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When God Is All You Have

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

Building confidence in GodDon't forget He's with you

It’s very easy to walk confidently- with your head and shoulders high- when you have a good stash of money in the bank.

When you’re depth free.

When you have good insurance.

When you have wealthy parents.

When you’re married and have a good paying job.

When you’re related to a millionaire or a celebrity.

There’s a proverb in my native tongue that says,

“Aku n’esi obi ike.”

It means,

“Wealth/Success makes the heart strong”.

This proverbs is similar to what is revealed in the book of Proverbs:

“The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.” (Proverbs 18:11).

But my question for you today is, what if God is all you have?

Nothing much in the bank.

Living in debt.

Little or no substantial educational qualification.

Out of job – coupled with parents that are virtually dependent on you.

Will you still be confident?

Will you still walk confidently with your shoulders high?

I really don’t know if you will still… But I know that you can still …

God is not enough reason to be confident. He is more than enough reason to be confident.

I once had a young lady tell me, “You are too bold!”

I really didn’t see that statement coming. Guess it was because according to the world’s standard, I had no reason to be confident, especially at that point in my life when there was nothing much to show materially.

But I had a word from God installed in my heart from whence my confidence emanates:

“Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.” (Proverbs 3:25-26).

My confidence did not come from a bank account that is subject to the evil forces of the universe. Neither did it come from any material possession that is subject to destruction.

My confidence came from the only wise God.

An indestructible God.

My confidence came from a target that can’t be hit!

I’m talking about a God whose wealth and splendor is unimaginable.

Putting your confidence in this only true God implies that anyone who wants to tamper with your self esteem will have to dethrone God first. Good luck with that… :)

However, putting your confidence in God is not something that happens by chance. It’s something that you’ll needs to take certain deliberate steps to put into place through continuous – prayer, meditation on God’s word/promises, and fellowship with the brethren.

The world also has a standard for confidence.

But the world’s standard for confidence is too inferior both for humanity generally and particularly for us as heirs of a superior Kingdom.

Operating with the substandard standard of the world has signed many up for suicide, violent dis-contentment. And will leave us violated, empty, frustrated, depressed, and disillusioned with life.

If millionaires and celebrities are committing suicide, fighting depression, and battlling all sorts of addiction in a futile quest for joy and peace of mind, why do people still believe that attaining a similar status will give them the desired fulfillment? Guess the lawn still looks greener on the other side huh?

Simply put; as a human and especially as a beliver, embracing the world’s standard of success is like trying to install a Microsoft Windows 7 software into a Windows 95′ operating system hardware. That’s only going to crash both the software and the hardware.

God’s people are alarmingly – falling for the world’s flashy toys: “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13).

This post is for all those who feel they have – had a terrible year. People who falsely feel worthless as a result of their lack of material possession. Especially at this evaluative and comparative time of the year. My message to you is; “Turn back to God- away from the world’s empty cisterns because God is more than enough for you”.

I want to remind you that you are worth the life of God. All God had – could not pay for you. God literally had to turn Himself in to bail you out, to earn a place in your life. This is a virtually neglected part of the gospel of the birth and death of Jesus Christ.

I also want to let you know that, “No matter what happened-happens this year, don’t be afraid of next year because God is already there, and He’s on your side.

Cash is not king…

Jesus is king! …and this Jesus – lives in you.

Have a blessed Christmas and New Year celebration!

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Spotlight on Courage

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Delia


The dictionary defines “courage” as mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.


One thing that I have observed about courage is that you don’t really know what it means until you need it.


Another thing is that courage means different things to different people.

Recently, the word “courage” has come to mean something new to me.


My daughter, Delia, and I were shot at close range by a deranged man wielding a handgun.

In the moment that I saw my beautiful daughter do a complete 360 degree flip in the air, and fall down on her back. . .  as I watched the shooter point the gun at her head, again and announce that he was about to kill her. . . I did not take the time to wonder about the degree of courage that it would take to save her life.

Actually, it took a moment for me to even register what was happening.

I am sure it was milliseconds, but it seemed like eons.

Time stood still.

I was in total shock… as was she.


It is amazing that at times like these, a thousand things run through your mind in a split second.

In that moment, I remember hearing -inside my head- a phrase that I had heard,”This is how tragedies occur.”

I remember having a fleeting thought that we could both be killed.

Then, I told myself to RUN.


I put myself in your hands, Lord


Somehow, I managed to get between her and her assailant, trying feverishly to distract him, to make him leave. . .

or do anything to keep him from shooting her again.

Out of surprise more than anything else I guess, he jumped aside.

Now, the fact that he had two people to cover, kept him from being able to concentrate on killing her as he planned.

