lovers are faith users, Faith users must be God pleasers.

FINAL NOTE:
In this series, I've posted about Self Discipline, Purpose, Integrity, Sustenance, Know Yourself and Winning Mentality. These I believe are key ingredients amongst others that we need to live victorious lives daily.

WAR 5 (Know Yourself)

2008-04-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

The difference between defeat and victory sometimes lie in what we know about ourselves.
Not long ago, I was having a chat with a very respectable man. He shared a story about his starting days undertaking his PhD research work. His supervisor had requested he wrote an academic paper for presentation. He wasn’t prepared neither was he equipped to do that which was being asked of him, so he gave it his best shot and gave it to the supervisor.
The supervisor was very disappointed at the paper and made it clear that it was so bad that it would go into his file and would ultimately serve as a negative mark.

While recounting the story, the man told me he didn’t object to the supervisor’s comments because he was aware of his ability. He said “I couldn’t do much, at the stage where I was then, that was the best I could do”.
Rather than allow the situation to have a negative effect on him, he worked at improving who he was when it came to writing academic papers. About a few months later, the same opportunity presented itself and he went to the supervisor asking for permission to re-present the paper.
His second submission was outstanding that he flew outside of the country to present it in a conference.

In Genesis 22, Abraham found himself in a position that requires a huge amount of confidence in his belief in God. He had to know (i.e. remember) who he is in God.
God had given Abraham a near impossible task to sacrifice his only son (the same one he waited almost 100 years before having) to Him.
Abraham then obediently sets out on this very depressing journey….. only difference is, Abraham was not depressed at all.
In vs.7 Isaac questioned the absence of a ram for the sacrifice but Abraham’s reply showed us that he knows God is in control over his life.

Vs. 8 “And Abraham said, my son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering”

When you start showing signs of success, life, people and situations will start questioning who you are. No one questions the people on the loosing team (Apart from Sir Alan Sugar)….

In our quest for winning everyday battles, we need to devote time into knowing who we really are. Lack of personal knowledge undermines our ability to reap maximum benefit from fighting.

So at work, you struggle to get your voice heard, but after constant top of the range performance and impeccable hard work, you were given a platform to express yourself……..then …. You can’t define yourself… what a waste of effort that would have been.

If you call yourself a Christian (i.e. Christ follower) stammering when your identity is called into question places you on the platform of defeat... (Long before the battle commences).

Jesus during His time on earth was constantly questioned about who He was, what He knows and how He does the things He does.

Jesus was still reeling from a victorious ride into Jerusalem when His identity was called into question (Matthew 21). Firstly by a situation that can best be represented by a “state of being” and second by people.

First: (Matthew 21 vs. 18)

"Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered."

What a master we have in Jesus, He placed an embargo on the production capacity of the fig tree that failed to give him food.
To me, what Jesus said did not sound like prayer…. (Well not the kind I know anyway) but when His disciples marvelled, He told them

“if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Basically, when Jesus said “May you never bear fruit again”, He was praying and the result of the prayer was instant and He said we can do the same….. Oooops.... and whaoooo

I’ve heard people tell me whenever I speak to something not human that it couldn’t hear me… well, I know who I am and as long as I am in Christ, faith filled and prayer"FULL"…

I will speak a thing and it will be established.

So as believers we need to start speaking to those seemingly inanimate things…. Cos they really do hear…. That is who you are.

Second: (Matthew 21 vs 23)

"Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"

After the fig tree did its part, it was human’s turn to challenge Jesus. Jesus’ response was intriguing; He also asked them a question that got them confused:

Vs. 27
So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

In a chain of events after his victorious entry into Jerusalem, Jesus stamped his authority in sustaining His victory.

Not just has Jesus shown us who we are in him…..now we can go about speaking to those things and people that are challenging us or will challenge us.

Next time you are thrown in the spotlight, handle the microphone, need to give a talk, , or faced with a problem or difficulty, remember to let the light of who you are in God shine through.

With your fighting ability, success will come, but can you stand the questions of identity?

Errrm….errrrm….errrrm….errrrm….. is not good enough…. You can simply say…

I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5 vs. 21).

Many people might not understand that….. But you do….. And that’s what matters......

WARFARE 4 (Sustenance)

2008-04-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

The common saying goes thus "Getting to the top is hard, staying at the top is even harder"

Sustenance is a significant part of every warfare. At first sight, we may take this as provisions or edibles or materials that are needed to wage a good war, but rather I’m talking about maintaining or sustaining the gained victory.

In the last three post, I've talked about self-discipline, purpose and integrity as things we need to wage a good war and to come out victorious.

Using these three things, we can start fighting our way to victory, but also, we should not be involved with or do things that will bring defeat.
Fighting to win is as important as fighting not to loose.

Too many times, victors have slumped into defeat just moments after being victorious, and we should also note that the looser does not necessarily give up trying again. Staying on guard is definitely needed as the story might not be finished yet.

A common saying in my high school when you're trying to intimidate someone you want to fight is "I will so beat you, there will be no part 2"
We need to do that more in our daily life... i.e winning outrightly.

There are quite a number of things we can do to let victory slip away from us, but I'll discuss one which God opened my understanding to and I pray that by the end of this post you'll be more enlightened and equipped in holding on to your victories.

Exodus 20 vs. 15 “Thou shall not steal”

As isolated as that verse might look... its significance must not be overlooked... We only need to look at a few books in the bible to realise that “stealing” is one of the many ways we can revoke our victory.

The definition of stealing might be subjective... I’m sure taking something behind someone’s back is not too far from the real thing.

Stealing is one of the fastest ways to experience defeat... Comfortable victorious living can be brought to a premature end when caught out by stealing.

You may not have thought about it yet, but do you know that as much as we categorise it as disobedience.... what Eve did in the Garden of Eden was disobedience acted out through stealing?
She stole from God and Adam accepted that which was stolen too. So his excuse that it was the woman who caused him to sin was not valid enough to stop the punishment ... why? ....Because he knew too well that the apple was a stolen product.
Man fell because he stole.

Joshua 7 vs. 1-26 tells the story of how the children of Israel were defeated by the people of a small town called Ai. It is something that shouldn’t have happened but it did because Achan (of the children of Israel) stole from the previous battle.
The Israelites were coming off the back of a scintillating victory; they have just defeated the most fortified city of their time, namely Jericho. The Israelites were the toast of the region, their God is doing wonders and there army is formidable. In fact, they didn’t have to lift a finger against the wall before it came crashing down.
In Joshua 6 vs. 27 the bible says “So the Lord was with Joshua and his fame spread throughout all the country”
But then, when it came to fighting a town of much smaller proportion, they experienced defeat, because someone STOLE.
What are the consequences of stealing?

In vs. 11-12 we learn the following ... that

· Stealing contaminates us
· Stealing makes defeat a must.
· Stealing Forces God to withdraw His hands
· Stealing sets us up for destruction

Stealing in this age maybe regarded as common place, but every reasonable person knows that the consequences of being caught can be severe.
Punishments include being smacked (at home), expulsion (academia), getting the sack (corporate), or even being jailed (society)

As a believer, the devil turning you into a laughing stock and God being unable to help you out tops the list of consequences.

How then do we get back to winning ways?

· By confessing our sins
· Removing the accursed thing from our midst.

Joshua 8 finished the story with a “Back to Winning Ways” account...

Folks, we need to understand that winning is not the end.... we need to start staying as winners. DON'T STEAL

Eph 4 vs. 28 tells us what is required
"He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need."

... and in Titus 2:8, the bible explains “Sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say evil of you”

NEXT WEEK: "KNOW YOURSELF"

WARFARE 3 (INTEGRITY)

2008-04-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 11 vs. 3 – “The integrity of the upright will guide them...”

In this series, we are concerned with everyday living difficulties. The battles we have to fight on a daily basis, bringing up our kids in a godly way, the issues of being good employees and employers, ultimately the difficulties we have to endure in living every part of our lives for God.

The enemy is happy to watch you loose control of your kids as a parent, mismanage your finances, become unproductive at work, or live a shameful life.

The usefulness of integrity in winning these battles is the focus of this article.

The word integrity simply means to Integrate i.e. to male whole. It requires being consistent in your values, thoughts, and actions. – Bob Gass

Integrity requires the whole of you to pull it off. All your senses, organs and thinking, behaviour and character must be in sync to be able to achieve integrity. If any part of your body or yourself decides to go on its own, your integrity will be lost.

“Impressions are like shadows, they disappear when a strong enough light shines on them but integrity is different, the more light you shine on it, more of its details you can see. – Bob Gass

If you proclaim yourself as a good Samaritan, and you see someone lying down on the street asking for help which you can render. If your legs decide not to take you there, then your integrity is flawed. Integrity requires your mind body and soul to be one.

In Genesis 17, God made a covenant with Abraham and it detailed what God would do and what Abraham will do. Abraham responded immediately by doing what is required of him
Vs. 23 “.... and Abraham circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on the same day”

On the same day he carried out the painful exercise of cutting the foreskins of both kids and adults. He did no let procrastination tarnish his integrity.

Integrity brings constancy to your life which allows people to form better relationships with you.

Gen 18 vs. 17 – God asked himself “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing? And in verse 19 God explained why Abraham has now become his friend... because of INTEGRITY.

Vs. 19 – “ Yes, I've settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God's way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him” (The Message)

Abrahams Integrity also spun him into action once he knew the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. He pleaded with God to save the city; some people will say it is because his nephew lives there, but certainly his nephew is not 10 righteous people.

Integrity has a mutating gene that makes it spread. Lot had lived with Abraham for most of his life, and surely the life of integrity that Abraham lived had rubbed off on him. It’s not surprising that he did almost as exactly as his uncle in showing hospitality to strangers. ------ Integrity. Little did I wonder that God called Abraham His FRIEND.

Matthew 21 vs. 12 gave an account of Jesus cleansing the temple of the people that have turned it into what it is not. In the face of public humiliation and revolt, Jesus’ integrity stood out.

I would have loved to end this writing with the following:

“Let what you think be what you feel, let what you feel be what you say, let what you say be what you do.”

But, I would be making an unimaginable claim that what you are thinking is very much seated on the moral part of doing good.

The bible says “the heart of man is desperately wicked, who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17 vs. 9)
The Hebrew word for heart used in this passage is “Leb” and it is widely used for the feelings, the will and even the intellect.

So, among all things, our intellect and feelings are not the best to go by when talking of integrity.

Pick a depressed person walking on the street, he/she is thinking about committing suicide, and the person’s feeling it... as in talking it... and then doing it... I’m sure the last thing we want to hear about such is that he/she is a person of “Integrity”

Rather than “Let what you think be what you feel, let what you feel be what you say, let what you say be what you do.”.... Take the following as your meaning of integrity

“True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with Me (God) in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. (Malachi 2 vs. 6)...

Notice, he didn’t just stop himself from iniquity, he also helped others from doing the wrong things.

If that is you, then you are a person of INTEGRITY.... so says God.

INDICATORS OF INTEGRITY:

· The golden rule: “Do unto others as you would like them to do to you” (Luke 6 vs. 31). Integrity requires you to understand the need for consistency in warfare (daily living). As written by an author, knowledge and imagination are required to work this rule. Firstly, you must know the effects of your actions, and secondly you must be able to put yourself in the position of the recipient and ask yourself “can I take what I have just given”

· Size does not matter: Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16 vs. 10). Are your actions in small matters, or small environments the same as those in bigger ones?. When you are alone and no one is watching do you still do the things you proclaim as good? or you are like a chameleon that changes to the colour of the environment.

· YES = YES: Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5 vs. 37). A confused soldier is on his/her way to defeat. Likewise, if you as a soldier is giving false information or confusing the people around you, then you are just whiskers away from defeat because very soon no one will believe whatever you have to say.

Living a life of integrity is a must for us believers, albeit it may be hard, but the battle is always on and more importantly, God’s grace is sufficient.

Jesus said in Matthew 5 vs:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect”.
He said it because He knows it can be done... another translation presents it thus:

“In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." (The Message)

NEXT WEEK: SUSTENANCE

WAR 2 (PURPOSE)

2008-04-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

Engaging in battles, winning battles and persevering in the face of oppositions requires the fighters to have a strong sense of purpose.
Purpose as highlighted by Pastor Eddie is needed to ignite your passion. And when you’re passionate about something, you tend to channel important resources towards its direction.

Rather than randomly fine tune our purpose by speculation, Bob Gass explains that the best way to get ahead in life is to return to our owner’s manual explaining why we are alive, how life works, what to avoid, and what to expect in the future.... i.e. Get a purpose by REVELATION.

“Every open door is not necessarily your door”. We as Christians get carried away that we see all opportunities as ours to take forgetting that the devil can provide opportunities too that makes us miss the God given one.

The devil Provided Jesus with alternatives when he tempted Him in the wilderness, but Jesus stood His ground ensuring His purpose stays intact. The bible explains the power of purpose in Hebrews 12 vs. 2
“.... Who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”

Jesus was able to endure the cross because of the joy of getting you and I saved.

If we take a quick look at ourselves and the people around us, we’ll realise that consciously or unconsciously we operate with this principle:

“We give up when the cost of achieving our purpose is greater than the benefit”

For everything you do, if the above is true, then permit me to say...."stop".... “think twice”... is it worth pursuing?
But as long as the purpose is more significant, folks, keep pushing on.

The problem however is how do we measure cost against benefit?

By good planning: Jesus said "if a man wants to build a house does he not first count the cost?" Good planning gives you a rough idea of what will be required. Luke 14 vs. 28

Make it Plain: clearity of purpose can be the difference between failure and success. If your purpose is clear, help from others can be easily rendered.

Check your resources: Good knowledge of what you have gives you a factual assessment of where you stand in relation to your purpose. This coupled with the cost will enable you to either stop or know the additional resuorces required to fulfil your purpose.

However, there are other reasons why we don’t chase or why we give up on our dreams, aspirations and purpose.

Because we don’t have any: Surprisingly, vast majority of people don’t know what they want or what they’ll like to achieve be it in the short term (such as today) or long term (say 10 years).

Obstacles to be faced: Obstacles are part of everyday life. In fact the wind would have had an easy journey if you were not standing in its way. Likewise, there is really no straight road in life, be it the M25 or the M6 and no automation can take a car through the Spaghetti junction, the red lights, observe other cars and drive at the required speed limits and look out for pedestrians. Driving skills are required.

"Obstacles help identify purpose owners because it requires some form of mastery or expertise"

Benefits of having purpose

Criticism: Fighting against negative criticism is a battle that can be won with a strong sense of purpose.

Purpose takes you beyond opposition: Mark 2 vs. 1-4 talks about the friends that opened a hole in the roof to let their paralysed friend get an encounter with Jesus.

Purpose takes care of distractions and increases our commitment.

Ultimately, why you are fighting must be known, less you risk loosing the battle or giving up prematurely.

Finally, God's purpose for our lives even takes a different turn
God’s purpose is always bigger than us and we can't phantom what effects it will have on generations to come. Hence, a cost-benefit analysis is not possible......
but knows this "If it is God's, then it is worth fighting for.

If it is God's purpose, expect a big battle.... If it is God's purpose... Victory is yours to take.

NEXT WEEK: INTEGRITY

WAR 1 (Self Discipline)

2008-03-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER

Its a great priviledge to be part of the people that are alive to celebrate... but much more is the priviledge to understand that If not because He died and rose, our existence would have been unpalatable. Thank God for His love for us.

In the next few weeks, I'll be blogging about warfare. This is not so much of the heavyweight battles, this is about everyday living. Conquering the enemy on a daily basis.

SELF DISCIPLINE

“The first and best victory is to conquer self” - Plato

Everyday we are at war. As Christians we are fighting a lot of battles. While non-Christians might not be concerned about the conflict between flesh and spirit, we are. The fact that you are a Christian also makes you a prime target for the devil.
His attacks might come in different forms and as the bible puts it the thief comes to “steal, kill and destroy”. We need to live ready.

“What we do on some great occasions will probably depend on what we already are and what we are will be the result of previous years of self discipline” (Henry Parry Liddon)

Being disciplined is a requirement for any soldier. In fact, the training that soldiers go through has a substantial amount of soul, mind and body discipline. As Christians, the addition to that is spiritual discipline.
Lack of concentration on a battle field can easily result in death, and lack of obedience likewise has grave consequences.

Some levels of victory are delivered into your hands by just being disciplined.
In Genesis 11 vs. 6, God said this about some people
“Indeed the people are one, and they all have one language and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them”

Their intentions were not the cleanest, so God had to stop them by confusing their language. In essence, being disciplined enough to work in a team and press towards a common goal can be unstoppable.

Obedience to God is our navigation during warfare. The children of Israel did as they are told, and the walls of Jericho came down flat. (Joshua 6 )
Jehoshaphat in obedience secured victory by singing praises to God (1 chronicles 20)

God’s instructions for us are not the most physically and intellectually pleasing instructions we’ll ever receive, hence it take a lot of discipline to obey.

In Genesis 12 vs. 1-4, God told Abraham to leave where he was and everything he is familiar with, that He (God) is taking him to a place He’ll show him. Without complain in vs. 4 “Abraham departed as the Lord has spoken to him”....
Now, that is DISCIPLINE.