Ironically, I had just recently attended a workshop on dealing with difficult situations, and all of that just flew right out of my head.

I started screaming at him, thinking that if I startled and shocked him enough, it might make him feel like he had lost control of the situation and leave.

I wanted to force him to think of the enormity of what he had done.

Meanwhile, he was just rambling on dementedly, about how he wanted to kill her and kill himself.

He just wouldn’t go.


As I screamed at him to leave, I took the chance of pushing my way past him to get my phone from my purse, which was around the corner, on the floor.

 

I knew that I couldn’t wait any longer to act.

 


As I brushed past him, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the gun jerk up, point at my chest,

his burning eyes never left my face..

He didn’t aim or even flinch…

As he shot me.

About an inch from my chest, a few inches from my heart.

About an inch from the under wire in my bra.

The bullet hit my under wire, traveling another couple inches down into my flesh…but the under wire held.

Absolute truth.

The bullet shattered.  The under wire bent. But still intact, it contained the bullet fragments.  

When I finally pulled the under wire from my flesh, a gush of blood and several little black fragments came pouring out.

I didn’t understand until someone explained it to me later, that a .22 caliber bullet will shatter if it hits anything solid.

Thank God!

A potentially deadly shot resulted in a purely superficial flesh wound.

Later, I would look at that under wire and marvel at how much of it must have gone into me.

It doesn’t matter that it was a flesh wound, it hurt!


But, not at that moment.


Nothing registered on me, but the situation we were in and the fact that time was running out.

I knew that I had been shot and that I might not be able to get help.


I didn’t yet know that the wire had caught the bullet.

So, I had to push the envelope.

I remember telling him that there was a gun in the house and I knew where it was, and if he didn’t leave…if he harmed her one more time…. I was going to kill him…dead.

In the end, he ran out and I was able to call 911.


HOWEVER,

When I speak of courage, though, I am not speaking of myself.


Although I had a flash of thought that we could both be killed, I don’t think I fully understood how dangerous the situation was.


It wasn’t until a few days later, that it really hit me… that we truly could have been killed.

So, I don’t know if what I did could actually be called “courage.”


Most of what I did was react unconsciously.


The only thing that can explain any of this… is … that it was the hand of God that saved us both.

My guardian angel really came through for me…. again.(Matt. 4:6)


Delia, on the other hand, did not get off as easily as I did.

The bullet punctured her lung, went through her liver, bounced around inside her abdomen,damaged her diaphragm, finally coming to rest up against her spinal cord.

From the moment she fell in a heap after being shot, I knew her legs were not right.

 As soon as I was able to ask her how she was, she told me that she couldn’t feel her legs.

The police arrived and the ambulance took us to the hospital.

She couldn’t move her legs.

I spent a long 24 hours not able to see her, since she was in an “intermediate care unit.”

When I finally saw her, she was so serene.

It hit me at that moment… that she looked like an enchanted Princess, waiting for something to wake her up.


Even though she was horribly injured,

she was blessed that not one major organ was seriously damaged.

The lung was punctured, but that was just temporary.

The bullet missed all major arteries in the liver.

The hand of God is shown, again. Glory be to God!

It wasn’t until I spoke with the Spine surgeon that I realized that Delia still couldn’t move her right leg at all.

I guess up until that point I was so grateful that she was alive, that I automatically assumed her paralysis was temporary.


 

I mean, at that point . . . on what basis can you begin to UNDERSTAND permanent?

 

And the pain.

The way she explained it to me was that a belt of fire was tightening around her middle.

Pain so terrible, my stoic little girl couldn’t stand it.

To relieve the terrible, searing fire in her gut, she had a “pain pump,” a button she could push to release a powerful pain reliever every 8 minutes when she needed it.

And she needed it.

There was a moment when I realized that the doctor was saying she might never walk again.


–It’s likely that the damage to the spine was done the moment that the hot bullet hit the spinal cord, and there probably wouldn’t be much improvement.–

She won’t walk.

But, NO! I wouldn’t accept that!

In the next couple of hours,I fully realized, how wonderfully blessed we both were to be alive. . . and how blessed she has always been her whole life.

I knew, in my spirit, that she was healed already, by the stripes of Jesus.(Isaiah 53:5) (1Peter 2:24)

I believed it, but I struggled with all my being to know it.

I put my hands on her leg, and I declared with more power than I knew I possessed..that this mountain WILL be cast into the sea, completely and absolutely.

Every thing about it will be resolved.

She will be completely healed, physically and psychologically.

She will not be in pain for the rest of her life.

She will be completely healed, she will walk again.


Even three days after being shot, she had a beautiful smile… through the pain.

 

In the next few days and weeks on the hard grueling path to mobility, watching my daughter’s strong determination to walk again…

I finally realized the meaning of the word courage.



It wasn’t easy and, it hasn’t gotten any easier with the passage of time.


It was hard for her to push through her pain and make those legs work, when they didn’t even want to move.

 

It was almost unbearable for me to watch her struggle through that.

I wanted to run to her and grab her up, and hold her…I wanted to take away the pain and injury, to make it all better.

It was so hard to step back and allow her put forth the monumental effort that it took to walk again.


One day, she was working hard to lift her feet and climb up the rehabilitation center’s long, steep staircase.


As the physical therapist climbed behind her, picking up her foot as needed,

moving her leg when she absolutely couldn’t,

I could see the intense concentration on her face,

and how she positively willed each muscle to move.

I was taking video footage of her efforts. I  had to stop as she started back down the stairs, because the emotions became so stark and so raw, I could not continue.

I went home the next day, in one of my rare whirling trips to shower and grab a change of clothes and maybe a night’s rest.

I stayed there with her for five weeks, I couldn’t bring myself to leave her.


During that trip, I decided to make a video instead of sleep.

I wanted to make a video that would help her to see that she COULD do anything through Christ.

That it wasn’t just a phrase.

It was real!


YouTube Preview Image

Delia’s Climb (Sung by Miley Cyrus)


Each day was a battle which was fought and won by inches.

There were days that everything was bleak and I had to grab her and tell her, “You have to get a grip on yourself now.

There are times that you have to grab hold of your faith because you just don’t have any other choice.

And this is one of those times!”


When she entered the rehabilitation center,

she had declared that she

would walk out on her own two feet.


I was quick to tell her that she might be in a wheel chair because hospitals don’t want you to fall and hurt yourself so near the end of your stay.

Immediately, I chastised myself for having a moment of doubt.

How difficult it is to keep your faith, when everything that you see and experience in the world around you,

tells you that what you are hoping and praying for

just isn’t going to happen!

And I had my own psychological struggles.

I may have escaped physical pain and injury, but certainly sustained mental anguish.

I think of the thing that has made it hardest for both of us to deal with this horrendous incident…

that the shooter is my own step-father,

the man who married my mother when she was pregnant by another man,

took me in when I was 4 years old…

when he didn’t have to,

who raised me like I was his own child,

and gave me a place in his own family..

who continued to have a relationship with me and my children after he divorced my mother…

and after she died,

the man who cared more about my daughter probably more than he cared for anyone else in the world (I thought)…

through a deliberate act of the devil..

this man tried to kill my baby and almost succeeded.

In one moment, with one unexplainable act, he has changed the lives of more people than I can count.


Throughout this ordeal, my ideas about courage have changed.

Even though it took courage to remain calm during the chaos that ensued immediately after the shooting, which she did…

It also took courage…

to make it through the first horrible waves of pain…

to move her toes that first time….

to take those first steps by herself…

to walk out on her own to feet 21 days later

to walk, to run, to endure…


YouTube Preview Image


Still Standing (sung by Monica)



Besides all that…


It has taken even more courage to face the 532nd day that she has not seen that complete complete healing…

and to have to realize that the pain hasn’t gone away.


I know that it will, and so does she.


I know that, one day, she will wake up and she will not be in pain.

I know that, one day, she won’t have to concentrate with all her might to make her ankle work, that she will feel the breeze blowing against her leg.


I know that one day we will be praising and giving the Glory to God for her healing.


We both have faith that this is going to happen…



But until that time, she wakes up everyday, and tackles her life…
pursuing a University education,
creating art and doing her work through the pain…
despite the effort it takes just for her to move…

with determination, strength and..

courage.

A Dream Come True

Flickr


 


Isa 53:5--But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

1Pet. 2:24--who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.


Matt. 4:6--and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,’and,‘ In their hands they shall bear you up,Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

 

 

 

 

 




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Why I Strongly Believe In You

Friday, October 28th, 2011

God created you

In a world where the least things matter the most:

A world where men and women are subtly being relegated to the background while their creations are given overdue attention.

Stuffs like exotic cars, handheld devices, and houses have psychologically impeached the value and internal esteem of men.

The worth of the human being is no longer measured by the image and likeness of God that they carry, but by their material possessions and perishable amount of money in their bank accounts.

I remember clearly my days in primary and secondary schools. That’s between third to sixth grade, and junior to senior high.

I’ve forgotten the names of a number of people that featured in those era’s of my life, but I haven’t forgotten how they made me feel: The negative emotions they callously inspired.

Don’t get me wrong. I sincerely hold nothing against any of these people. That I can remember what they did doesn’t in any way imply that I hold anything against them.