An excerpt from “word for today” reads:

The Bible says, 'Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God...realise that...whatever you choose to obey...[becomes your master]' (Romans 6:12-16 NLT). If you let it, your body will lead you off course. It isn't that your body is evil; it's just that it possesses a number of appetites that are always ready to respond to the surrounding stimuli, all of which are terribly appealing and temporarily satisfying.
Each day look for an opportunity to say 'no' to yourself in some small area. Try it; you'll be surprised how hard it is. But the payoff will come when you need to say no to yourself in some big area of life.

NEXT WEEK: "PURPOSE"

PEEP

2008-01-17T09:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to me.... Happy Birthday to me.... Happy birthday to me blogger.... Happy birthday to meeeeeee……. (DRUM ROLL)

Yes... that's right. It was my birthday a few days ago, on Sunday to be precise. Such a lovely day that was.

I’m very happy to be a year older (giving thanks to God for His faithfulness).

How did I celebrate it?

Well, I did a 140 mile trip to be with my family and it was well worth it… because… I came back with some chocolate cake… loving treat from friends, a wonderful experience with well wishers…. AND an iphone…

So over the past few days, it’s been me and my iphone (lol)

Plans for the year?

As many will say, living life to the fullest is their main priority…. I couldn’t agree more… My main aim is to live my life to the fullest, which is by maximizing every potential within me.
Being the best I can ever be only comes by letting God reveal the reason for my existing. So as I journey through another year, my eyes are gonna be fixed on Him for those exclusive revelations/instructions.

Any Secret?

Hmmnnn…. That required some thought…. I guess there are secrets…. As usual, things I’m doing that are known to me or only a few other people.
I guess with time, everyone will know… so patience is required.

Struggles?

I won’t say struggles but some seemingly unfavorable circumstances have been popping up, but greater is He that is in me that He that is in the world.

Highs?

There were numerous highs in 2007, and 2008 has already started with a bang… my iphone is one of them….
I haven’t worn a wristwatch in a while, (not because I don’t have), but some very good friends decided to decorate my wrist with one… I’m loving it.

Lows?

Fell ill over Christmas for a few hours (lol)….

What next?

Concentrate on the final laps of a 3yr program… Improve in different areas of my life... and rock my way through the year (where’s my guitar)

Closing words:

“Comprehensively contemplating what to do with your time is reminiscent of a couch potato…. Consciously allocating your resources for optimum output is indicative of a goal getter”….

Who are you?

WHILE YOU WAIT

2008-01-10T06:02:00.000-08:00

“….Now it came to pass in the process of time…” This is a phrase that is scattered around biblical texts, in different places for different purposes and under different circumstances.

All around us believers are constantly being reminded of the awesomeness of their God with praise worthy glorifications such as “God is never late”… “God is not limited by time”… “God made time but He exists outside of time”… et cetera.
While these are true, the question is "how are we suppose to define time?" and whose time should we follow?

For example, when we say God is never late, how long are you prepared to wait? Before you think…God is now running late.
When you finish work? Before you get married? When you reach a certain age? Or even when you die?
Do we sincerely believe that God is never late and that anytime He shows up is the right time? And more importantly, are we ready to wait?

“Are you ready to wait” is not a question I’m expecting you to answer. As a believer, waiting on God is not an option, unless you’ve decided that you know better than Him, which calls into question the morale of your belief in the first place.
Waiting becomes part of our experience as believers because going by the biblical revelation of God’s view of time (…With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 2 peter 3 vs. 8) it may be quite long.

How about these for facts:
Abraham waited for 25 years from when he received the promise to having Isaac.
Noah waited for 120 years from when he was told to build an ark to the time of the flood.
Children of Israel journeyed 40 years to get to Canaan.
Prophets in the bible prophesied and waited and died before Jesus came.

Now that waiting seems to be everything but child’s play, the focus of this article is

“what do we do while we wait?”

A story in the Old Testament brings this to surface. In exodus, the bible tells of how Moses an Israelite that was raised by the Egyptian king (Pharaoh) killed another Egyptian and Pharaoh the king sought to kill him (Moses) too.

Exodus 2 vs. 15: When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian... "

Later on in verse 23 of the same chapter, we were told that

“Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died”.

By this time Moses had been married and even had a child. He was 40yrs old when He left Egypt, by the time God called him to go back to Egypt, another 40yrs has passed…

Similar stories are represented in the bible where a vision is given but a process of time has to be endured before the vision is accomplished. Interestingly, in some cases, what to do in this process of time remains a mystery.
In Matthew, when Herod sought to kill baby Jesus, the angel directed Joseph and Mary to Egypt to stay there till the people who sought to kill Jesus are dead. We were not told what they’ll do in Egypt and the bible did not record that they were told what they’ll be doing in Egypt either.

How then do we spend the time we have between a revelation or vision or prophecy and its fulfillment?
Also bear in mind that what you do with that time can adversely affect the given vision. Some of the children of Israel forfeited getting into the promise land by their wayward behaviour in the wilderness.

Jesus told a story of conception and birth in Mathew 13 vs. 24-30. A farmer planted his seed, and in the process of time, while waiting for the seed to grow, he (the farmer) slept off and the enemy came to plant weed among the seeds. As Jesus pointed out, getting rid of the weed was not practical again until harvest time, hence the famer had to look after both the seed and the weed, water them, fertilize and nourish them until harvest time. One thing is certain, harvest will come, the vision will be fulfilled, but the yield would have been adversely affected.

How best can we spend our waiting times in the fulfillment of certain visions/promises?

When God says you’ll get a job, is it right for you to just apply for jobs and then eat, sleep, wake up and eat and sleep again?... or while applying for jobs you can improve on different skills that will put you in good working conditions.

I will not be able to directly tell you what you should be doing in every waiting situation but below are things you can keep yourself busy with while you wait for that BIG promise to be fulfilled.

Why not ask God for the things he’ll like you to do while waiting. As earlier said, doing the wrong things while you wait can adversely affect the ultimate promise

(1 peter 4 vs. 2: As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. )

Make yourself available for God to use:

(Ephesians 5 vs. 15 – 16) Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil

Create an atmosphere for growth: A new promise/vision from God is always bigger and better than where you are at the moment. It is expedient that while you wait, you invest into yourself by growing in as many areas of your life as possible.

Have a time of rest: God is interested in how well we look after ourselves. Careless living can limit your productivity.

(Mark 6 vs. 30-32) The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

I am in “a process of time” right now in my life, most of us are. My promise is big… very big and because of that, in the past I sometimes just wanted to sit on my backside and wait for it. It’s not because I’m lazy, but because the enemy was trying to make me believe that I can’t progress until I receive it. Lack of progress and the continued waiting led to frustration. BUT
God came to my rescue and He gave me a word concerning my “process of time”.
In Jeremiah 29, God promised the Israelites that were in exile that He’ll come and rescue them after a period 70 years. In the mean time He says

(Jeremiah 29 vs. 4-7) This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

So even in my waiting period, there is a plan for my life… like… getting a wife!!!!!

ALL OF US

We are all waiting for a VERY BIG PROMISE, the 2nd coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Folks, our pilgrimage on earth are the waiting periods that we have. How are you spending this “process of time” that might last for as long as you live? Do you know what God will have you do while you wait?

Remember, what you do in this waiting period can adversely affect the VERY BIG PROMISE…
Are you daily living your life as the bride that the bible says we are, waiting for the king of glory?
The advise for all of us today is….. Live with the end in view…. It helps

HAPPY NEW YEAR

FAITH NEVER FAILS (4)

2007-12-27T15:17:00.000-08:00

GOD REIGNS:

For the past three weeks, I’ve made a point of telling you about things that I’ve experienced in the walk of faith. Faith Works, Faith Makes, Faith Gives.

All these are meant to serve as a build up to this blog “GOD REIGNS”.
God reigns bring together the effectiveness, transparency, originality and the reproductive possibilities of the believer’s currency…… “FAITH”

After blogs about the practicality of faith in our daily lives, a principled approach to the concept of faith seems a necessity as my Christmas message because it concerns the one person that brought faith to our use---- “JESUS”

As I cannot spend this whole write up explaining as deeply as I want to, please bear with me and I pray that the Holy Spirit will minister to our hearts and expand His word in us.

Romans 4 vs. 3 (Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness)

Our justification by faith is what a lot of believers and unbelievers have struggled with in terms of understanding and application.

ABRAHAM

God is a perfect God and believe it or not, He has all things planned and nothing ever happens outside of his divine plan.

Abraham lived before Moses. By saying that I mean Abraham was alive and died before God gave Moses the law. So in Abraham’s days, or the days before Moses, there was no law. Walking with God then required Faith and that was what Abraham had.
God gave Abraham the promise that affects generations to come.
Genesis 12 vs. 3b (In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed) NOTE: Not only the Jews.
To make this clearer, Abraham had two sons, one of the slave woman (born of flesh) and one of promise. That born of flesh had to endure the hardship of living under the dictates of the flesh (Genesis 16 vs. 7-12), and that born of the promise was by covenant heir to the blessings of his Father (He just had to believe).
Galatians 3 vs. 9 (So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham)

MOSES

After 430 years of God making a covenant of promise with Abraham, Moses came onto the scene. As mentioned earlier, the covenant and Promise came before the Law. (Never forget that)

Why the Law?

Galatians 3 vs. 19 (The law was added because of transgressions, till the SEED should come to whom the promise was made: and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.)

The law was there to keep us under guard until the SEED comes in whom we can believe by faith and be partakers of the Abrahamic blessings.

CHRISTMAS

At such a period as this, we are celebrating the birth of the new born king that has come to give us life that we may have it abundantly… His name is JESUS (THE SEED)
Galatians 3 vs. 16 (Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He does not say to the seeds as of many but as of one “And to your Seed who is Christ)

The Law expires when the Seed comes and folks Hurray!!!! The seed as come and we are free from the law.
The Seed brought faith with it to connect us to the blessings that Abraham received outside of the LAW.
(Galatians 3 vs. 23 – 25) (But before faith came, we were kept under the guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor)

That was why Paul said in
Romans 8 vs. 2 (For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death)

We are FREE…. This is the message of Christmas… the birth of the saviour of the world that brings Freedom.

Free from every form of oppression, hence we’re standing tall…. free from every form of depression, hence we’re living in joy, free from every form of recession, hence we’re in boom.

As we enjoy the turkeys that comes with Jesus’ birth, remember “FAITH WORKS, FAITH MAKES, FAITH GIVES and GOD REIGNS”

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

FAITH NEVER FAILS (3)

2007-12-22T04:07:00.000-08:00

FAITH GIVES:

“Faith gives” characterizes our position when receiving from God.

Hebrews 11 vs.1 (Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen).

This 3rd part of “Faith Never fails” is a continuation of an event reported on 18th October titled “Fictional Tale”.

How does "re-born faith" comes into play when after a long faithful wait, it seems like what you’ve been hoping for is within reach only for it to not materialise.

I’m talking about a situation where, you’ve waited, you’ve hoped, you’ve believed and in faith you’ve been positioned. You were close to receiving it, but for one reason or the other.... you missed and the “faith” process starts again.

That was what happened to me a few months ago.... and it’s taken me some time to recover.

The few days I talked about in “fictional tale” came and I presented myself to the group. My fears were allayed as I was warmly received and in no time I was happy and kicking albeit after a few questions such as “so what happened to you the other day”?

Life was back to normal (group wise) and I was enjoying my new found opportunity.
Fear is the greatest threat to our faith. With fear, faith cannot be expressed. As I was finding my feet in the group, I was equally nursing the fear of letting the group down again.
In 3 months, another d-day will come and doing a “NO SHOW” will be a disaster.

My experience a few months back brought me to tears, but I made it my duty to learn from my errors and with God’s help, new promises were revealed. It was these promises that energised the “re-born faith”.

As the days went by, the new D-Day was fast approaching. Every now and then, I was checking my diary to make sure nothing....as in nothing.... will take the opportunity away from me again.

Finally........the D-day dawned. After a torrid morning and afternoon.... evening came and I was dressed for what for me was “summer come round again”.
As I sat on the stage, looking down at the number in attendance ...... as I took to the stage ......my feet finding refuge in the floor, as I left the stage, a thundering applause echoed behind me, I paused to say “THANK YOU GOD”
A disappointing day in June has been replaced by an appointing day in December... It’s good to know my achievements and happiness are not weather based (lol).

I could have given up ages ago, I really wanted to, but the knowledge of what Faith gives kept me going.

Faith gave “Abraham the heart to sacrifice Isaac... believing that God can give him a child again.
Faith gave Sarah the strength to conceive and give birth at an old age even when there were no sophisticated delivery procedures (Hebrews 11 vs. 11)
Faith gave me a transformation “from doing a No Show to putting up a Big Show
Faith gives us an inheritance as God pleasers (Hebrew 11 vs. 6)

What can Faith give you this Christmas season?

Everything: from the most cherished gifts, to the appreciation of the new born king, to the opportunity in sharing the same faith with someone else.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

FAITH NEVER FAILS (2)

2007-12-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17 vs. 11)

FAITH MAKES

“Faith makes” is a journey of development.
It is concerned with the process of growth where each day, our love for and commitment to God is strengthened.

Zeal and expectations are some of the factors that fan our flame in God, but an unwillingness to grow nullifies the effects of zeal and expectation.

Growth is needed for survival in the physical world and so it is in the Christian walk. The individuals that end up surviving are the ones that are growing.

Admittedly, the intensity and scale of the challenges we face seems to be proportional to growth. .. i.e “To whom much is given much is expected”. (Luke 12 vs. 48)

The more matured you are, the bigger the problems you face. Likewise, the less matured you are, the smaller the challenges you face .......(roughly).

All things being equal, a young kid will be expected to look after himself or herself at the most, while a mother will be expected to carry the burdens of the whole nation.... I mean the family.

Does it then mean that what I (the clever one) should be doing is inhibit my growth so I can face small challenges?

NOT QUITE SO!!!!!

Whoever dishes out the challenges we face in life takes little or no consideration for our preparation, hence growth becomes a race against time because you don’t know when challenges or what type of challenges will come your way.

God assures us in his word that “in any situation we find ourselves.... there is a way out”... (1 corinthians 10 vs. 13) but it takes faith and a lot of it to see through God’s eyes.

The Berean Christians were concerned about growth and they verified Paul’s teaching with the bible.
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10 vs. 17)

Handling bigger things is a sign of growth and it can only be done with Faith in God.

The Devil will not harass anyone that is not a threat to his kingdom. My mum uses an illustration of being a chicken in the devil’s farm.
The devil will not chase the chicken in his farm, and he won’t disturb them either, rather, he’ll give them food, drink, shelter and provision until the day he’s ready to slaughter them.

Life is not that organised... that’s why seemingly random things happen... but the devil is much organised. So if you are not being thrown into a situation that takes God to handle.... check your growth level. ...you might just be a chicken in the devil’s poultry farm....

Don Moen wrote:

“And I will soar with wings like eagles....Held by the hand of God..."

Have you ever seen an eagle fly with the hand of God holding it?... I wouldn't think so.... but
there is a height the eagle attains, that it starts soaring ( i.e rise with little apparent effort)... so who holds it then?.... GOD does...

Its high time you stopped ferociously flapping your wings (chickens do that)... and start soaring with God's help.

Trust Him more with your life.... have a personal relationship with Him... read His word (the bible) and let the Holy Spirit peacefully make His abode with you.

I’m not content with being a chicken.... and I know I can’t fly alone... but “faith makes” me an eagle held by the Hand of God....

How about you?

Where there situations in 2007 that got you yo-yoing around like an "head-less" chicken?.... well then grow up... and soar like an “head-full” eagle...

It takes growth, it takes faith...it takes God.

FAITH NEVER FAILS (1)

2007-12-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

Abraham believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Romans 4:3)

Welcome to December.... a month of Thanksgiving. 11 months have gone by and in a little while... 2007 will be a year in the past.

This month I’ll put my thoughts together and write about faith. As believers, we would have at one point or the other exercise our faith. Be it in small matters or big matters. The truth is “without faith, the Christian journey seems an impossible pilgrimage”
(Hebrews 11:6 ---paraphrased)

What are you to expect in the coming weeks as we count down to Christmas and the New Year.?

Faith Works
Faith Makes
Faith Gives
God reigns

FAITH WORKS

Faith Works is a story of belief in God until all other options have passed you by.

I was at a gathering a couple of weeks ago and I got a word from God through the preacher on the night concerning an issue.
What I am putting my faith in God for however has a time frame. The organisation concerned made it clear that if necessary things are not done by a certain date, there will be consequences.... and I’ll lose out.
I believed God for what He had said and I sat back and watched as the deadline came and went. At this point all I can now do is fervently hold on and wait for God’s intervention. I couldn’t make God hurry, neither do I want unbelief to guide my actions, so I held on.
After a while the situation seems to be getting worse and I started to get really concerned. Things are getting out of hand and I or someone has to put an end to it.
Logically, I can try and slow down the pace of what is going wrong but as the deadline for any remedy is come and gone... I’ll just have to wait and see.

With a troubled countenance, God led me to call the organisation with a specific warning “do not lie”.... so I thought... ooooooooooook....

I spoke to a representative of the organisation and she didn’t waste time in telling me the deadline date had come and gone.... like I didn’t know. After a lengthy conversation, she decided to call me back the next day with the view her senior manager might be able to help me.