You can forget without forgiving, and you can also forgive without forgetting. God purposely did not create us like robots that have delete buttons. To walk in the wisdom of God requires that you learn from the past, and you can’t learn from something you’ve forgotten.

Back to the story:

Those days were indeed days of psychological and emotional torments.

I was told without words that my worth had everything to do with my performance.

The notion had a negative effect on my self esteem as I was what most people might consider a semi-dumb student in class. My grades were nothing to write home about and my classmates never delayed in cashing in on the naivity that emanated from my embattled esteem.

When I moved up to fifth grade, I remember that my new class teacher loved me because I was quiet, but not for long. When she became aquinted with my educational performance — she wrote me off; relegating me to the background. This inflicted a heavy blow on my already deteriorating self esteem.

I felt like a shadow.

I felt like I had no right to be happy.

I was made to believe that I was the stain in a white garment.

I knew I was smart, I knew I was special, my spirit bore witness to these silent convictions; but I just didn’t know how to believe it because everyone and everything around me, told me otherwise.

I finished school — without putting in much efforts in my education because I believed I had nothing much to put in.

Then, people who were not too close to me looked upto me. They didn’t know that I looked down on myself.

However, God was keeping track of me all this while: On a particular day, then I didn’t know God, but my heart desperately cried out to God; “I was officially sick and tired of my life”. All I could see ahead of me was darkness.

Not long after the heart cry, I was led to God.

Only then did my life begin.

Serving God opened the first chapter of my life. Before then, I was still at the sad – forward and prologue pages of my life.

God began to show me things about my life that redeemed my future and self esteem. He also gave me a great perspective of humanity.

Knowing that I was born of God changed everything:

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12-13).

And the exciting part about being born of God is that, “…everyone born of God overcomes the world…” (1 John 5:4).

The realities of these scriptures transformed me forever!

Not only did God make us like Himself, He also made us with Himself. Our spirit is literally composed of the stuff God is made of.

Wow! I know this is too much to take in at once.

However, the resultant effect of the installment of these scriptures in my life is that I became a wonder to everyone around me; that — those who once despised me seek my friendship today. Not necessarily because they’ve changed, but primarily because I found myself in God.

The great wisdom, boldness, and esteem of God began to flow through me.

In essence:

We don’t buy apple, nokia or android phones just because they are phones. We buy them because we trust the companies that make them. Similarly, I strongly believe in you — because I trust the company that made you. You were made by God. If we can trust what man made, how much more what God made?!

Remain Blessed.

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God Made Me Blush

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Love

Christians are told to love the Lord with all their heart.

At first, I always wondered; “How can I love someone I can’t see?” God is everywhere as they say, but He’s still scarce! He’s virtually invisible!

This thought pattern made the whole concept of loving God trivial to me. At least in the literal sense.

How could I take loving God seriously in the literal sense. It lacked logic! It was like asking me to love the wind because like God; it could be felt but not seen; it was invisible.

Thanks to the relatively — godly pressure of coming from a Christian background; I decided to continue in my walk with God. Not really expecting to find much up the ladder though.

Then again, I would hear people talk about God in a way that made Him seem so real. Almost like He was human.

Some talked about Him like He actually had feelings!

The whole thing sowed a seed of curiousity in me. A seed I now identify as a seed of faith in its preliminary stage.
If God had feelings, then loving Him; in the way I understood love might be possible.

A part of me was excited about the idea of venturing into really discovering God.

The other part of me was skeptical. What if there was nothing at the end of that rope.

Looking at that skepticism today, I realize it was fear of intimacy masking itself as doubt.

I perceived that God could be loved. And love as I also perceived — demands sacrifice. My fear was that if I fell in love with God, I’ll have to sacrifice everything for Him, inspite of myself.

Love defiles logic and I somehow wanted to preserve an absolute and somewhat worldly logic in my walk with God — if I happen to fall in love with Him.

Of course, that wasn’t going to work out. At least not in they way I hoped.

Curiousity as they say, kills the cat. My curiousity took the greater part of me. And it did kill something, not a cat this time around, but my doubt.

My skepticism never recovered from the mortal blow that my discoveries inflicted on it.

Something spectacular happened as I got closer to God.

I was in my room one unforgettable day, basking in the greatness that God’s gracious presence was instilling upon me, when I suddenly realized I was smiling.

It was a very bright and joyful smile that came from my heart.

I wasn’t sure — what was happening.

Then suddenly, something interesting happened.

“I realized I was blushing.”

With the gracious and stable smile on my face, I realized that I was casting glances at the ground.

It was like I was evading an eye contact with someone I loved deeply.

One thing I was somehow grateful for with respect to that experience was that I lacked the ability to turn red when I blush — courtesy of my complexion. That would have certainly made the experience a little too dramatic for me. :)

The scene as I recall it today was like the feeling a man has when he’s with the woman he loves, and the feeling a woman has when she’s with the man she loves.