Tomorrow came as usual and at 2:50 pm, while I was sweating over a project due in for 3pm, my phone rang.....guess who? ...yep that’s right... It’s the organisation following up on my almost impossible request.
Did I pick up? ....you bet... I sure did and as I listened to the syllables of the words being pronounced at the other end of the phone, the sweat on my face trickled down faster. The holdup caused by frowning had gone... I’m full of smiles now....
It’s been done... the change has been made and the time frame issue was neglected... Amazing

I breathe a sigh of relief but as soon as she hung up, the sweat came back..... It’s 3:02....and my project isn’t finished.

It wasn’t until later in the evening that I was able to digest the scale of the break through.... and I learnt this from the experience:

“You can never lose out on anything while sincerely waiting on God”.

We tend to live our lives by having God as “one of many options” rather than having Him as “the option”........
The Bible says.........Colossians 1:17 “In Christ all things consist” (including all the other options) ..... So when you’ve got God, you’ve got it all.

The year is coming to an end.... and I don’t know how long you’ve been hoping and praying for that “one thing” to be done. I got news for you..... Hold on....God’s got it all in control.

Truly, the days will come when:
“You’ll only survive because you’ve got the real thing”....
“It’s gonna be truth or consequences”
“You’ll have to work with God when you can’t understand or explain where He’s taking you”
“You’ll have to stand on his word when it doesn’t look like its working”
(word for today- Dec 3/07)

Is this the day? ... ... be rest assured folks.... .... ....“Faith Works”

INSIGHT

2007-11-30T01:27:00.000-08:00

WE DON’T KNOW

A knowledge of the future and/or an understanding of what tomorrow holds makes life a live-able adventure. – FACT

Some people do not believe in God or any higher being, but they admit to the limitations in their knowledge… both natural and scientific.

One of our major deficiencies is our inability to accurately predict the future. The closest we’ve got is what is termed “calculated risk”…..and the scale goes towards “total uncertainty”. (We just don’t know what will happen tomorrow)

This undeniable hole in our intelligence has driven us to harness the latent energy in our past to get an estimate of the future through a process called “Future Projection”.

Some of us however come from the school of thought that the future is somehow predetermined…. And hence all we need do is get access to the entities/channels that knows this future.
Horoscopes are common examples of our quest to know tomorrow.
In a nut shell, the future is what each and every one of us would like to know for one reason or the other. Be it to know who to marry, where to live, what course to take, what company to work for or what things to do to get immunity from all the crisis that surrounds us.

WHETHER TO CHANGE

Another dimension to this writing is the concept of “change.”
A common realization is that “change” is not something we readily embrace.
I’ll split “change” into different categories to help explain its relevance in this write up.

Natural change: These changes occur and we don’t have any power over them. An example will be physical growth. You can get your hair trimmed every fortnight but that doesn’t make you a baby…. Let’s face it… You’re 40yrs old…

Compulsory change: With this type of change, there is an option of not changing, but limitations exist that makes not changing an unreasonable choice. An example will be a change undertaken in the case of survival. Being overweight or having bad habits will have damning outcomes… so change kind of becomes compulsory… least for your own good.

Enforced change: This change happens when you’re subject to a higher authority. A company changing its modus operandi requires all staff to comply irrespective of their opinions. Failure to do so might mean you’ll have to go and start your own business (I mean get the sack).

Willing change: Changes we choose to undergo without any external prompting. Like me deciding to build some muscles (ok….probably for the ladies)

‘COS WE’RE SCARED

One of the reasons for our defiance to change is the presence of risk and uncertainties about the future effects of the change in question.
My decision to build muscles might put me in an enviable position where I’ll have ladies swarming around me (more than I can handle) lol…. (I wish).
Take the NHS for example…. The changes they’ve undergone have not been productive enough and Labour might just loose the next election on account of changes gone wrong.

Change becomes relatively easy to undergo if these two factors (RISK and UNCERTAINTY) are taken care of i.e. you can accurately determine when change will become beneficial or detrimental.

The elimination of the factors of risk and uncertainty is what is termed INSIGHT

BUT DON’T BE

For the 3rd year running, I’m required to participate in a group project whereby we’re given the freedom to choose the people we want to work with.

Over the past two years, I’ve been privileged to work with an intelligent group of people and our results speak for us.
So it was with great ease that I decided that my former group will be the answer to my latest project.
But it wasn’t meant to be. I was led not to continue with a tried and tested team, who hasn’t wronged me and instead join another group whose credentials are nowhere to be confirmed.

I did and we’re about 5 weeks into the project and I can say my “fear of the unknown” was the biggest hindrance in joining the new group.

Where I come from …they say
“It is short sightedness that makes you think your father’s farm is the largest…. If you visit other people’s farm, yours might just be average”.

And the new group depicts this. They have a different way of doing things and admittedly a lot better than I was expecting.
In this few weeks, I have, through the influence of my new team experience things I may never get an opportunity to experience if I’d stayed where I was, benefiting from the term “Blessing by Association”.

GOD KNOWS ALL

“If I’d known about these wonderful blessings, I wouldn’t have hesitated joining this group from the word go”
If I’d had some “insight”, the decision would have been easier.

And that is the highlight of this article… if we can find a reliable source of insight….folks; it is the beginning of a better life.

I know someone that knows the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46 vs 9-10)
Not just that.....He knows me right from before I was conceived in my mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1 vs 5)

If this person knows so much about me, what part of my life (past, present, future) will He not know?
I thought deeply about this question and the answer I could come up with is “None”… He knows everything concerning me.
All I need to do is continually obey his instructions ….even those ones concerning change…..And bang I’ll be walking with Insight.

He said .....“The thoughts he has towards me are not of evil but of good. To give me a future and a hope….(Jeremiah 29 vs 11)

As I patiently rely on His full knowledge, I can start living an “uncertainty free and risk free” life… i.e. the next friend I’ll make will be pointed out to me….
That’s what I call Insight…. Obeying God

WE DON’T KNOW WHETHER TO CHANGE ‘COS WE’RE SCARED…BUT DON’T BE …GOD KNOWS ALL

Have I just failed?

2007-11-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I said and I quote:

“I am not bothered about failing. I have been in this position before and from experience, extraordinary things always happen”.

For the next 6 days, I did everything within my capability to make the extraordinary feat come to reality.
Self motivation, mind exploration, body renovation, spiritual revelations....name it..... were all employed to help me believe that I will do very well and by the way... it is against all odds.

Hours ticked by, days and nights passed.... AND the D-DAY dawned. My attire for this day had been pre-determined.... including the shoes that were meant to usher in success.

Set out of the house with an aura of confidence, conjuring up an adroit way of handling the subject of my test.
I went through the final drill and my supervisor/instructor was stunned that he had to ask “aren’t you nervous?”...... My immediate answer was “NO”

A few minutes later, I was in the thick of the test.... seemed such a long time and finally it came to an end.
I have lived it.... YES!!! I exclaimed.... beaming with smiles and a glowing demeanour.

“I can reproduce it ..... It works.... the preparation.....the motivation...... the belief.....and much more.... ...the bravery of trying and going for it.

I cannot be stopped... I told myself.... This surely is one thing I’ve discovered about myself.... that it’s never too late....for me to achieve whatever I want to achieve.

And Here I am today.... walking this planet like you.....but I’m not so sure we have the same mindset.... or do we?

Who do you see yourself as?????
Do you give up at the slightest opposition?
Will you ever summon up the courage to face your fears?
Or you’re very much ready to live by the dictates of life.

Let me open your mind to reality.... A dictate of life is that whatever goes up comes down under the influence of a force called gravity........ We can all accept this fact and live our lives with this knowledge.... but... NO... we...... ok, (probably not you and I).... but we (humans).... came up with the innovation that makes us cruise at 30,000 feet.... WHAOOO....

Adidas says it all................. “Impossible is nothing”
God gives it all.................... “I can do all things......” (Philippians 4 vs. 13)

Every day, this is what I try to live by and so should you.... Circumstances should never tell you who you are...

Back to my story:

You’ve probably not wondered what my result was for the test... Asking you to guess might just be too straight forward ‘cos you’ll guess right..... OR NOT!!!!

RESULT = FAILED (Yep that’s right)

Admittedly, I had mixed feelings when I got the result.....but my supervisor made a statement that changed it all for me..... .he said “Son, you have failed with dignity”

Now, there’s nothing dignified about failure.... But he understands that.... I am not a failure....

So.......Have I just failed? ..... The obvious answer is NO..... I’ve just learnt how not to kill someone on the road......

UNFAILING LOVE

2007-11-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

Unfailing Love

And now these three remain.........faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love (1corinthians 13 vs. 13)

The cosmos (universe seen as an ordered system) is a striking resemblance of the compatibility of different particles (if humans can be called) not by force, not by law, but in an entity called “LOVE”.
It’s not surprising to see love in these things simply because the creator “God is love” (1 John 4 vs. 8)
Right from the beginning of creation, God has loved us. All went perfectly well until imperfection sets in.... not on God’s part but on the part of man. We sold ourselves to slavery, putting God in a fix, He couldn’t let us go because He loved you and I, but a ransom had to be paid.
Jesus stepped into the scene, having the form of God (Love); He laid down His life for us. He paid the debt He didn’t owe to cancel the price we couldn’t pay.

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus dreaded what he’ll have to go through. When our sins was laid upon him on the cross, He felt a separation and He cried with a loud voice ”Eloi, eloi, lamasabacthni”.....My God My God , why have you forsaken.
Jesus was lonely, neglected and deserted at that point by His father. The physical Agony was horrible but the spiritual alienation from God was the ultimate torture. He died for you and I to reconcile us back to God. (Romans 5 vs. 1)
It wasn’t easy but it was worth it because of his unfailing love.

There are times we forget our weakness and strive so hard to earn love... God’s love.
In many cases, we leave His word and end up with false ideas. Either we are too good to deserve His love or we are not able to get his love and assume that we are not qualified. Some other times, what we do is insult God with our indifference towards the greatest act of genuine love in history.

The bible tells us that “God loves us”. His love has no beginning and it is incredibly patient. Just respond to His loving call and don’t try to earn what is freely given.
He sacrificed His son for you, not when you were good but when you were imperfect (Romans 5 vs. 8)
God says my son paid for what is unacceptable about you. Now live because of my love; respond to me; love me with your whole being; give yourself to me, not as a payment but in thanksgiving.
Live life fully with the freedom of knowing you are loved with an "UNFAILING LOVE".

MOTHER

2007-11-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I was in a position that I am again right now…. All I wanted to do was sit down, pull the keyboard closer and menacingly type my way through a tirade of thoughts about women.
Not just any woman is set to be my focus of discussion, but rather women who have been there… women who have traveled the distance… I mean… been to the so called “heaven”… those who have tasted the sweetness of a man…
Women who by chance…..stupidity…..mistake…..or by planning have lived the disfigurement brought about by bulging bellies.
Women who by patience…determination…strength…and a strong resolve endured the pains of childbirth.
Women who have experienced the good….the bad…the…ugly and the joy
Women who can be called MOTHERS.

Today….I’m drawing my keyboard closer… in preparation to tell you how wonderful mothers can be.

Mothers are a big influence in every child’s life. The love they give, the care, the sacrifices and the first word of a child ....“mummy”..... bears testimony to their impact.

Not surprisingly, the high esteem of the mother figure cuts across cultures, and it echoes in different parts of our communities… from India to the remote parts of Africa.

I am not writing to sell motherhood to you or even make you thing you owe your mum(s) anything…..because you might not…..rather I’m writing so you may know that I owe a lot to my mother …

“Remember the son of who you are” is a phrase I expect to hear whenever I speak to my mum….
But think about it…. Wouldn’t it be very depressing for me to remember who my mother is…..if she is very uncaring, unreasonable, lazy, and a bad role model.

Fortunately, I always want to remember “the son of whom I am”…..and it’s not just because I want to make her proud or be a good son…. Rather, it’s because “who she is” brings joy to my soul.
My mother is the best mum you can ever dream of…..ask my siblings…..
It’s not because she’s fabricated in a “school for mothers”….Instead…. She has taken the time out to engrave her children into her own existence…. Not only her, all good mothers do the same.

At this point I stand to acknowledge many more mothers like mine that are in this world… Numerous they are and on behalf of their children… I say thank you for putting smiles on our faces… because we do love you.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD MOTHER (Proverbs 31 vs. 10 – 31)

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Mother, today I arise and call you blessed.

WALK HOLY

2007-10-26T01:50:00.000-07:00

In the forests of northern Europe and Asia lives little animal called the ERMINE, known for his snow-white fur in winter. He instinctively protects his white coat against anything that would soil it. Fur hunters take advantage of this unusual trait of the ermine. They don’t set a snare to catch him, but instead they find his home, which is usually a cleft in a rock or a hollow in an old tree. They smear the entrance and interior with grime. Then the hunters set their dogs loose to find and chase the ermine. The frightened animal flees toward home but doesn’t enter because of the filth. Rather than soil his white coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his purity. For the ermine, purity is more precious than life. The Lord wants His people to keep themselves separated from the filth of this world at all cost. In (Numbers 15: 38,40) the Lord told the Jews to put a blue thread on the borders of their clothes. When they saw the blue, they were to remember God's holy purpose for their lives and to keep a distance from sin. Do we remind ourselves often of our high and holy purpose for living? The best way to live in the world is to live above it.- Henry G Bosch (See Our Daily Bread, 4/21/97)

FICTIONAL TALE

2007-10-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

A fictional tale that has existed in my life is something worth giving a mention not least because I’ve been paying attention to its occurrences.
In years gone by I’ve come to observe that first impression does really count and that sometimes you might have to bend over backwards to erase an unwanted notion that someone has about you.

For me bending over backwards to erase an unwanted notion would have been relatively easy except that whenever I have an opportunity to do so, I don’t do particularly well. In fact, instead, my behavior tends to reinforce whatever notion the person(s) have of me in the first place.

How this happens is still a mystery and I have found myself pleading with people to think positive about me because in that way they will also reap the benefits… as I will almost always tend to act positively towards them.

The above however does not infringe on my personality or my character and does not in anyway define who I am.

A while ago, I met a friend who thinks I am very selfish. By coincidence and chance, I wasn’t able to give what was being asked of me and like always I felt really bad because I wasn’t able to help. To top it up, the friend decided to believe what he thought. I explained the situation with a guarantee that I am not selfish and that next time will be different.
Not long after that, next time came…. And alas!!!! Here I went again, giving excuses about how I won’t be able to give what he’s asking. Without mincing words, he remarked “I knew you are selfish”

Here we go…my fictional tale replaying itself again… and there’s nothing I could do to redeem myself than to pray than he’ll encounter me on a day where the truth about me will be revealed.

For your information, I am not selfish

Why I am saying this?

In a few days time, I’ll be facing a group of people who by virtue of relationship and rules of engagement have no choice but to think positively about me, but I also know that by virtue of experience, they might be tempted to think otherwise.
Admittedly, I haven’t been particularly brilliant in the way I portray myself. It is not because I was doing something wrong, rather, I was living a life of ambiguity where whether I was in or out could not be ascertained.
Over the course of the months of preparation and being in the group, there was a relaxation about what they had thought of me…..but I guess their fears will not be completely wiped out until after a specified day had come and gone….The D-DAY.

As the day approached, hopes were raised, excitement filled the tent and on the eve of the D-Day, I was a sure member and a significant participant in the activities of the group.

As the D-Day dawns, my fictional tale materialized…. AGAIN…..
Characterized by a few wrong decisions, unprecedented happenings, bizarre time mistakes and my journey to a location where I was unreachable all culminating in me doing a NO-SHOW for what is arguable the most important day on the calendar for the group.

20 missed calls, uncountable text and voice messages were all deposited on my phone and 4hrs after the group event… I showed up albeit not physically…. but rather with access to my phone… and that’s when it dawned on me… “Nine months of hard work fizzled out …. .and the group’s fear?..... Confirmed!!!!

From my personal point of view, I was distraught for missing an event I’ve looked forward to all year long…. I wanted to be there… dreamt about it… the accolades, the applause, invited loads of friends…. Only for the friends to also join in the search for the act they’ve come to see.
My sorrows were compounded when the group leader spoke to me on the phone and highlighted how unprofessional my actions have been, letting the group down by my inconsiderate approach to the demands of the group (paraphrased).

I admit without holding back that I was at fault…..and my actions were disappointing.. But a part of me still thinks that the group’s notion about me triggered it. If they had been very positive, probably their thought process could have helped me do the right things.

It’s been almost 5 months now since the spectacle. Five months of silence, noticeably from my side. As mentioned earlier, in a few days … I will make a return with the aim to defy the odds…. Bring an end to the fictional tale and thrust myself into the front line of activities. A warm welcome I pray I’ll receive.

CAUTION:
The fictional Tale has no bearing on who I am, and I take full responsibility for my actions and words …. Another man’s thoughts are too small to mould the way I live my life.
Although, to see life as blue, always wear a blue Polaroid is the answer (and everything turns blue)… so if anyone decides to see me as black…. Oh well…. I might just be black… to them.

Principle, Value and Faith

2007-10-11T05:35:00.000-07:00

Living a life guided by principles, values and faith is something I have enjoyed being part of.

Principles give you stability in a day to day environment. It helps define who you are… and helps confirm who you are not (in the long term). Yes, sometimes principles are challenged and sometimes you might not be able to live up to them… other times being principled can be detrimental to progress (but that’s because the world we live in does not understand them)
But overall it’s good to be principled ‘cos for the least, it saves you the drama of yo-yoing around like a headless chicken.

Values project you to a state of moral uprightness that helps you survive in a world where everything and anything has equal chances of happening.
Will the Diana inquest provide answers to the pressing questions? … Was it or was it not planned?
An 11 year old who has terrorized his community with top of the range anti-social behaviour cannot be jailed…..Because he’s less than 12 years of age.
My loved TV star… Kiefer Sutherland who plays counter terrorist agent (Jack Bauer) in the hit TV series 24 is facing 48 days in jail… for drink driving….

Can anyone see values missing?

It surely feels good to utter the words;

“Family comes first” when you are faced with a choice involving your family.

“Work is a means to an end not an end in itself” when you are increasingly nursing a discontent with your purpose in life (to work or to live)…

“Charity begins at home” when your kids forget to act it out (Thank you, please, I’m sorry)….the magic words.

“I’m a man of integrity”…. When you are asked to play it fast…. Or cut corners.
You can put your hand up and say “my middle name is not Alonso”….. and if your first name is Alonso…. Ooooops ….. ma bad…. At least you are not a formula 1 driver.

Faith brings principles and values to a place of co-existence where the next day is an opportunity taken… not because you’ve seen it….but because you’ve lived it.

Faith tells our fears to have principles and our worries to have values….

If fear has principles like we do… we’ll respect each other and if worry has values like we do…. We’ll respect each other…..

Then I can say “Evil I will not fear… for I have the fear of God”…. Principled fear

And about my existence I will not worry…. Cos worry has values… and that is…..don’t come near me….

So everyday,
LIVE PRINCIPLED, LIVE VALUED, LIVE FAITHFUL......

HELLO

2007-10-04T06:47:00.000-07:00

Hiya to ya’ll….

It’s absolutely fantastic to be back stretching my hands out and hoping my fingers will touch you (of different race, background, location, class, identity and mindset) through the workings of the World Wide Web network.

It’s been a few weeks now and quite sincerely; a lot has changed since we finished the journey on the last series titled “Family Meltdown…The Mis-es”.

Firstly, I’ve grown taller, (even if that is just as a result of an increase in my hair length), but more significantly, I’m embarking on the final lap of an hurdle in my life and come June….. By God’s grace I’ll be done.

There is another introduction to the content of my blog page which is show-cased as “Quote of the day”….. This will be a quote mostly from my library or occasionally from other people that will minister to you for the day.

Christmas is coming and before then, we’ll surely find a host of things to occupy ourselves with.

Welcome back to myself…. And welcome back to you too.

Have a wonderful weekend.

FINAL WORDS!!!!!!!

2007-08-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

Finally….. We are on the other side of what has personally been an amazing 8 weeks journey.
In those 8 weeks, I posted about the now thought provoking concepts… “The Mis-es”
Each of the “Mis-es is listed below in the order in which they were unveiled.

MIS-INTERPRETATION
MISCREANT
MISCONCEPTION
MISQUOTATION
MISREPRESENTATION
MISAPPLICATION
MISUNDERSTANDING

If you missed any of the posts… you can always go back and learn about the things that can ultimately bring a halt to the progress of your families.

To draw the curtain on this series: “FAMILY MELTDOWN - THE MIS-ES ”, I’ll like to share a poem with you. The poem talks about the persistence of our differences…. yet elaborates on the insistence of our dependencies……

Family

Far and wide we’re scattered abroad
Playing our life games on different boards
Still we live in the same world
Crossing each other’s path like a cross-word

“We grew up together”------ probably not!!!
“We have the same father” ----- probably not!!!
“We’re from the same mother” ------ probably not!!!
“We look like each other” ------ probably not!!!

So you ask:
“What have we got in common”,
Seeing we’re very random?
And I say:

It’s a life full of passion,
Love, commitment, help and fusion.
It’s the world’s latest fashion,
And it’s time you join in the action
‘Cos we’re a family
Your Family

MISUNDERSTANDING

2007-08-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

Misunderstanding is defined as “failure to understand correctly” – dictionary.com

This is the most referred to of all the Mis-es.
Why this is so might not be very obvious, but what I can tell you is … all the Mis-es head in one direction…..the direction of confusion.
It doesn’t matter whether you misinterpret, misrepresent, misquote, misunderstand or misapply things….. After all is said and done, communication breakdown is the overall effect that the Mis-es want to achieve in our families.

FACTS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING

The pinnacle of human intelligence is “understanding”.

When you understand something, what you are saying is, I know the intricacies of this thing and I can reproduce it whenever I am required to.

Back in the days in high school, my teachers explain to me that…. The easiest way to be a genius is not just to learn or read whatever I’m being taught but to UNDERSTAND them.

When you understand things, they become engraved into your system… when you understand, you care less about unimportant things.

When you understand life… you know the things that make life tick…. When you understand your career… you become a force to reckon with… When you understand your family… everyday becomes a journey towards “betterment” and not “what ifs.”

I can go on and on about the usefulness of reaching that state of understanding because:

“Understanding is the state where the word “ease” finds fulfillment and becomes a lifestyle”

Proverbs 4 vs. 7

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

A few days ago, I was on the phone to a very good friend and after a while, the conversation turned bittersweet. With every passing second, it seems the only thing I was doing was causing her pain. For the first time in a while, I was disappointed at the way the conversations had turned out and I only have myself to blame.
With no clue on how to make things better, I decided going off the phone was my best option so as not to cause any more pain. After a few minutes of getting my senses together, my good friend text me saying:

“You make it sound like I don’t understand what you meant to say. I know you didn’t mean no harm……..I personally believe you wouldn’t……hurt me”.

In other words, my friend is saying the understanding she has of me is potent enough to wipe out my mistakes…

THE STRENGTH OF UNDERSTANDING

How strong can “understanding” be?
What potential is resident in us understanding each other?

A journey into time will I believe reveal the possible possibilities.

Genesis 11 vs. 1 – 9 (The Message)

"God Turned Their Language into 'Babble'"

At one time, the whole Earth spoke the same language. It so happened that as they moved out of the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled down.
They said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and fire them well." They used brick for stone and tar for mortar.
Then they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven. Let's make ourselves famous so we won't be scattered here and there across the Earth."
God came down to look over the city and the tower those people had built.
God took one look and said, "One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they'll come up with next—they'll stop at nothing! Come, we'll go down and garble their speech so they won't understand each other." Then God scattered them from there all over the world. And they had to quit building the city. That's how it came to be called Babel, because there God turned their language into "babble." From there God scattered them all over the world.

Understanding was so powerful that at that time even God was disturbed.

CALAMITIES OF MISUNDERSTANDING

For clarification purposes, I’ll like to point out that the opposite of understanding IS NOT misunderstanding.

As from the definition, Misunderstanding is simply “wrong understanding”.

The subtleness of Misunderstanding makes it one of the most dangerous of the Mis-es.

“You know that you know what you know…. What you don’t know is that what you know is not the right thing to know.”

Why did the builders stop building?....... It wouldn’t have been just because one was speaking English and the other Spanish….rather....
All of a sudden, the gesture that should generally mean “thumbs up” now turns out to be a “swear word” to another.
Misunderstanding brought confusion and in no time progress came to a halt.

The Mis-es are so powerful that God employed the services to destroy a family….. A national family.
The enemy will also not decline to use these things to destroy our God given families.
We will be an ignorant bunch of believers and individuals to think that these concepts are nothing but English terms.

Luke 11 vs. 17
Jesus said:
“Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.”

A WAY OUT

As found in former posts and running through the veins of this series, the following are the core lessons to be learnt and implemented in our daily existence.

v Awareness: Be aware that the Mis-es exist and are potent enough to destroy
v Be Open: Clarify your thoughts and actions to family members. Let people know who you are
v Harmony: Be an ambassador of harmony. Seek peace with all men.
v Tolerance: Give family members the benefit of doubt and learn to tolerate others

NEXT WEEK!!! - FINAL WORDS

MISAPPLICATION

2007-08-09T04:11:00.000-07:00

Misapplication is a “MIS” with a difference. It transcends the mental and conceptual presence of the other “Mis-es” discussed in this series. Misapplication is that thing that helps us understand that some of our family members are walking around with false knowledge.
IT is to use with the wrong purpose or in a wrong way.

Use and misuse are two ever present routes anytime an application is involved. So we realise that when we are equipped, the next major step is to know how to apply what we have been equipped with.

You’ve just been promoted at work, and now you think the time has come for your newly found authority to deliver to you everything you want…..good or bad.

That long awaited freedom is now yours ….you can do what you want, where you want, when you want and how you want…. Please don’t forget, freedom carries “FREE DOOM”

In our quest to have an afterlife, is blowing our selves up the way to go? (Terrorists claimed)
AND
“Cast your bread upon many waters”…folks…has little to do with feeding the fishes.

The life in this heart cry (“Family Meltdown…The Mis-es) is to create a new sense of familiarity within our families, the feeling of belonging, and mutual respect in achieving a corporate goal.

We all withdraw to places to get equipped….. school, religious centres, seminars, hobbies, etc… After a magnificent round of 64 on a golf course, the last thing we would expect for your driver is a human victim.

Do we seriously take the time out to ask

“Am I misapplying this thing that I’m equipped with?”…….

If we don’t, I think it’s high time we started doing the same. You might just be….

MISREPRESENTATION

2007-08-02T01:32:00.000-07:00

Misrepresentation

From a lay man point of view, misrepresentation means to give a false or misleading account of something.

A quick look at the word as put forward by lexicographers gave synonyms like to “distort”, “falsify”, or “belie” i.e. share the sense of presenting information in a way that does not accord with the truth.

To misrepresent usually involves a deliberate intention to deceive either for profit or advantage

To distort implies a purposeful twisting or emphasizing of certain statements so as to produce an inaccurate or misleading impression.

However, my best definition of misrepresentation is a

“Willful perversion of facts” – wordNet.

I have in time past willfully distorted facts because I was trying to save myself from what I perceived will be a big smack from dad.
I have also in time past misrepresented situations so I could get what I want.
I know people who have done likewise to get other people into trouble.

My question to you is:

Have you ever been misrepresented?
Have you ever misrepresented someone else?
Have you ever perverted the cause of justice to save a family member?
Have you ever perverted the cause of justice to bring about the downfall of a family member? (Work colleague, friend, sibling etc.)

Whizzing through the pages of the bible, a story came to life that depicts misrepresentation in a hilarious way.

“There was a couple named Abraham and Sarah, and Sarah was a chick (I mean HOT)…as in pretty. Abraham knows this as well and on one of their travels to a different city, he did something rather deceptive.
He told the people of the city that Sarah was his sister because he feared that if they knew Sarah was his wife, they would kill him and take her.

FACT: Sarah was actually Abraham’s sister but it was a very distant connection…. So technically he was telling the truth.

More often that not, fear is a major ingredient in us misrepresenting someone or a situation. We get scared of the consequences of telling the truth and this brings me to a simpler definition of misrepresentation.

“Misrepresentation is simply telling a lie or making someone believe in a lie without you actually telling the lie”

Consider this event:
In my back pocket lies my wallet….a timberland one if you care to know. In my wallet lies a combination of things notably $20 and $50 notes (yeah I’m rich if you are wondering).
A friend came over and asked “do you have $10 on you?”
My answer was a resounding but sympathetic “NO” and he walked away believing that I was telling the truth.

In that event, did I lie? .... Well, I don’t think so. Surely, I did not have $10 on me, but I had $20 and $50 notes which are more than but not $10.
What I have done was misrepresented my lack of money and tried to make him believe it.

In the age of increased media hype and paparazzi, we are at constant risk from the influence of false accounts and events. Most times, these falsifications are conscious, deliberate and done to inflict pain or just for the general public to have a laugh.

A few weeks ago, the Queen became a victim of a media stunt that misrepresented the sequence of events in a television documentary. A statement from the BBC reads

The BBC said: "In this trailer there is a sequence that implies that the Queen left a sitting prematurely. This was not the case and the actual sequence of events was mis-represented. 12.07.2007 16:52 www.bbc.co.uk

It’s not surprising that a few days ago, an order came from the royal banning the airing of the documentary…..

Unfortunately, misrepresentation can be done for good and bad reasons, so the ultimate decision lays with you……the reader of this piece.

My advice:
“Love your neighbour as yourself” and remember your neighbours are the members of your families.

“A lie said enough becomes the truth” ….. It’s a great invention (turning lies into truth)…. Don’t be part of it.

MISQUOTATION

2007-07-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

MISQUOTATION

Quotation is simply a person's exact words as repeated by another person.

Misquotation then is an instance or occasion where a person's exact words (oral or written) are not accurately repeated.

In our society, the mainstream relies on the wings of misquotation to transport various messages to carefree, careless and thoughtless recipients like you and I.
Many tabloids, people and reporters have been in one lawsuit or the other due to the different degrees of misquotation going on.
One thing that stays true is that there could be a very high price to pay if you are found guilty of misquoting someone.

My question is “why is there a relatively high punishment attached to the sin of misquotation”?

THE REASON:

“There are very few things that can “kill” faster than the words of your mouth. Therefore, if I can make people believe that you said something which you may or may not have said, then I am equally able to kill you as fast as your words can kill you.”

There are rules at every level of the society that governs the use and misuse of quotations.
In universities, it is put under the umbrella of plagiarism and could have consequences as weighty as expulsion.
In the work place, you can get the sack and in the mainstream, it could have huge financial consequences.

THE DRILL

Misquotation occurs primarily and acceptably in one way ……by "omission". If you do it any other way (by addition), you are simply heading for trouble. I’m sure you wouldn’t be stupid enough to add to what someone has said unless you know it is harmless or that you wouldn’t be found out.
The laws binding the words of anyone is very strong, but deceit and lies are things that has taken us humans captive and though they destroy our families, we still fervently pursue a life immersed in deception.

SIMPLICITY

It is very surprising that one of the things we learn at a very early age is an exposure to the effects that misquotation can have.
As kids growing up, a major prototype of misquotation that we were exposed to came in the vintage game “Chinese whispers”.
A chosen individual starts the game by whispering a sentence into the ears of another person. The receiver passes on what he or she has heard to the next person and so on. By the time the sentence gets back to the starter, it is observed that the content of the sentence would have changed dramatically. That is misquotation in its harmless form.
This simple phenomenon has caused the downfall of many families.
A few weeks ago, I was on the train hopping between two cities when I met a gentle man called Matt. We got into conversation and I proudly told him about what I am doing with my life and my time. Over the course of the almost 2hr long journey, Matt told me about how he almost lost his best friend to a deadly strain of this killer concept “MISQUOTATION”. For a period of 6 years, there was no contact between the two and it all started when

http://www.waynecounty.com/coalitiontochangetheculture/imgs/conflict.jpg

“someone said the best friend said something about Mat which had devastating effects”.
Matt in ignorance believed the story, reacted to the story and after 6 years of hurt, pain and brokenness, Matt found out that his best friend had been misquoted. Now they are back together, their friendship even stronger.
However, not every story of this sort has a wonderful ending like Matts. The consequences of misquotation can be severe, damaging and irrecoverable.

WHY DO WE STILL DO IT?

Every major work has suffered from the bites of misquotation: religious books, the Bible, individuals, Shakespeare etc. to name a few and you are not an exception.

“You said….You didn’t say”…. “I didn’t say, but I said”….. “That’s not all I said, you only heard the first part”….

These are things we sure must have uttered at the times when misquotation is taking its toll on us.

Misquotation may not be intentional as in some cases; therefore as we’ve learnt in past lessons, TOLERANCE becomes an important value for family members to have.

You will not intentionally misquote someone if you are

 Living a life that seeks peace
 An ambassador of harmony
 Loving and caring

So, deliberate misquotation is an identifier of a trouble maker.

In the words of this series………..
Misquotation is an instrument of a Miscreant…. Don’t be caught with it.

MISCONCEPTION

2007-07-19T06:46:00.000-07:00

Misconception……. (There is a God)

Simply put, misconception is a mistaken ideology.

In our day to day existence, misconception is not so much of an issue. Our society has been carefully set up in such a way that what you end up knowing is what the society wants you to know.
The education system, company’s training schemes; family values and upbringing etc, all contribute to ensuring that we do not have the wrong conceptions about the things that matter in life.

Recently, its was concluded that the celebrity craze and all its baggage is resulting in vulnerable members of the society having a misconception of what true beauty or even healthy living is all about. People don’t want to be overweight; hence, they live so healthy that they become underweight. (Misconception)

With a big twist of this tale however, the misconception in our society that grips my heart is that which defines as false the existence of God.

(Psalms 14 vs. 1)

“The fool says in his heart there is no God…..”

I would like to make it clear that being a “fool” in this context is not necessarily related to being stupid or acting in a stupid way. I am talking about

“A person lacking in good sense of judgement….”
-Advanced learners English dictionary

A few years ago a group of lovely children raised their opinion about how they will not hesitate to call someone a fool if the person “says (mouth)” “there is no God”. I remember telling them the dangers of calling someone a fool and how it’s not very christianly.

Matthew 5 vs. 21- 22
“…… I'm telling you that anyone who……… Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!'(Fool) at a brother or sister…… is on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.”…… (Paraphrased) (THE MESSAGE)

“A fool says in his “HEART”….. It is not just from the mouth or may never be from the mouth…… it is from the heart. The fool lives the unbelief.

Anything from the heart is reflected by every part of your body be it the blood that is pumped from the heart…love…. or hatred….and so is unbelief. You’ll live it if you have it.

Later on in the scriptures, the bible now explained the distinction between being foolish and being wise, the result of the right conception.