I sincerely felt like I was with a woman I loved. I mean the one I would want to spend the rest of my life with. Except that I was alone in the room, or so I thought.

I was alone, but far from lonely. God’s presence made and still makes all the difference.

After that day, my walk with God took a different turn.

After the experience, I would read through a bible chapter with the Holy Spirit, and find myself giggling through some lines as the Holy Spirit points out some funny scenes.

Today I can comfortably say that I’m in love.

That I know what it means to truly fall in love.

And I want to encourage you to pursue intimacy with God.

It is possible to love God the way you love your wife or husband; in an even more adventurous and exciting sense.

I am a living proof that you can feel towards God; what people in a godly and stable relationship feel towards each other.

Falling in love with God will give you a feeling ecstasy can only dream about.

The experience is virtually beyond description. And I hope that through this post, you’ll be challenged to pursue a deeper relationship with God.

The experience is bound to give you the glorious shock of your life. You can trust me on that one. ;)

Remain blessed.

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Tracking Your Heart

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

Heart

If you were asked where your heart was located, you’ll probably go like, “Somewhere between my chest cavity.” And you’d be right, but in a grossly limited sense.

What you have in your chest cavity is a lump of flesh that pumps blood around your body. It’s what I’ll tag — the secondary heart. It’s the secondary heart because it’s the heart of the body, and therefore inferior to what I call the heart of your spirit which holds the core of your existence and which is the heart we’ll be exploring.

To understand a bit about this heart of your spirit, we’ll be taking a peek at the heart of the body because as the apostle Paul put it, “… God’s invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, “being understood” from what has been made…” (Romans 1:20). This implies that we can know a great deal about the spiritual by observing the natural.

The first tip as to the location of our heart was found in the book of Ecclesiastes;

“…He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; …” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Of-course, the heart that is located around our chest is not eternal in nature, so it’s not the heart this scripture is referring to.
The heart this scripture is referring to is the heart we’re looking for.

Before I go on, I want us to understand that — In the spirit, we are not ‘individuals’, rather we are ‘body parts’.

“… we are all ‘members’ of one body.” (Ephesians 4:25).

Your spirit, unlike your body, can move apart from it’s heart just like a car – can move without the gas station, but not for long. The danger in this is that — what your spirit needs that it doesn’t get will ultimately cause it to destroy everything your body need that it gets.

A spirit that is disconnected from it’s heart will spread its death to the body because the body(Flesh) is subordinate to the spirit, so a dissatisfied spirit can inflict it’s frustration on the body.

One thing about this heart is that the more you move away from it, the less satisfied and the more discontented you’ll be with life because this heart I speak about is the source of your life — so moving away from it is moving towards death in its entirety.
……….

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD …” (Prv 21:1).

Bulls Eye!

Kings reign, and we were designed to reign on earth:

“You have made them to be a kingdom …and they will ‘reign’ on the earth”.” (Rev 5:10).

This means we are kings!

This also means that our heart as kings is in the hand of God!

Anytime we move away from God — we move away from the source of our life and move towards death in all it’s expressions.

However, this does not apply only to Christians.

In Christ — Christians are one body, but in God — creation is one body. See Ephesians 1:1-10.


Everyone has a general kind of access and connection to God while Christians have a uniquely special connection and access to God.

Like everyone has access to a doctor because of his social status, but the doctors Children have a special kind of access to him because when they’re sick, he’s not just a doctor to them, but also a father.

Everyone is a part of Gods body because, “There is one body and one Spirit …” (Eph 4:4).

Christians are simply a glorified and dignified part of Gods body called Christ of which Jesus is the head. See 1 Corinthians 12:12.

This means that every man, whether saved or not, share the same heart, and that is the heart that God holds and is, because as I mentioned earlier;

“We are all body parts spiritually”

…and body parts don’t have individual hearts, they all share one heart.

Our life as Christians is in Christ while our heart is in God. Christ is like the password that gives us access to a dimension of God nothing else in creation can access See Galatians 3:29.

The implications of this is that anyone who moves away from God — moves away from his treasure because a mans treasure is where his heart is, and mans heart is with God as seen in proverbs; therefore his treasure is with and is God.

This is why ‘no man’ can find true joy and fulfilment apart from God, because no man can be happy away from his treasure.

Remain Blessed.

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Protect Your Guilt!

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

Guilt

I got the title of this post from a statement my pastor made in one of his striking sermons.

We all have our weaknesses, shortcomings and low points. But a lot of us don’t seem to understand that these weaknesses are not there to defeat us, rather they’re there to secure God’s place in our lives.