Hebrew 11 vs. 6
“If a person does not believe God, he cannot please him. Anyone who comes to God must believe that God is real. And he must believe that God will bless those who try to find him. God will reward a person, if he really tries to find God.”
- (Worldwide English)

We have two things fighting when it comes to misconception. We believe that God exists in the world and in the word (bible), but we do not believe that God exists in our lives. We believe that God is still preoccupied with the management of times and seasons (rain, sunshine…. Etc….)

Psalm 94 vs. 7 - 11
They think, "God isn't looking, Jacob's God is out to lunch." Well, think again, you idiots, fools
How long before you get smart? Do you think Ear-Maker doesn't hear?
Eye-Shaper doesn't see?
Do you think the trainer of nations doesn't correct, the teacher of Adam doesn't know?
God knows, all right— knows your stupidity, sees your shallowness. (The Message)

Listen, the work of creation was finished on the day of creation, what is yet to be done is what you will do with your life.

Acts 17 vs. 22 – 30 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2017:22-30;&version=45;)

We don’t know who is saying in their heart that there is no God, so how can we identify them.

2 timothy 3 vs 9 …… their folly will be clear to everyone.

“Your conviction determines your conduct and your confession in the state of your confusion is a conclusion of your condition… folks, we’re talking about MISCONCEPTION.”

When you believe that God “is”…..It

ü Gives you an elevated view of mankind. (Gen 126, psalm 81- 9)
ü Causes you to treat others nicely (I Corinth 1111 - 12, Philippians 23-5,Matthew 712)
ü Gives a sense of purpose to your existence (1Peter 29)

And finally, believing that God “is” puts joy in living and takes fear out of dying ….The result of the right conception.

MISCREANT

2007-07-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Miscreant

“Be not deceived evil Communication corrupts good manners” (1corinthians 15 vs. 33)

A miscreant is simply a wrong doer. A person without moral scruples i.e. they do not have any moral principles guiding their thoughts or actions.

Having this kind of person in our families spells disaster.
Saddam Hussein was portrayed as a miscreant in the world family and it led to why military action was taken against him.
At different points in family units, we could almost always sense that some people fit this description. All they care about is themselves, they do not follow laid down rules, and they do not think hard enough that their actions could lead to “Family meltdown”.

A story from the good book of life (the bible) will help explain the effects miscreants can have on a family…..even a family as big as a nation. .

This story is about a man named Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah.

It came about when the people of Israel went to take over the city of Jericho.

The city of Jericho was recorded as a fortified city with good military strength. The highlight of Jericho’s military capability was resident in the strength of the city wall.
The story of the destruction of Jericho and the collapse of the wall can be found in the bible in the book of Joshua chapters 6 and 7.
God played a major role in the Israelite’s victory by giving them instructions on what to do to bring the walls down. But those were not the only instructions; He also told the Israelites to utterly destroy the city and MUST not take any spoils for themselves. All the spoils must be given to God i.e. taken to God’s house.

The Israelites conquered Jericho, celebrated and decided to move on to the next city that will be conquered. This next city by the name Ai was smaller, less powerful and of no significant threat to the Israelites, so we say….a piece of cake for the Israelites. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the case. Fresh from conquering Jericho, the Israelites were defeated by this small city and it raised concerns and a lot of questions.
What went wrong?
In this type of situation, the Israelites will consult God to get answers and so they did. God answered and told the Israelites that they have broken his commandment. Someone in the Israeli camp had taken spoils for themselves and God was upset about it. Achan the culprit was found out and he was punished for his offence.
The Israelite army went back to Ai after dealing with the Miscreant in the camp, and they were back to winning ways.

Remember, the wining ways was not in a chess or football game. Achan’s sin (disobedience) caused the death of 36 Israeli soldiers in their first attack against the small city of Ai and these Soldier’s lives cannot be brought back.

Characteristics of a miscreant

v The go their own way instead of tried and tested ways
v They are disobedient
v They have their own agenda instead of a corporate one
v They live double lives (Hypocrites)
v They have a form of godliness but deny its power
v They are always learning, but never know the truth. They learn to argue.

Miscreants are in widespread existence in our families. We find our families at the mercy of these types of individuals and taking a laid back approach will almost mean we have resigned ourselves to defeat.

How does this affect you?

Your beloved family could soon be destroyed e.g. national family
You can be a victim of the consequences of someone else’s wrong doing (the dead soldiers). Achan himself did not die in the battle.
Your hard work could be of no productive significance or use e.g. if there is a miscreant at your work place.
You stand the risk of being convinced to become a miscreant

Lines of action!!!

Report to proper authorities concerning the activities of a miscreant. If your sibling is constantly punching the television set, and you decided not say anything significant about it, it might not take long before the whole family experiences life without a TV. Telling your parents could land him/her in trouble, but it would have resulted in a better outcome.
Likewise, if your colleague at work is constantly following the wrong procedures, you might excuse yourself as not being the manager, but don’t be surprised if you all become jobless as a result of those wrong procedures.

United we stand, divided we fall…. Seek unity among the family units that you belong to.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So no matter how hard you’ve worked or tried, a miscreant in your family means failure might not be as far away as you think.

Lets all make it our responsibility to look after each other….. The presence of a suicide bomber in a busy market means the market is as safe as the bomber blowing up.

Now do you care??? I think you should.

NEXT WEEK!!!! WHO IS A FOOL?........ Stay Paged

MIS-INTERPRETATION

2007-07-05T02:01:00.000-07:00

Hi,
well, the time has come and the first "mis" is unveiled below.. Welcome

MISINTERPRETATION

Misinterpretation is a “miss” that accompanies the word interpret in causing confusion in our families.

From the Oxford University dictionary, to interpret means:
A) “To decide that something/somebody has a particular meaning and to understand it in this way”

The upgrade to that definition is given by the American Heritage dictionary
“To present or conceptualize the meaning of……” the decision (as in “A” above)

Misinterpretation then is when you get that decision, meaning and the presentation wrong.
To wrongful translate orally or in languages the words, actions and ideas of a creator.
It is also a false processed response to an idea, oral or written data that has been taken in.

Everyday, we find ourselves with the task of interpreting information that comes our way so we can act on them. Be it your baby crying, your spouse kissing you (home family), your teacher teaching you (school family), your boss allocating a new project (work family) or even a stranger raising their middle finger at you (societal family).

Every reaction you put forward is supporting the decision you have made concerning interpretation.
If someone slaps you real hard, your interpretation of that slap will determine how you’ll react, either with a frown (if you deserve the slap), a return slap (if your pride is on the line) or a groan of satisfaction (as in a sexual environment).

Misinterpretation will occur if as in a sexual environment, you respond to the slap by beating up whoever that slapped you.

If you get the decision wrong… no matter how truthful and well meaning you are, your processed response will always be wrong. An upgrade to the consequence occurs when you present the wrong response to others to run with. A chain of wrong responses will erupt and in no time, the family will be in crisis.

Misinterpretation can be grouped under these three broad headings:

Ignorant misinterpretation
Deliberate misinterpretation
System misinterpretation

Ignorant misinterpretation: This is caused by the narrowness in the availability of options for the interpreter. The interpreter has got the decision wrong because they do not have the capability to digest, analyse and grasp “correctly” the data (action, words or writing) being passed on to them. In other words, they don’t know better.

Deliberate misinterpretation: This is a result of the revelation of the contents of the mind of the interpreter. The interpreter has got the decision wrong because he/she purposely wants to cause trouble, harm or inflict pain.

System misinterpretation: This is the most common form of misinterpretation and it combines ignorance and deliberate forms of interpretation.
System misinterpretation is connected to every aspect of our lives. Each person’s decision is sourced from their pool of knowledge. This pool of knowledge encompasses academic education, moral education, experience, societal influence, mindset configuration etc.
So you’ll find that a good person makes a good interpreter and a bad person makes a bad interpreter.
The content of your interpretation will stem from the vocabulary stored in your system. So, if you have a good (positive) mindset, your interpretations of words and actions will be from a good database and will almost always turn out good but if you have a bad (negative) mindset, then without doubt, your interpretation of words and actions will almost always turn out bad irrespective of what you take in.

I have met a few people in life that will not take gifts because in their minds, they are always certain that the giver is trying to be cunning and only giving because the giver would want something greater in return at another day.
This thought line could be true in some cases, but not in all cases.

Your knowledge base is a major determinant of the correctness of your interpretation.
Misinterpretation wrecks havoc in our families simply because ideas and talks are passed around based on the interpreter.

2Timothy 2 vs. 2
And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also.

In our families, it is good practise to ensure that for every unsure recipient, we make sure that messages are passed on with drivers.
We understand that computers need drivers or else their interpreted responses will be wrong, useless and misleading. Likewise, for every recipient that is not on the same level as you, please provide your messages with drivers.

How do you do this?

v Recognise the difference in “knowledge base” in the family
v Be conscious of the possibility of misinterpretation in the family
v Clarify your thoughts and messages. (word, actions and writings)
v Pursue harmony in the family and stay faithful
v Give the people around you the benefit of doubt

The easiest aspect of misinterpretation to miss is an interpretation of actions. Watch out for those winks and “evil eyes”…. They may just be the person’s natural condition…..and not passing any message across or having any meaning to it. (lol)

Thank you for starting this journey with me. Hope to see you next week as I pick up another “Mis” in the series to ensure that we learn the things that causes our families to go amiss.

Hint for next week: Always learning, but never know the truth… they learn to argue…. YES, it is another “Mis”

Stay paged.

FAMILY MELTDOWN - THE MIS-ES

2007-06-28T01:31:00.000-07:00

Families

The definition of a family from most dictionary spans the whole of the entire academia from historical definition to biological definition to financial definition. A few of those definitions include

- An association of people who share common beliefs or activities; - WordNet
- A fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children. - American Heritage Dictionary
- A group of persons sharing common ancestry. - American Heritage Dictionary
- The staff or body of assistants, of an official: the office family - Dictionary.com

In the course of the next 7 – 8 weeks I’ll be using the following definition of a family which I believe encompasses all relational attachments that exists on our planet.

“A family is a group of people who may or may not be blood relations but who also share common interests, attitudes and goals.”

So the next time you are about to enter the train: remember the people standing next to you, they are your family… You share the common goal of taking a journey.

The next time you see someone random on the street, also remember they are your family; you share the common interest of surviving on this planet.

At home, at work, in school, all around you are different members of the different families that you belong to…… be nice to them

Why so much fuss about families?

Experience tells me and confirms that families are the building blocks of the society. Every good thing gets distributed via the most efficient distribution chain in existence – “The Family”. It is not surprising then, that your “Family name” is still a relevant identifier of who you are.

Likewise, an efficient way of destroying a society is to fiddle around with family units and with time, the cracks in the building blocks (family) will start making their way to the surface.

The next seven weeks on this page are for people that want a change…… (Echoing the words of our new family oriented Prime Minister Gordon Brown)

v If you want to contribute to the growth and survival of your family units
v If you want to identify what went wrong and where in your family units
v If you want to learn better ways of coping with your family members

This series is for you.

Come as I identify known but easily ignored contributors to family collapse.

Come with an open mind, suggestions, experiences and a heart to change and effect change in your respective families.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you “FAMILY MELTDOWN – THE MIS-ES” ………Every Thursday.

STAY PAGED

FATHERHOOD

2007-06-15T01:01:00.000-07:00

FATHERHOOD

“My father has many children” can be a painful thing to say if your share of inheritance is under fire.
The role of the father in the society is increasingly terrorised by the extremists that lies in the fathers to be.
Not long ago was the passion evident in fathers to see their sons and daughters grow and excel in their chosen careers and path in life. This also to be noted is a far cry from the days of imposition, where fathers supposedly chart out their children’s life for them. These kids are treated like machines built to receive orders from their physical creator and disobedience can have grave consequences. This power hold even sometimes results in fathers destroying these machines (their children) and a good name has been developed in the English language to define this act…. “Honour Killing”…. When a father kills a child because the child is not obeying or complying to the father’s wishes. (Don’t be fooled by the positive name though… if the father gets caught, he’ll end up in jail…. No doubt about that)

However, a more subtle but predominant act is an “honour killing” of the mind. Where the father still kills the child, though the child is still alive …. We say…dead children walking”.

Nowadays, we’ve been transported from the icy cold Antarctica to the burning hot deserts in terms of parenting and “father care”.
The new era as expected is service oriented, technologically advanced with an increased sense of awareness that tends to lead to productivity. In fact masculine superheroes have been resurrected to cement the cracks in the parenting desert. Fathers for Justice or fathers for money, which ever name they choose to answer to have recently been in our faces on TV. I once thought it as a new programme transmitted from the roof of Westminster until Trevor explains the mystery correspondent as a fighter doing his own part in a division of labour agenda.

With any era, division of labour s always a constant and effective choice in job allocation for so many reasons such as ease of working, enhanced security and it also gives room for expertise to mention a few. It is not surprising then, that the same has been employed in the “father care” firm. The potency of division of labour cannot be underestimated, but will it produce results? ...yes it will produce results… good or bad ones? ....hhhhmmm
How does it work?

Firstly, a potential father hooks up with a potential mother, only for her to get pregnant in most cases by the same man or sometimes by another man. Considering also that an average relationship n the UK lasts only a few years, the child is barely old enough before another man takes the responsibility of being a step dad. In the long run, the child grows with so many fathers or with no fathers at all depending on the effectiveness of how the “jobs” (responsibilities) were allocated by the circumstances.
The zenith of this hierarchy reaches a boiling point when a mystery father, in order to find his look alike (probably not facially but intellectually or entrepreneur wise) gathers up children that are not his, sets them a on a wide range of tasks and eventually picks his favourite, offering him or her a good share of his fortune…. another man’s child.
(Apprentice viewers……you feel me?)

The father’s day as innocent as it is does not know the difficulties being faced by the descendants of the older generations (meaning us) in choosing our fathers. Some of us embrace our circumstances and acknowledge all these fathers, some of us detest what our lives have turned into because there were too many fathers…. Some of us didn’t get a chance to have one let alone many fathers. I stand to tell you…. These are illusions that tend to remind you of the imperfections in life …… but viewed closely, the truth is “we all have many fathers” be it mentors, coaches, guardians, spiritual fathers or even older friends.

So it’s high time you stopped screaming because of how your life has turned out and start swimming in these fatherly loves.

Much more fulfilling is the love that comes from our father, God, our creator.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

Sometime soon, I’ll write on the confusion that men of our generation are facing when it comes to identity….It’s not surprising that men are confused so much that they are starting to think about ways of getting pregnant…..obviously that is after getting married to each other.
Why all these? .... I ask….the answer I get is

“We (the men) have to help out…. In every way”

HOSPITALITY CONTD

2007-06-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

Be stingy and loose everything.... The generous prosper. (Proverbs 11 vs 24 - 25)

God has not planned for us to just take in; he’s called us to be rivers that flow out to bless others.

This week I continue on the blog on “Hospitality”.

On my last post, I started the story on a family who showed “Hospitality” to some three men that were on a mission to destroy a city called Sodom and Gomorrah.

As I said last week, one of the men stayed behind with Abraham, and the remaining two continued on their journey towards the city to destroy it. Abraham’s nephew Lot lives in this city and he was by the city gate when the men arrived in the evening and like his uncle, without know this men, he invited them into his house, to get cleaned up and even spend the night.
Surprisingly, these men said “NO” but he insisted strongly and the men decided to stay. Lot made a feast and the men (angels) are eating dinner after having had lunch with Abraham.

The reason for the destruction of this city was laid bare when later that night, the men of the city came to Lot’s house and asked him to bring the two men (angels) in his house out so they can have “sex” with them.

Lot (not knowing that the two men in his house were angels) pleaded on their behalf and even decided that he wouldn’t mind giving the men of the city his virgin daughters (daughters that he has spent his entire life bringing up in a godly way) to do to them as they wish.

Lot was taking the chance to destroy the lives of his daughters, wasting the time and energy he had used to bring them up in a godly way and even destroying his own family in the process just to save these two men.

My question to you is “what radical thing are you prepared to do to show hospitality”?

The angels took over the matter, expressed a few powers and by the next day, helped Lot and his family to escape from the city into a safe place. The angels made sure Lot was safe (“because God had mercy on him”) before they destroyed the city.

“AND THE CITY WAS DESTROYED” but “AND LOT ESCAPED”

From last week, the same lessons repeat themselves in this story.

LESSON 1: Hospitality brings about friendliness and close friendship brings about Trust. (Lot was ready to trade his daughters for the two men)

LESSON 2: Being Hospitable increases the speed of your blessings.

LESSON 3: You just don't know when God is passing by…. Treat everyone right

LESSON 4: In a mission of chaos, death and destruction came a message of life, creativity and peace.
The choice is yours.

NEXT WEEK: FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL (STAY PAGED)

HOSPITALITY

2007-05-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time in a far away land, there was a very old and barren couple named Abraham and Sarah. They had no child and with very little hope of having any left. Abraham was 99yrs and Sarah was 90 yrs of age.

Not too far away from Abraham lived his cousin Lot in the land called Sodom and Gomorrah.
Sodom and Gomorrah is a wicked city and the Lord decided to come down and “take them out” (destroy them). The lord came with two angels all in the form of men.

As you read through this story, bear these facts in mind

v The men are not ordinary men
v Their mission is to destroy the wicked city (Sodom and Gomorrah)

The rest of this story is well documented in biblical book of Genesis chapters 18 and 19.

What follows is the story of a family whose watch word amongst other things is “Hospitality”

Abraham was sitting outside his “house” one day (say a lovely day) and he saw three men standing by him... when he saw them, he ran to meet them, greeted them and asked if he could get them water to drink and something to eat before they continued on their journey. As you might have guessed, these three men did not hesitate. So they sat to eat under the shade of the tree.

The saying that comes to mind is

“the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”

and it turns out to be true or so…… because while they ate…. Something happened.

The men told Abraham that by that time the following year, he will be father.

Remember, these are not ordinary men; they have the power to make things happen.

After eating, they rose up to go, but one of them decided to entrust with Abraham the reason for their journey (To destroy Sodom and Gomorrah) and Abraham pleaded for the city… but it was a little too late.

LESSON 1: Hospitality brings about friendliness and close friendship brings about Trust.
LESSON 2: Being Hospitable increases the speed of your blessings.
LESSON 3: You just don't know when God is passing by…. Treat everyone right
LESSON 4: In a mission of chaos, death and destruction came a message of life, creativity and peace. The choice is yours.

Two of the men continued the journey on mission CDD (chaos, death, destruction) and when they got to Sodom and Gomorrah, another story began….. To be continued.

In the mean time “SHOW HOSPITALITY”.... It pays.

Next week Hint: It Probably is a family thing.

I AM FREE

2007-05-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

It is another week speeding away from view......tick tock tick tock..... the months... not the clocks now are going by.

I am a few weeks away from finishing another stage of my academic life....my eyes firmly fixed on the coming months included in the eagerly anticipated summer break. I will do a lot of things (so I tell myself...and by God's grace I will).... but only a couple of months ago....I couldn't see beyond the next page of my books.
This is a small case compared to the reasons why some of us are not making desired progress. Limitations based on a wide range of causes and only you can know why you haven't gone further than where you are now.
Whatever the case may be, I am here to make this proclamation
I AM FREE.

Freedom

The smiling sun envisioned a new day
It’s no surprise I had no limbs
Not least ‘cos I lost ‘em
Tied they were
As good as been thrown away

The makeshift journeys… I can’t make
The lovely things… I can’t handle
Left then… stagnant like a lake
I was beaten to be humble

I was position inclined
Engagement refined
Intellectually defined
But conditionally declined

There’s a better way, I know
There’s a better way to go
Where very little counts
As I live the life I want

My hands are lifted high
My legs are fitted light
Now to say, I have the right
I’m free

Free from all those worries, free from all those mistakes.... free from all those setbacks....free from my fears.... I am free..... You can say that too.....but better put...You can live it too.

Say it more .... mean it more

2007-05-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

I’ll start my input today by saying congratulations to a very dear friend who got married on Saturday (12-05-07). And for all the newly weds out there…. Best wishes in your marriage life. For the engaged couples…. How are preparations going? ….. Buddies in relationships……. Hope you are making progress….. And for the “still searching”… best of luck to you.

This blog is about a reminder of those things that makes life worth everyday living.
The knowledge of a simple fact that you will get appreciated when you invest in someone’s life can spur you on to keep doing good.
I am not going to the deep end of getting appreciated with things like “You’re beautiful” (not everyone will tell you that)….. But let’s stay on the shallow end… with this two words ***** ***. These I believe are words that melt your heart especially when you know whoever said it meant it.
If you don’t stay the words ***** *** when it matters, you can stifle or seriously limit your chances of getting help (another time). Some argue that another time will never come…..but don’t be deceived….another time will always come.
It also tells the world of something about you …… (that you are a cocky ****/ *****)….
You actually may not be…..but how would we know?

Kudos to parents for the work they are doing in teaching their kids the habit and good practise of saying ***** ***. Its only surprising that we get so used to it and the older we grow, the more we say it and the less we possibly mean it.

As with every piece of writing, consulting literatures and other writings is always a good thing. In the course of whizzing through these pages, it’s with no doubt you can conclude and I stand to say you are right that the Bible is my best literature.

John 6:5-7 (New International Version)
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Phillip was not answering the question only, in one sentence, he had said enough to bring to a halt whatever Jesus might be planning (if He is human). He said:
“Before you can embark on this project, we have to work for more than 8 months at least, so, forget about the idea and do what you know best to do – healing people” (paraphrased an emphasis mine)

The lack of background knowledge by the disciples about who Jesus is and how God operates which is traceable to His past revelations is costing them a lot in their work with Jesus. God has always been in the business of doing the impossible. He said “I am the lord, I do not change”
It means if God has always surprised humanity in doing “WHAO”….. “OH MY GOD” things (as in new things), then because He does not change, He’s still able to do things that have never been seen or experienced before.
Just to amaze you, look back at all the things you’ve seen and heard God do, from the ancient times to the most recent testimony, quite a lot isn’t?………….but He can still do newer stuff.

All Jesus needed was an input, your widows might, someone who is ready to give something and in the next verses, He is prepared to unveil one of the most effective multiplication factors in life………………THANKSGIVING

John 6: 8 - 12

Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up.
9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”
10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.)
11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.
12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.”
13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

That was an amazing event.

Thanksgiving is a multiplying factor of a very high degree, so if you want an unexplainable multiplication, give thanks for the little you’ve got

The questions that are to be answered includes…

Who gave you what you have?
How did you get what you have? And ultimately,
Who would you thank for what you have?

I know and believe that everything I have has been given to me by God… so I say

God I thank you……. (You should say that too)

As you make your journey through each day…. Do not forget to say “THANK YOU” to all that matters. Appreciate people’s efforts.
In doing so, you’ll be putting a smile on their faces…..you will be making yourself a target of help when you need it......and you can tell us you are not a cocky lady/fella..... thats good to know I guess.

AND WE ALL SAY "THANK YOU."

I know I am not.... But I know "I AM"

2007-05-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Hello to ya’ll (with huge excitement) …..a big hello to football fans …… and an even bigger hello to Manchester United fans (I can hear someone saying …. “And why?”). Simply because for the first time in 4 years, on Sunday (6/05) they won the league cup (Barclays Premiership). Majority of footy fans are happy …… except for Chelsea fans.
The confirmation came at the Emirates stadium where Chelsea could not secure a victory when they played arsenal. I’m very happy for Manchester United even though I am a gunner at heart…..a gunner meaning an Arsenal fan.

Being an arsenal fan has been a little tough and endurance is needed to stay sane.
They have done brilliantly over the season, but when it matters, they have failed to get the results.
Promises of great potential, great performance, classy team, technique endowed, high work rate, but they lacked consistency and hence lack result (albeit a few).

That pretty much sums up the lives of some of us. People around us tell us how good we are (or can be)… we work hard… read wide…. and it is general knowledge that we should be doing better than how we are doing at the moment….But still, little or no result

Well…. I’ve got news for you… DON”T GIVE UP….because when you hit it…..you’ll hit it big. Roll with these lines:

Preparation + Opportunity = Performance
Performance + Consistency = Results (http://renzguy.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html)

Keep at being the best...…. if you fail at anything…..don’t fret….you’ve just learnt another way not to do that particular thing. (Thomas Edison)

For Christians out there, there is a little twist to this concern of lack of results.

Still with Arsenal: Apart from the players,….the manager and the fans can get frustrated at this lack of output or the uneven match between input and output. They put a lot in…..but get very little or nothing out. Some areas of our lives can be operating on that negative principle. It could be our relationships, finances, at work or even in the cradle of the family…..Well, I’ve got news for you too.

God, our manager, is never frustrated or fed up and will never give up on us. So if you are struggling with this same problem… you have a manager in God who is always there. He’ll see you through it all.

God told Jehoshaphat, I (God) will fight this battle for you…..and He asked Jehoshaphat to be something we see in our today world “a cheer leader”. (2 chronicle 20: 1-29). As God was in business..... The people were cheering. (amazing)

So as you make the decisions…. As you put in the effort…..as you talk the walk…..walk the talk….as you strive to be the best…be it at work….at home….to your kids…..in school…remember this:
I will be cheering you…..not just me, the whole body of Christ will be. (Hebrews 12: 1, 22-24)

Arsenal fans cheer their team (even when they are loosing) with this song amongst others “1 nil to the arsenal”. Liverpool fans are phenomenal and their catch phrase “You’ll never walk alone” spurs their team on.
Even if they don’t believe it….YOU SHOULD

God says “I’ll never leave nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5)

Your formula will now be:

Preparation + Opportunity = Performance
Performance + Consistency + I AM (GOD) = Results + I can (You)

No matter what the result is…. You can say this:
“I know I am not …...but I know "I AM"…..so I can”

CALL TO PRAYER

2007-05-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

It has been a wonderful start to the month and the weather could only echo my opinion. I pray and hope it has been the same for you too. 007 is gathering speed and it is only a matter of time before Christmas comes knocking (“again”… I hear you say)….. Yes …”again”. In the same vein, we’ll all start mapping out our plans for 007+1 (2008), new year resolution, things to do et cetera without really counting our gains and losses in 2007.

Why am I saying this?

Well, you can still deliver on those things that you set out to do this year so that at the end, you won’t be ashamed to look back. (Get Cracking)

Something interesting about achieving is that you will almost all the time have to bring on board people that may or may not passionately share the same vision as you. (Keep that in mind)

As a matter of personal vision and mandate, I’m inviting you to join me in setting out a day (any of your choice) in the coming week (from any day that you get this piece) and partner me in one of my commitments this year.

YOUR TASK:

“When her mum came to tuck her in, the child looked up and asked 'Mummy, do you really love me, even when you don't have time to listen to me?'
(UCB devotional 02/04/07)

I want you to join me in praying for parents in the Christian fold and using them as a point of contact to all parents in the world.
Life is getting increasingly busy and Parents (Christian ones inclusive) do not give their children the quality time needed to teach, train and nurture them especially in God’s ways.
Let’s pray “God’s guidance and grace” for parents to help them with what it takes to raise godly children.
Let’s pray for the children that God will give them an “understanding heart”.

The following bible verses show the two sides that can result from our today practices.

“Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did”. (2 Kings 17:41) (NIV)

“For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” (Genesis 18:19) (NIV)

What is your wattage? (CONTD)

2007-04-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

This is the continuation of my last blog titled “what is your wattage?”.

Last week I finished on the note that the resources available to us in God are inexhaustible, but if we do not have the capacity to receive more, He might not just give us more.
In the course of this week, God told me a few things about what he wants me to do and I was really up for it, whipped up in myself, and I remember thinking within myself “I’m passionate about this, this sounds great and very accomplishing”. Not long after, He spoke again with these words.

“I am not talking about passion, I’m talking about commitment”

And truly, getting committed is another ball game in itself. As Christians, the idea of working for God sounds great and we would like to get involved, but the commitment requirements just puts us off. The bible says “If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small” (Proverbs 24:10 NLT). Also in Luke, Jesus said “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”(Luke 9 vs. 62 NKJV)

The tone of these biblical verses tends to be sharp and affirmative, sometimes leading us to conclude that it is only the strong that are required in God’s kingdom.

In my opinion however, I interpret these verses as saying

“Don’t search for an increase in the power you can get, search for in increase to the power you can accommodate.”

If you can accommodate a little, God will use the little, if you can accommodate a lot, God will use the lot. The days of small beginnings are important as long as we continue to grow and increase.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…….” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT)

How do you increase your wattage?
Start little.
Starting little may include practical steps like extending your prayer time to accommodate friends and families. Making a list of people you know and praying for them.
When God sees your step of faith, He will give your more power and grace to execute. In some space of time you could be standing in the gap for nations.

Get in touch with a local church. Your involvement in a local church will create opportunities to try out different things. Your skills will be furnished, more skills will be learnt and ultimately being among other Christians will improve your corporate relationship with God which in turn will have a positive effect on your personal relationship with Him.

A few hours before penning this piece I got a text from my sister which I will love to share with you. She writes:

“Desiring growth in an area means being ready to accept the responsibilities that comes along with it…. One responsibility is sure – the level/depth of God’s word in us concerning that growth area. (Ezekiel 3 vs. 1-3, 10).
The word in itself is a responsibility we must take up because it will make us confident to achieve in our various areas of desired growth.”

Some of us are concerned about our qualifications (over-qualified, under-qualified) in working in the kingdom…… I got news for you…… Every little helps…. Hear these words from the psalmist

“One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,
beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. All sunshine and sovereign is God, generous in gifts and glory. He doesn't scrimp with his traveling companions. It's smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies. (Psalm 84 vs. 10 – 12)

What is your wattage?

2007-04-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

What is your wattage?

Easter is just gone and though we might still have some Easter eggs left (I finished my internationally sourced Easter eggs already - - - chokomilo) … some of us have already forgotten why we celebrate Easter.

To me, what we do is confess and proclaim our belief in the Jesus who died on Good Friday…..who also rose on Easter Sunday….. And after all these, we start living like on the evening of Easter Monday….. He died again.

Jesus did not rise on the third day to die again, He rose and He is still alive. It’s high time we learnt to stay awake and not fall back to sleep……the slumber of indecisiveness… lack of direction… procrastination… inability to take action (lack of faith)…etc

Jesus said
I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! (Rev 1 vs 18). And in Colossians 2:13, the bible says “…… God made you alive with Christ…..”

Listen to this….. Jesus is alive for ever and ever and we are connected to him (made alive with him)….... so we have an unending source of provision for whatever we need and whatever we want to be according to His will. (1 john 5:14).

In reality though, the opposite seems to be the case…….we most times do not grow as tall as we should neither do we shine as brightly as we could.

I was listening to my pastor’s message over the week and He highlighted this very fact…. that

“The boundary of your ability can be set by the extent of your capacity”

Using the illustration in His message as below

The amount of Electrical Voltage supplied by your regional grid can be assumed to be infinite (inexhaustible) relative to the amount you will you in your house. If you then put a 40W bulb in your room, you will get the brightness that corresponds to the capacity of a 40W bulb. If you use a 60W bulb, your room is lit better and brighter ........ and if you use a 100W bulb, your room will be nothing short of glowing .……all without a change in the supply from your regional grid.

Likewise, as a Christian, your brightness is dependent on your wattage capacity.

Shining in all areas of our lives is what we have been called to do (Mathew 5: 14-16) and God through His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue (1Peter 1:3). In essence, we have what it takes to be overcomers but do we have what it takes to recieve more?

If there is a good time to increase your capacity…. It is now. God is raising an army of warriors to accomplish His end time plans and as He said in His word, there is an outpouring of His spirit and He is in search of the willing at heart (True worshippers). The creation is waiting eagerly for your manifestation (Romans 8:19) ………..but until you increase…… He might not just release.

In the next couple of weeks, I will share some thought on some ways to increase your wattage.....

And as you might guess…..calling Sottish Power is not one of them…. Stay paged at www.renzguy.blogspot.com

EASTER

2007-04-05T03:25:00.000-07:00

The story of Easter has been told over the years by different people from different backgrounds, understandings, views and approach, but two things stand out…….
1.) The death of Jesus Christ that signifies the taking away of our sins

Romans 5 vs. 8
But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

2.) and His (Jesus) resurrection that gives us life, hope, relevance, a sense of belonging and an ever increasing assurance of the salvation we hold dearly.

1 Corinthians 15 vs. 14,20
14 And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is in vain [it amounts to nothing] and your faith is devoid of truth and is fruitless (without effect, empty, imaginary, and unfounded). …..
20 But the fact is that Christ (the Messiah) has been raised from the dead, and He became the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death].

This is undoubtedly a major event, not just in the Christian calendar, but also in the make up of our faith.
There have been so many criticisms about Christianity, the efficacy of a Son of God who came to die for us and the mystery of a second coming following an unrealistic resurrection. In the course of this article, I am not to prove that Jesus came, died and resurrected……. instead, I want us to see the hope we have in God in a world that constantly threatens our existence.

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. (NIV)

This may sound a bit too far fetched, but it is the absolute truth, a life that defies the concept of death. Even while He was alive, Jesus comforted people around him with the assurance of a risen life from, physical death, emotional death, financial death, depression, health problems, dreams that has fizzled away, career loss and every area of our lives that looks increasingly hopeless.

Probably you are thinking deep and trying to find that thing in your existence that is not working, I bet you can point to a few. The issue is not the existence of these problems, but how and where can we find a working solution?

The world has been so much dependent on our God given brains, advancements in technology, research, political help, organisational intervention and individual contribution to tackle the problems we face today and, every time, we always fall short of a lasting solution. In time past, these things have worked, but in our days, the intensity, frequency and scale of these problems happening simultaneously has given these solutions a run for their effectiveness.
Terrorism, racism, nuclear unsteadiness, famine, global warming, pandemic and natural disasters et cetera are all hitting the headlines at the same time and so is their continuing effect on global economy in general. Without a shadow of doubt, the current state of the world has cause for alarm.
To worsen matters, professionals in the world’s solution fields keep telling us of the growing difficulties to trust their equipments, suggested solution and preparedness. In fact, some of them term these calamities as unstoppable.
So, if these things are this serious, what hope have you got in an uncertain situation???????

The bible, (written thousands of years ago) tells us of these problems and if it does, will it not have the solution or probably a strategy to chart our course in our modern world? If indeed, these things are unstoppable, will the bible not let us know why we have to experience them and give us a right attitude towards what really matters in life?