As the saying goes; “When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable.”

As unconventional as it may sound, I personally made out the mind to thank God for my weaknesses.

Of course, I’m able to do this because I understand its place in my life.

If you have no weakness, you’ll see no need to rely on God, no room to trust Him.

Fundamentally, your weaknesses don’t make you need God — we all need God, it simply makes you acknowledge your need for God. It’s not a creative campaign, it’s an awareness campaign.

However, your weakness on its own is evil!

The good that comes out of it is brought – about by your connection with God — that is your love for God and God’s love for you.

Hypothesis:

A Psalmist revealed humanities suppressed thirst for God when he said, “As the deer pants for streams of “water”, so my soul pants for you, O God.” (Psalms 42:1).

We all need water, not just water, but the living water of Jesus Christ.

For a comprehensive understanding of this post — we’ll have to do a little chemistry. :)

Now, water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen — that’s H2O (Two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen).

{Lets say hydrogen is your weakness/God-awareness, and oxygen is God’s love for you}.

Hydrogen is a component of water but on its own is useless to a ‘thirsty man’; in the same way — your weakness on its own is evil and destructive.

On the other hand — oxygen on its own is of temporal importance to a thirsty man. At least it keeps the man alive by supplying air to his lungs. But oxygen by itself ‘cannot quench’ the man’s thirst. It’s only a matter of time before the mans thirst destroy him; “In a similar way; Gods love for you on it’s own cannot secure your salvation and deliverance.”

For a mans thirst to be quenched, the two elements need to come together – that’s H(Hydrogen) + O(Oxygen)= H2O(Water)

This explains why Jesus said, “Whoever ‘believes’ in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of “living water” will flow from within him.” (John 7:38). You notice that — this living water is not created by Him (Oxygen), neither is it created by you(Hydrogen), instead it’s created by your ‘believing in Him’ (Fusion of the two elements to create a compound).

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We are co-labourers with God (1 Corinthians 3:9). Our weakness(Fall of man) and His love for us is what created our redemption. His love alone could not redeem us and the awareness of our weakness alone was an epitome of gloom.

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Gods love alone cannot save mankind from destruction as is testified by the huge number of adamant men who are perishing in their sins today despite Gods love for them. For salvation and deliverance to occur, Gods love for you needs to be matched with the awareness of your need for him.

Your ‘salvation’ is not decided by Gods love, it’s decided by “your response to His love”.

Like, God is faithful, meaning that His love for us will always be there, but our unfaithfulness implies that the awareness of our need for Him will not always be there.

This is why you need to protect your guilt!

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Your guilt is a ‘divinely placed’ — emotional entity that protects your God – awareness.

Anytime you justify your sins, you weaken your guilt and give room for your God – awareness to vaporize.

Your guilt is not there to condemn you, God put it there for a good reason:

Your guilt is there to protect your salvation.

The condemnation you feel as a result of your guilt is what happens when you allow the devil to use it. Like every-other weapon of warfare, your guilt can be used to destroy or protect — depending on who’s handling the weapon.

No matter how beseting that sin is, don’t justify it! Protect your guilt… Your deliverance depends on it!

Remain Blessed.

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Finding Your Worth

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Searching for God

A man once asked God a very important question… He asked;

“…what is man that you are “mindful” of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalms 8:4).

Considering the way things are going on – in our world today, this is a valid question. A question alot of people struggling with childhood abuse, low self-esteem, insecurity, depression and acceptance can easily identify with.

Everyday we encounter challenges and experiences that put a big question-mark on our embattled value as human beings. Challenges like foreclosure, disrespect, insults, failure, abuse, neglect etc.

Things that rationally suggest to you that, “If you’re worth that much, none of these things will be happening/done to you.”

We go to the media only to read-about how one senselessly takes the life of another in the most inhuman of ways. Subconsciously, occurrences like these — further magnifies the already – imposing question mark put on the value and worth of the human existence.

The depressing fruit of these sad happenings is a negative outlook towards life. In the end — we all die, so why put in so much effort? many subconsciously think to themselves.

The Way Out:

In view of the way things are going, it has become nearly impossible to discern our worth by looking to ourselves. The human system (Courtesy of the fall of man) have malfunctioned for so long that men have forgotten what it was designed to do in the first place.

The car has been battered to the point that the only way the ‘primitive observers’ can ascertain its design and function is by consulting the manufacturer of the car.
In a similar way, the only solution to the identity and value crisis that permeates the mind of men around the world today is for men to find and look to their maker.

Reaching out

A Glimpse Into Your Worth:

Ascertaining and enforcing the true worth of mankind has been a major quest for me.

The discoveries and revelations which the Holy Spirit has taken me through as I set my heart to this subject has been mind blowing!