(Mathew 24 and Luke 21 give a stunning account of these events. In another article, I’ll go into details of their relevance)

Without being deceived, it is evident that the world is becoming a monster we don’t recognise anymore and even scarier is the fact our personal lives mirrors this chaotic lifestyle.
Don’t be deceived though, some chosen few are in this same world but are walking according to God’s word and that means hope in despair, guidance in journey, love in hatred, peace in chaos, provision and sustenance in lack.

Isaiah 30
Vs. 15 “… “In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and confidence shall be your strength….”
Vs. 21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.

This is the good news I bring to you, that you are not alone in that struggle to find your feet. Wished you could turn back the hand of time, if only you hadn’t made those mistakes, taken those decisions, ignored those signs…… wished you had run?, walked?, probably flown?...... Well, this wishes only get u locked in the past.

What is available to you is a present help in time of need, the hope that is given in the resurrection of our lord Jesus Christ. It gives us a tilt in life, an advantage on the playing field and the preparedness to be outstanding in everything that we choose to stand in.

Nothing more can rival his mutterings in those dying moments

“… It is finished …” (John 19:30)

If he says it is finished (shame, sorrow, suffering, rejection), then it’s time you start believing.

“I’ll see you on the other side” He says (emphasis mine) and if the grave cannot hold Him down… then those problems cannot hold you down. (In Jesus name)

Are you wondering or struggling on how to make it to the other side?, say this prayer

“Jesus, I thank you for your love shown towards me in dying for me, resurrecting to give me hope and making me a candidate of a new life promised to all who believe. I believe and accept you as my lord and personal saviour. Come into my life and refresh my existence. Amen”

Get in touch with a local church to share your experience and find help on what to do next.

THERE IS HOPE

2007-03-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

We are officially out of the lukewarm season generally referred to as “winter”. I have had laughs about people that forgot to change their clock settings……. I wasn’t a victim though…… very clever I am indeed….my time was never changed from last year (laughs).

We are officially on Easter break from University. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Almost every one I knew was on the verge of a breakdown…. myself inclusive…. We finally broke down ……albeit in laughter……to what a term it had been.

We are officially celebrating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Everywhere I turned to, someone was talking about the slave trade. My curiosity began to grow and I went all out in search of the details. I was aghast at the things I read, I couldn’t help but feel the pain, the shame, and the inhumane treatments the slaves received. Feelings of hopelessness, where the dawn of a new day is not something to wish for……
weeping may endure for a night…..the morning only brings more sorrow.
People dug in deep to stay alive…… but death they received…… by being thrown into the sea…… they couldn’t stay afloat.
The church also was a culprit in this scandal….owning a slave farm at the time.

200 hundred years on…… after the heroics of Wilberforce and everyone that fought for the abolition, we, the generations after still do not know what to do with ourselves.

Are the perpetrators meant to apologise? ….. are the victims meant to forgive and forget?…… should we celebrate?…… should we put our heads up?…..down? ….. or should heads roll? …… and whose head?

One major positive about the openness of this discussion is......now we can be healed…… all us….. from guilt, from pain, from anger.

On the morning of 25/03/07 (1807)…. The slaves that were alive would have confirmed these words of hope

“Weeping may endure for a night…..but joy comes in the morning”

The same is true for your life….. Who would have thought that the whole world would stand.... put their hands up and turn to their inner selves and set the slaves free for ever ……but they did.

Your problems do not need the whole world to solve it …… Have hope, have faith…… joy is on the way.

It may look bleak…… just hold on…. Easter is only a few days away…… JESUS DIED AND HE ROSE……. So we all have hope…..for ever.

HAPPY EASTER

RIVER SERIES (FINAL PART)

2007-03-16T03:11:00.000-07:00

Evaporation is a natural occurrence and to a normal river, it is negligible but for a river that has forgotten its source, evaporation becomes a major problem…. water molecules leave the surface of the river…. So the river goes dry more quickly. When the sun (something that is generally seen as good) comes out, the rate of evaporation increases, and that spells more bad news for this river. Doing good becomes a difficulty for this river. Every time someone takes a drink, the river plunges into deeper darkness…..

YOU: You may argue that in your case there is no evaporation…..but everyday, you have to give something…… to your kids….to your family, to work…. physically, emotionally, materially…. (Name it)… and they do not really care if you are on top performance or below par…. You always have to deliver whether you get fed or not.
I wonder why some people never feel happy about doing good. I use to think they are inherently bad…. But now I have a new line of thinking… they probably have no source… what they have is all they’ve got and they know it.

“What makes me is not what I have, but who I am. When what I have is gone, what is left is who I am”
– Ibukun Onitiju

For these people, when what they have is gone, they are nobodies again.
From my stand point, I’ll agree with Kahlil Gibran when he said

“Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need”.

We all have needs and we all need help. There is always that little extra that we can do with.
Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.
– Sir Winston Churchill.

Science tells us that everything around us is in motion. It is not very obvious because you are moving along with it. The day you decide to stop, you will not only stop, you’ll be moving backwards

“He who moves not forward goes backward”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If you embrace the reality of who you are and frequently get in touch with those things…. People…..events…e.t.c that gives us the required push to stay alive and active,
If you adopt the mindset of the living, and revoke the temptation of the dead,

“If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old. You will just keep growing.”
Gail Sheehy

At this point, I would have ended up joggling your intellect about those things that you classify as being your source. But are they really your source?...... Or better put, are they worth being your source in life?

Your identifiable sources as you may think… may be taken away from you. Your knowledgeable grandfather will one day pass away…. Your ever present mother that can re-write the words of Maya Angelou can be taken away from you…..the lovely chain that gives you inspiration can disappear without warning…..

I remember a few months ago, one of my mentors died and that came as a big blow to who I see myself to be. Did I die with him? ..... No I did not…..but I had to re-visit my source to keep focused. Therefore, what exactly is worthy of being your source in life?

In his words, Bill Beattie said
“The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men.”
So I say: Your True source lies in your ability to identify what is needed for your progress at any one time. The will to die not (I don’t mean physical death) should be stronger than any other thing.
To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe. - Marilyn vos Savant

Remember “As long as there is life, there is Hope”….. Progress that is.

Question: What is my source?
Answer: The will to stay alive. (Active)
It should be yours also……

River Series (Contd)

2007-03-07T15:52:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, I am still continuing on the issue of the river. In my last blog, I highlighted what a typical day for a river looks like. This week we'll look at how this process is affected when the river forgets its source and its relevance to you.

How is this process affected when the river forgets its source…..and how is this related to you and me?

1.) When a river forgets its source (in reality, the different sources), it means the rivers does not take contributions from meaningful tributaries anymore. It has isolated itself from the supplies that ensure its existence. Though the river is still flowing, it is not being replenished and that spells disaster.

YOU: In the early days when you’ve decided to forget those things that makes you you…. things will not look bad at all… You are still as intelligent as before, still as rich… the jobs still keep coming… everyone still keeps applauding you. In fact, there are times you’ll tell yourself … “It’s not as hard as I thought it will be”…. In carefully crafted lines… under your breath… you say “I’m not lonely, I’m just alone”……
A fact is, you are not being replenished and that spells disaster. A young promising athlete will read about other successful athletes, go to training night and day…. and in a short while (after a few years)….the medals will start coming in. If at this point, this before young, but now old athlete decides that training does not matter anymore and that the coaches are rip-offs… then it won’t take long before the self destruct button gets activated.
Life does not entertain complacency. Martin Luther King Jr. said and I quote
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Are you a dead man walking? …. Or simply put ….are you on the way down?…..check yourself.

2.) Along the way, these things now happen

a. It still carries the fishes and other aquatic animals with it…they may have reduced in number…..but what the remaining ones do not know is that due to no fault of theirs, their days are not just numbered, but the count down has already started.

YOU: Not just will you continue to live life as a normal person in the early days; you will also be given responsibilities as before. Your friends will still come to you for advice, and as before like the river, the fishes of life will still look up to you to transport them from where they are to where they are suppose to be. One thing they will most times not know is that…. You are running on empty…..and if you don’t realise early enough, as you go down… you are not going down alone…. The echoes of your fall reverberates in the hearts of those who put their hopes in you.

b. Disappointment is on the way for as many people who use the river for different purposes and like wise, disappointment is on the way for as many that put their hopes in you...... (To be continued).

Evaporation is part of a natural cycle..... Learn how it matters to this dying river.... .All next week and Mother's day Special.... Stay Paged.

YOUR SOURCE (RIVER SERIES)

2007-03-02T05:32:00.000-08:00

CRY ME A RIVER

Last month, we had extreme makeover (heart edition...) and I enjoyed myself such that I always come back to read the blogs.
We have learnt (I hope) about what makes relationships work…..the diversity in love and the need for expressions.

This month, we are heading in a different direction but not anywhere far from thoughtful???. I’m gonna blog about the usefulness of a river …. “wait for it”….. When it has forgotten its source…

It may seem farfetched but in our lives… we have roots…. we have those core things that define us….. and also serve as our dependency in times of trouble….

It may be a mentor….. a higher power….. God for some people…. Your family….. you can name a host of other things….

As good as these things or people may have been to us or as useful as they may have been or will be…. Sometimes we get to a stage where we think…. Now I need nobody….. now I can stand on my own….. Now I can go it all alone…. The road from here is just straight forward and we break ties with whoever or whatever has been … in my words…. “Our source”…..

Most times it is our pride that clouds our thoughts…. At the end we make decisions that are not right…..and it doesn’t get better because we get too cocky to go back and admit our mistakes…. The pride grows and grows and grows until we finally fall….

It’s never too late to go back to your source….and that is a lesson we must all learn…

Take a ride with me as we analyse the situation of the river in the old saying “A river that has forgotten its source will go dry”

My favourite definition of a river is this

“A large natural stream of water emptying into an ocean, lake, or other body of water, and usually fed along its course by converging tributaries.”

A river is fed…. So that it can feed….. One of the main characteristics of a river is the actual flowing that represents feeding and being fed….. A river has to flow so as to be called a river…. And even after it has supposedly forgotten its source…. It must still be flowing to be called a river…..

That is typical of you and me, the fact that we forget those things that really matter to us does not kill us…. We still sleep and wake up and live life like every normal person…Everybody thinks we are doing fine... but it is just for a short period of time…. before it shows that we are dead men walking....

Back to our river,

What is a typical day for a river like….

1.) It takes contributions from tributaries at different places… and heads (what I call its life journey) towards the main ocean where it empties itself. In essence… making its own contribution to the general water world

2.) Along the way, a few things happen….
a. It carries fishes and other aquatics animals with it

b. Men use it for different purposes…. Such as irrigation and other water needs

c. By the process of evaporation, water molecules leave the surface of the river … It happens all the time…. But it happens faster at higher temperatures (i.e. when the sun is out)… in short…. In very little bits, some water is leaving the surface of the river…. But on a normal day… this is very negligible.

3.) The river empties itself into the ocean…. And makes its own contribution to needs of the bigger world

How is this process affected when the river forgets its source….. and how is this related to you and me.

Find out next week……TO BE CONTINUED

2007-02-21T06:20:00.000-08:00

hmm... The jollyness of valentine is wearing off from some people's faces already (most likely 'cos they didn't have a val)..... but I know someone that will find it difficult to forget about it...... yeah as you may wonder.... he had such a beautiful time..... but more importantly... the dinner ran into hundred of pounds ........ wao..... but hold it...cos in a few days.... its gonna be more than worth it..... he's a friend by the way..... (You better become friends with me..... we're rich)..... lol....

LOVE

It is a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person

Some people call it a feeling…even though you can’t actually feel it with your hands… something in you has been programmed to be receptive to the transmission of love radars.

A short cut to the importance of “love” is … If you love somebody, you would not want to hurt him/her in any way. Bitching behind their back will not happen, you wouldn’t steal from them (girlfriend/boyfriend inclusive)… ultimately you will have them in mind and their welfare will be a priority.

Imagine if this love now extends to more than one person and someone out their looks after you as well… then the world will be a better place… but as we know this is not the case in reality.
Hatred has taken a big chunk of our hearts… Its not that we don’t love anymore… we still do, but our love is now priced…. The highest paying recipient receives the most of it.
To crown it all, it’s not just the sellers that put a price on their love… even the buyers now place a demand on the value of what they are paying for.

An example will simplify the complexity of my concern. I believe that love is something that we all have and are all ready to share. I also believe that we have an abundance of this love in that (all other things being equal) we can love our siblings without conflict, love all our friends without telling one that our love has run out and love our parents in great measures.
This analysis breaks down when it comes to your spouse but that is because of the constraints put by morality. (Laughs)

In our today world, that abundance of love is very short in supply, and it’s not because the love wells are running dry………we are getting greedier and hoarding the love we have.

In our ignorance and greediness, we have done away with the school of thought that love is diverse and we have adopted a perverted style of One love for all…… and so because there is one love for all, scarcity sets in……

Now, before any misunderstanding erupts… opportunity cost is the first thing that comes to mind…… and we’re faced with choices that should never have been…… “Choosing between your parents and your siblings”… “Choosing between your siblings and your friends”… “Between your spouse and your parents”…… “or between your girlfriend and the rest of your family”……

For some of us… we are just ignorant and the society we live in helps our ignorance… One thing we must understand is …… you may not want some people in your life…… but never let it be because the love you have cannot go round.

We don’t have to make these horrible choices…… (all things being equal)…… your family were the first set of people you knew…… your siblings knew you because your parents decided to have you… you knew you friends because someone looked after them and ensured that they stayed alive… the friendly advise (as bad or as good they may have been ) helped you make some decisions…… and these friends may have even contributed to your finding the love of your life… or the career of your dreams…… so why would you …… all of a sudden decide that the love that their contributions have grown into cannot go around.

Don’t get me wrong, I know you can’t carry everybody along…… but never let anything buy your love out…

The people in your lives are there for different reasons and to help in different ways…… Learn to love and appreciate them for who they are.
And for you out there who wants another person to yourself…… you can’t be the dad, the mum, the boyfriend, the husband, the friend e.t.c. all alone…… you’ll die young…… So…… wise up… Love has different faces…… learn to express them

Let’s all make the world a better place……

DON'T BE SHY

2007-02-15T03:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine to ya'll... Its another day for me (like every other day) to express my love to the people around me.

This is for all you's out there that find it hard to express yourself..... It may not be because you are shy, it could just be a case of mixed feeling.... or the message from him/her is not clear enough for you to step forward and break the silence.
I've been in that positon before..... I wasn't sure of the message but I was sure of the beauty... so what do I do?....well, what I did was simple... I wrote it out in this well put together piece that expresses my confusion but affirms my observation......

I see something

As brave as I am,
a girl’s eyes can be difficult to look at
But yours is an anomaly,
Cos every time I look, I want to look again
I know that I know there’s something in those eyes
Is it hatred, dirt, trouble, fear or is it peace, joy, hope, care and love?
What it is, is a mystery waiting to be unravelled
But these I physically see, a set of hypnotising eyes
fenced with a fine coat of mascara,
carefully streamlined along its perfectly curved edges
giving the eye lashes an independent stand-a-lone beauty
each pointing towards heaven
Every time I look at them, I look up
expecting to see something
but what, I don’t know.

I think credence should be given to me for seeing something.... albeit I don't understand it....
If you are like me, seeing is the first step.... though you may not understand it, describe what you see (not what you feel)... the answer might just lie in your description....

guess what, when I gave this piece to the person in concern... the reaction I got gave me the answer to my confusion .... (It works)

Happy Valentine.

Who is standing next to you

2007-02-11T23:40:00.000-08:00

Who is standing next to you?

The last time you left home, how many people did you say hi to? I mean sincerely, how many people are you interested in knowing what they are going through and how you can be of help? Majority of us, I noticed have become longsighted that we fail to see the very people that are next to us and around us. We talk about best friends that live out of town, in another country, in another continent; in fact, the only place you don’t have a friend is in your neighbourhood.

A while ago, I made a new friend whom I’ll call P. When ever I talk to my friend P, somehow I always end up boasting about my other friends that knows me in and out, friends that can die for me, and friends that I think were not born but dropped from heaven. Over time, I could sense a tint of uneasiness in P’s voice simply because I did not give P the chance to be my friend or express herself and walk into my friend’s hall of fame list. Realising my mistake, I tried telling P how much she meant to me but like any one of us, P did not believe me, especially when P thinks about my other supposedly perfect friends. One day, I said to P, listen:

“I have friends that can leave everything for me and even die for me (guess that’s not very true) but even if it were true, these friends are far away that I would have been long dead before they get to know that I’m in trouble. That’s why you matter to me, you can either be by my side when I’m in trouble, and if you can’t help, you can be the link between me and the people that can help. You can be my chance of survival.”

Recently, I fell seriously ill and it was not a palatable experience. In this trying time, there was a friend that physically stood by me and as you can guess…. It was my friend P.

What am I saying?, the day you fall down, you can call your best friends thousands of miles away telling them of your predicament, and you know what, the best he/she can do is to say “get up”. But the person standing next to you can give a helping hand and pull you to your feet.

My question is…. Who is standing next to you?

Its time you embrace your location and invest in relationships that will make your stay worthwhile.

HAPPY NEW MONTH

2007-02-01T07:25:00.001-08:00

Happy new month to you all. January’s obituary has been announced and a new month is birthed.

Extreme makeover (heart edition) is our stop for this month and I am very very excited about it.

As you might as well be aware, a makeover is not the creation of something new, it is working with something that already exists….in this case, your heart.
The heart plays a major role, not just in keeping us physically alive, but also in making us come to terms with living in this life.
The choices you make, decisions you take, and who you are is a reflection of what is resident in your heart. In fact, your outlook in life, is a result of zooming in into your heart.

When people go through physical transformation (cosmetic surgery), they almost always work with a psychiatrist to prepare and update the content of their heart to accommodate their new look. This is simply because you can only work from inside out. Doing it the other way round can end in catastrophe.

In the course of this series, we will not deviate from the overriding theme for the month of love (February). Hence, love (an important element) will feature as part of this makeover. Your relationship with people is another point of talk. We do not leave in an isolated world, so we need the right mix to stay sane and give the heart the look that makes whoever sees say whaoo…….

GOAL VIRUS

2007-01-28T03:26:00.000-08:00

Hello and thanks for dropping by.

In this past week, it snowed in most parts of the United Kingdom and it was a good feeling to see how people responded to the white flakes that made whole new scenery of their environment.
In winter, people say it’s too cold and they long for summer, when summer comes, they say it’s too hot.
If the weather was human, I’m sure it would have given up on its vision already.
Last week (in my last blog), I talked about “big or small… does it matter” in relation to vision. A key lesson that came out is the need for “consistency” in our pursuit in life. This week, I have put together a thoughtful poem on a lesson we can learn from the weather.

GOAL VIRUS

It is a goal virus ‘cos it lives in the cells
that powers protects and propels every goal
quit quit quit rings aloud in the ears
forgetting that quitters are never winners

A drug for this virus is yet to be produced
and it kills as soon as it gets the chance
But a natural phenomena solves the mystery
All of us can learn a lesson from the weather
it pays no attention to "Criticism"

On the contrary,
The weather critically criticizes all critics
that critically criticizes its creatability
using the watchword "Consistency"

Consistency renders criticism powerless
Summer, autumn, winter, spring, will all come
even when they are analytically criticized

In every endeavour in life
criticism is not worth giving ear to
just keep pressing on
with a consistent approach
criticism will never stand it.

NOTE: coming soon.... "Extreme makeover... (Heart edition)"
In February, I'll be blogging on a wonderful series titled "Extreme Makeover.... (Heart Edition). So, if you don't have a heart , get one, if you've locked yours up, free it.... If yours is broken..... bring the pieces... and watch out.
Have a wonderful week.

Big or Small…Doest it Matter?

2007-01-22T10:01:00.000-08:00

Hello to you all...... How has 2007 been unfolding?..... I started my week with a whole lot of things to accomplish...... and this is one of them. January is a month of vision and I have unravelled something that can make you put your vision into a size perspective. get hooked up on this......till I come your way again.

Big or Small…Doest it Matter?

This question of size is in relation to Vision. How big should a vision be to be worth pursuing or how small for it to be unacceptable? If your eyes are popped open to read this, then keep ‘em like that…..because you’ll learn a lot.
Daniel 6 is our stop for this discussion. You’ll need to read the chapter along to get an in depth knowledge of what I explain here. (If you are viewing this electronically, then www.biblegateway.com has a free online bible. You can print this document out, take it home and go through it in your quiet time.) Below are bullet points and little explanations of the Vision concept.
Daniel 6 vs. 3
Daniel distinguished himself and when you distinguish yourself, you are bringing attention to yourself by choosing to be different, hence whatever you do becomes noticed, either good or bad.
Daniel 6 vs. 4
It is wise therefore, that when you choose to stand out, you stay faithful and faultless.
vs. 5
Staying faithful and faultless is not an easy task. Not just because it’s hard to sustain, but also your enemies (specifically situations, people) will try to take you out.
Now, when you can’t be stopped, they’ll alter what you see (your vision) i.e. mess about with the source of your existence. When a river forgets its source…. Dryness is not far away.
vs. 10
“Daniel’s vision was not ready to take a hit by the limitation imposed by is environment.”
A God given vision is not dependent on physical circumstances. So Daniel did as was his custom. Physical circumstances may change, but the vision does not change.
Vs. 13
Then they said to the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.
Why did they say Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah” and not “Daniel who is one of the governors.

Your unfavourable past will come to plague your vision….. Brace yourself and know that your past is history (HIS – STORY….. God’s story), God knows how to tell it.

To deliver on a vision, consistency becomes a must have.

Later in the story, Daniel went to a place of no return but he returned…. Simply put, the vision kept him (Now you know…. Vision keeps you).
Vs. 18
It’s only in the pursuit of your God-given vision that Kings and Queens can be interested in your case.

(Food for thought: Are there some laws that could be broken and expect God to show up in the event of consequences????)

Vs. 23
When you believe in the vision, you always stay intact… i.e. whole, no matter where you are coming from or been through.

Please read it all the way to the end of the chapter.

Big or Small….Doest it matter?
What was Daniel’s vision and what was God’s vision.
God wanted a whole nation…. but gave Daniel a consistency vision, something as small as or as Big as praying. (Depending on how you see it).
Daniel was not sent to be planting churches, doing crusades or the big programmes…. he was just a witness and if he stood true to his witnessing (which he did), a whole nation will be and was saved.
So, how big should a vision be????

Leave your thoughts on the size issue and what laws can be broken.

FACE, PLACE, SPACE (CONTD)

2007-01-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

PlACE:

In literal terms, your PLACE is synonymous to your location, but it does not explicitly restrict itself to a satellite navigation hotspot. It widely represents a place you occupy be it in geographic, emotional, relationship or family terms. Think about it as your place in someone’s heart, or your place in the family, at your workplace, in the society, etcetera.

The issue of place is not the most straightforward to explain. What I have found out is that, people get into a lot of trouble because they do not know their place, specifically; they do not know where they belong. As a young boy growing up, I try to brainstorm on different issues, and one of these is when husbands and wives have mini arguments most commonly related to the husband’s job. Majority of the time, what I don’t understand is why a wife will be comparing herself to her husband’s job. Sometimes I think if I was the husband, the question I will ask the wife is “do you want me to treat you as my “job” or as my wife”. This particular example is a delicate one and I would not want to go into to much detail, but I hope it has driven home my point on “PLACE”

Recently something happened that really put urgency on me to write this. There are times in life we expect a lot from people who do not think about us the way we think they do. It brings a lot of disappointment especially when we get to find out. A wrong perception of “PLACE” brings a lot pain. Many relationships have been broken because the members of the relationship do not know their places. In everyday life, if you know your place in every situation, the right attitude to have will not be a major problem; you can increasingly mind your own business, save time and energy and whenever it matters, throw all in for a worthy cause.

Where is your right PLACE? Your right place is anywhere that matches the expression of your identity. This statement explains in a few words but with great detail why so many people struggle in life.

As typical humans, we try to place ourselves in areas that match what we think our identity is. This could come in various forms e.g. social class.

The truth is, as long as we have a false identity, finding that “PLACE” where we belong will be a constant struggle.

Thriving and growth is subjective to a defined location, so knowing your place in every situation and circumstance gives a stress free life and improves focus on what is important. Remember, the onus for having wisdom is to know what things to leave undone.

The final part of this series is called SPACE. A common saying is
"You are encroaching into my space". To be continued. . . . . . . . .

FACE, PLACE, SPACE

2007-01-03T05:29:00.000-08:00

In the world of scientific scholars, matter is everything that has weight and occupies space.
With this simple definition, everything the brain tries to think about surprisingly becomes “matter”. Simply put, matter is anything that has an identity in a location and occupies space. Even though, I am not seriously going down the “matter” lane, it is not surprising that what makes life worth living is embedded in this classification.

Unravelled in the course of this article are three principal things that define our existence. They make our achievements possible and to go far in life, their implementation becomes a necessity. I present to you face, place and space.

FACE:
Everyone has a face. We all have a recognisable element that physically distinguishes us from the next person. This face uniquely identifies us and it also acts as our ambassadors in the walk of life. The journey through life with this face can lie between the extremes of comfort and heartache. There are places we would not want to go to because of who they know us as, or what they know us for and there are places we wouldn’t mind to step into for the same reason. I have split these into two categories.

Category 1: For some of us, our identity (face) has become a major hindrance to our progress in life. I’m not just talking about colour or race or other generic factors (which undoubtedly can be a cause for hindrance) I am unveiling those things that are personal to you and me. It could be past failures, experiences, background and upbringing, mistakes that have left permanent scars, or associations that has tarnished our identities or any other causes that we can identify with. An example that comes to mind is a situation a few years ago of a young lady that stole from a family. I wouldn’t know what was going on in her head, but when the family realised that something was missing, a search was launched and she had an opportunity to come clean, but she didn’t until what was missing was found in her possession. She explained herself, she was forgiven, and it seems everyone had forgotten about it. A few months later, as she was walking on the street, I could hear someone saying… “do you know that girl is a thief”…. That was when it struck me that it could take an awful long time for her to break free from that identity.

Category 2: Flipping the coin to the other side, for some of us, the opposite of those listed above is the case i.e. a situation where our identities have received a huge boost and we are not ashamed in anyway to flaunt it.

The reality of the matter is, your identity follows you around and it leaves a trail behind. A trail of who you are.
For those of you in the first category, this is a message of hope, a re-assurance that you can start afresh.
For those of you in the second category, it is a message of awareness, an eye opening session that your identity is worth taking care of.

Facts about identity

Identity is either based on the past or based in the future. For most of us, our identities are based on the past. The remaining few of us have our identities based in the future. This is a mysterious classification and I will take a few lines to explain it.
Note that I did not say “identity based on the future, but “identity based in the future”.

This is because the future is not known, so an identity can literarily not be based on the future. Having said that, if an identity is based on the future, the conclusion is, that identity is a lost identity.

If an identity is based in the future, it simply means, you may not know what the future holds, but you know who you are in the future and this only comes by revelation.

One of the major differences between an identity based on the past and identity based in the future is “sustainability”. An identity based on the past changes with experience, so, you go through a new experience and suddenly you get lost or confused about who you really are. Loss of confidence is a good example of the symptoms of an identity based on the past.

In another article, I will explore and explain the significance and knowledge of identities caught by revelation.

On a final note, your face is your identity and it defines every aspect of your existence. Find it.

Next in the series is PLACE.

Place:
in literal terms, your place is synonymous to your location, but it does not explicitly restrict itself to a satellite navigation hotspot. It widely represents a place you occupy be it in geographic, emotional, relationship or family terms. To put "place" in context, think about your place in someone's heart.

To be continued………

WHAT COUNTS

2006-05-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

It's not what you eat but what you digest that makes you strong
not what you preach but what you practise that makes you godly.
It's not what you gain but what you save that makes u rich.
not where you serve but your service that makes you hardworking and
It's not what you read but what you remember that makes you brilliant.
Eyes that look are common but eyes that see are rare.
Don't just look at life, see something in it.

Easter

2006-04-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

EASTER

The story of Easter has been told over the years by different people from different backgrounds, understandings, views and approach, but two things stand out…….

1.) The death of Jesus Christ that signifies the taking away of our sins

Romans 5 vs. 8

But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

2.) and His (Jesus) resurrection that gives us life, hope, relevance, a sense of belonging and an ever increasing assurance of the salvation we hold dearly.

1 Corinthians 15 vs. 14,20

14 And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is in vain [it amounts to nothing] and your faith is devoid of truth and is fruitless (without effect, empty, imaginary, and unfounded). …..
20 But the fact is that Christ (the Messiah) has been raised from the dead, and He became the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death].

This is undoubtedly a major event, not just in the Christian calendar, but also in the make up of our faith.
There have been so many criticisms about Christianity, the efficacy of a Son of God who came to die for us and the mystery of a second coming following an unrealistic resurrection. In the course of this article, I am not to prove that Jesus came, died and resurrected……. instead, I want us to see the hope we have in God in a world that constantly threatens our existence.

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. (NIV)

This may sound a bit too far fetched, but it is the absolute truth, a life that defies the concept of death. Even while He was alive, Jesus comforted people around him with the assurance of a risen life from, physical death, emotional death, financial death, depression, health problems, dreams that has fizzled away, career loss and every area of our lives that looks increasingly hopeless.
Probably you are thinking deep and trying to find that thing in your existence that is not working, I bet you can point to a few. The issue is not the existence of these problems, but how and where can we find a working solution?
The world has been so much dependent on our God given brains, advancements in technology, research, political help, organisational intervention and individual contribution to tackle the problems we face today and, every time, we always fall short of a lasting solution. In time past, these things have worked, but in our days, the intensity, frequency and scale of these problems happening simultaneously has given these solutions a run for their effectiveness.
Terrorism, racism, nuclear unsteadiness, famine, global warming, pandemic and natural disasters et cetera are all hitting the headlines at the same time and so is their continuing effect on global economy in general. Without a shadow of doubt, the current state of the world has cause for alarm.
To worsen matters, professionals in the world’s solution fields keep telling us of the growing difficulties to trust their equipments, suggested solution and preparedness. In fact, some of them term these calamities as unstoppable.
So, if these things are this serious, what hope have you got in an uncertain situation???????

The bible, (written thousands of years ago) tells us of these problems and if it does, will it not have the solution or probably a strategy to chart our course in our modern world? If indeed, these things are unstoppable, will the bible not let us know why we have to experience them and give us a right attitude towards what really matters in life?

(Mathew 24 and Luke 21 give a stunning account of these events. In another article, I’ll go into details of their relevance)

Without being deceived, it is evident that the world is becoming a monster we don’t recognise anymore and even scarier is the fact our personal lives mirrors this chaotic lifestyle.
Don’t be deceived though, some chosen few are in this same world but are walking according to God’s word and that means hope in despair, guidance in journey, love in hatred, peace in chaos, provision and sustenance in lack.

Isaiah 30
Vs. 15 “… “In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and confidence shall be your strength….”

Vs. 21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.

This is the good news I bring to you, that you are not alone in that struggle to find your feet. Wished you could turn back the hand of time, if only you hadn’t made those mistakes, taken those decisions, ignored those signs…… wished you had run?, walked?, probably flown?...... Well, this wishes only get u locked in the past.

What is available to you is a present help in time of need, the hope that is given in the resurrection of our lord Jesus Christ. It gives us a tilt in life, an advantage on the playing field and the preparedness to be outstanding in everything that we choose to stand in.

Nothing more can rival his mutterings in those dying moments

“… It is finished …” (John 19:30)

If he says it is finished (shame, sorrow, suffering, rejection), then it’s time you start believing.

“I’ll see you on the other side” He says (emphasis mine) and if the grave cannot hold Him down… then those problems cannot hold you down. (In Jesus name)

Are you wondering or struggling on how to make it to the other side?, say this prayer

“Jesus, I thank you for your love shown towards me in dying for me, resurrecting to give me hope and making me a candidate of a new life promised to all who believe. I believe and accept you as my lord and personal saviour. Come into my life and refresh my existence. Amen”

Get in touch with a local church to share your experience and find help on what to do next.

"Hi or Yo"

2006-04-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

“Hi or Yo”

Hi, Hi, H.i, Hi.
A very common and harmless word to say,
till you sit down to see,
the meaning we read into it.

In a world that looks rotten,
revival has been left sleeping,
selfishness is now a daily burden,
selflessness has long been forgotten.

Hi, I, Hi, I
Greeting or speaking? Selfish or people-ish?
It’s been a massive leap
from the traditional me, me, me,
to a more sophisticated hi, I, hi.

Pronunciation wise, they are different (Hi, I)
for a chosen few who went to school.
Expression wise, they are good friends,
for the rest of us who knows the truth.

I know…
“me brother, me sister…me mum, me dad”
has been a prominent accent
from the northern decent.
Could this be a disguise?
To express our selfish desire.
Hmmm… better not be.

So to leave the ambiguous Hi, I, Hi
and the traditional me, me, me,
we’re transported to a new world,
an outward message to “you”

It’s the voice that sees you and not I,
it’s the voice that says “yo” and not “hi”.
Next time you feel like greeting,
get away from the selfish thing.
Stop saying “hi” and start saying “yo”‘cos it’s all about you.
Hey, yo.

© (2006) Emmanuel Onitiju

STRENGTH IN DEATH

2006-04-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

STRENGTH IN DEATH.

The evil of the day is enough for the day
So redeem time ‘cos there’s no time.
Not to pray is to be a prey,
And to live casually is to be a casualty.

The day dawns with a new morn,
Unaware that we will all mourn.
People left home with kisses,
To leave their families in crisis.

They stepped out not to burn out
They never got back, ‘cos they were lost in the dark
As the trains came to a halt, lives came to a halt
But those who ached were still awake!!!!

Oh seven! Oh seven!
A day that the earth and hearts were riven.
Can we get even for the souls lost to heaven?
Nay! Evil must be forgiven.

In all, this is the message we salvage:
“It is not over until it is over,
There is no other way except the winning way,
Though we may be mortals, we are immortals
Because we live and leave our ideology
“Strength in the face of death”

© Emmanuel Onitiju (07/07/05)

FAMILY

2006-04-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

FAMILY

Far and wide we’re scattered abroad
Playing our life games on different boards
Still we live in the same world
Crossing each other’s path like a cross-word

“We grew up together”------ probably not!!!
“we have the same father” ----- probably not!!!
“we’re from the same mother”------ probably not!!!
“we look like each other” ------ probably not!!!

So you ask:
“what have we got in common”
seeing we’re very random?
And I say:

It’s a life full of passion,
love, commitment, help and fusion.
It’s the world’s latest fashion,
And it’s time you join in the action
‘cos we’re a family
your family