One of the things the Holy Spirit guided me to was to have me observe Gods general disposition towards mankind.

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God is always thinking about mankind; The great King David who happened to be the man asking the question I mentioned earlier revealed this to us when He said that; God is mind”ful(l)” of us.

Now that’s striking!

Knowing that you and I preoccupy God’s thought is something that suggests our worth.

I mean, God thinks about you to the point that He knows the number of hairs on your head!

“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” ~ Jesus (Luke 12:7).

If you weren’t worth that much, God wouldn’t be putting in so much thought into your existence.

Why Bother With Us?!

The reason God is always thinking about you is because His treasure is in you. This was revealed when Jesus said:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21).

Gods heart is with us, He longs to have us in His loving arms because His treasure is in us.

The apostle Paul shed some light on this truth when he said;

“But we have this “treasure” in earthen vessel to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

The proof of the presence of this treasure of God in us- whom Paul likened to earthen vessels will inflict a mortal blow on the question mark the world has put on the worth and value of everyone who will accept these words coming to them today.

One of the things I don’t want you to ever forget is that you are worth more than anything any man has ever given — and will ever give you!

You don’t need to identify with a brand to validate your worth. Brands as a matter of godly facts need to identify with you to validate their worth!

Remain Blessed.

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How To Enjoy Gods Blessings On Earth

Monday, July 18th, 2011

Blessings In Heaven

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3).

This is a very exciting scripture — bearing a great revelation! We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. Note the word “every” not “some” spiritual blessing but “every” spiritual blessing.

To put the potential of this scripture into perspective; Before anything happens in the natural, it first happens in the spirit. Natural experiences and manifestations are simply after-shocks of what has already happened in the spirit.

Spiritual seeds as a matter of fact and personal experience produce harvests in the natural. This is why the apostle Paul wrote: “If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?” (1 Corinthians 9:11).

The big question here is, If God has blessed us Christians with every spiritual blessing, why are a-lot of us still living in poverty, outstanding debts and habitual frustration?!

The answer from the first scripture I quoted is because the limitless blessings are in the heavenly realm, and they are spiritual blessings. They are yet to be transfered to the natural realm before they can be of any benefit to us — here on earth.

Jesus Christ has always been there for us, He died for us long before He came on earth. This is why Jesus said, “I tell you the truth.. before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58).

But He was in the heavenly realm. If Christ’s death had not occured in the spirit realm, it couldn’t have occured in the natural realm. This scripture will help you understand this:

“All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast- all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8).

In this verse we see that Jesus was slain from the creation of the world, but until Jesus, the lamb of God was transfered from the spiritual realm into the natural realm as the son of man, He was of no “salvaging” benefit to us.

Whatever God gives you in the spirit, He expects you to manifest and transfer into the natural.
This is why we are told that:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life (Things we need to enjoy life on earth) and godliness (Things we need to enjoy our spiritual walk with God) through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3).

This scripture brings us to the key to transfering these blessings from the spiritual to the natural:

Note that the things we need to enjoy life are given through our “knowledge” of Him (Christ) meaning that the gateway through which we can transfer Gods blessings from the spiritual into the natural is our mind.

Knowledge is to the mind what food is to the body.

No wonder the bible tells us to transform our minds: “…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2).


All of Gods boundless blessings to you are like bills. Your mind is like the senate. Until you test and approve these spiritual/scriptural bills (Blessings) in your mind (Senate) as stated in Romans, they remain useless bills and can’t function as established laws in your life.

God has proposed so many beautiful bills to make your life better, but until you approve these bills in your mind, you’ll keep suffering and struggling on earth.

An important key to enjoying these blessings is to enforce this scripture in your system: “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:21).

Don’t be deceived by your circumstances and experience. It is indeed Gods will that you enjoy every good thing life has to offer, that’s why He gave you every spiritual blessing, so that you can harvest all natural blessings here on earth.

God Bless You.

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A Glimpse Into Our Hearts

Monday, July 4th, 2011

Beautiful earth
The surface of our planet is increasing in its beauty, but its depth is in a state of grave decay and danger.

The increasing number of smiling faces on our media outlets is ironically coupled with an increase in crime rate, suicide rate and senseless acts.

Beautiful city
So much is been spent on the surface that – that which lies within is left to fend for itself.


The things that belong to God are been given to Ceasear, and the things that belong to Ceasear are been imposed on God.

The dog is been forced to eat grass.

The cat is been forced to bark.

The snake is been taught to fly.

The eagle is been taught to crawl.

The chicken is been taught to soar.

Men have chosen to war against God. They now see maturity as having no need for their maker.

Growth is now perceived as being old enough to ignore the precepts of God.

Little do they know that – true maturity is what happens – when one becomes aware of their need for God.

A matured child is one who knows enough to greatly appreciate the role and need of his father in his life.
Father and Son Hugging

But in their ungodly wisdom, they have seen a war with the most high as a war they can win. And they have good reasons to believe they can. Reasons that are built on the false evidence — gathered by the decay been witnessed in our world today.

A Glimpse Into His Heart:

I’m being forced to fight the ones I love.

Like King David’s victory – over His rebellious son Absalom, a lot of my victories bring me sorrow; for they are brought about by the destruction of wicked men; Men I made in my image and likeness.

Men I made to have fellowship with me.

………………………….

I remember a night when I felt the heart of God.

A heart I was not so eager to carry.


A heart that made me think for a second that love was a curse:

The ones I love — want me to destroy them whispered a voice in my spirit.

If I didn’t love man, the war they’ve waged against me would be an elementary issue for me.

But time and time again I’ve been forced to pull the trigger.

It’s not my will that any should perish, but men would rather perish than accept my love.

My love for them have become a snare to them.

But I will use their stubbornness to showcase my splendor.

“Now will I arise”, says the LORD. “Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up.” (Isaiah 33:10).

Their unfaithfulness will proclaim my mercy.

Their anger will speak of my goodness.

Their contempt will exalt my forgiveness.

Their insolence will make known my grace.

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Oh, how men rejoice over their defeat!

They shout for joy at the crumbling of their walls!

They give — gifts to the one who pierces their soul!

They offer sacrifices to the one who break their bones!


They have made darkness their light, and have contracted hatred to be their guide.

Disgust have become their laughter.

Ignorance – have they made – their counsellor.

They fight their friends and greet their enemies with a warm kiss.

With a loving embrace — they welcome the ones who lead them astray.

They listen with their eyes and speak with their legs.

They apologise for doing good and weep at the sight of love.

They bless those who curse them and curse those who bless them.

But like a jealous husband; I’ll do everything I can — to redeem the heart of the one I love.

“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.” (Isaiah 30:18).

In all this, my heart rejoices, my soul sings for joy because God has not given up on us!

In all our shortcomings, He still believes in us.

Fundamentally, I’m not a child of God because I believe in God, but because God believes in me.

I was surprised and moved – when I found out that — when God looks at us, the fundamental thing He sees is not our sin and wretchedness.

Rather when He looks at us, He sees Himself in us. That’s why He will never let us go; Because He wants to redeem the Him – in us.

In all we do to/on this planet, one thing we need to know is that God still expects the best from us. Not because we are perfect, but because He put His best in us… He put His very self in us:

“…the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of “life”, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7).

Remain Blessed.

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The Gift Of A New Day

Saturday, June 25th, 2011

Last summer, my Mom and I watched a movie that really impacted me. I’d never heard of it until we stopped by the Family Christian Bookstore one morning and the lady there informed me of how wonderful it was. I was checking out with no time to waste, on my way to a doctor’s appointment, when she almost insisted I buy it. For five bucks, I figured I couldn’t be out much if it was a dud. But it wasn’t. In hindsight, I believe the persistence of this woman was actually God moving on my behalf. He didn’t want me to miss this.

“The Ultimate Gift,” based on the book by Jim Stovall, really took me by surprise. I can honestly say I’ve never quite been moved by another movie in the way I was by this one. If you’ve never seen it, I encourage you to do so.

The basis of the storyline is this: When his wealthy grandfather, Red Stevens dies, trust fund baby Jason Stevens anticipates a big inheritance. Instead, his grandfather has devised a crash course on life with twelve tasks – or “gifts” – designed to challenge Jason in improbable ways, sending him on a journey of self-discovery and forcing him to determine what is really most important in life. http://www.theultimategift.com/

Many of the “gifts” as defined by this movie really do apply to our everyday lives and the challenge is in not losing sight of what they hold for us. This film inspired me but it also made me pause and begin to seriously think about these gifts, one of which is the title of this post ~ The Gift of a Day.

Do we even consider a new day to be a gift in this fast pace, high tech world we live in? Or are we too busy, distracted and overwhelmed with this thing called life to notice? Do we roll through the day, doing what needs to be done, while never giving any real thought to the day itself? Perhaps some of us have been forced to take notice of the delicacy of our days due to tragedy, loss, or illness. Whatever our perceptions are we each have this in common: we are given a brand new day each morning and what we choose to do with it is up to us.

After living life chronically ill these past seventeen years, and living with a disability, I can tell you that many of my days certainly do not feel like much of a gift. Deeply exhausting fatigue, recurrent fevers, headaches, muscle and joint pain, etc. are burdensome and keep me from doing a lot of things I desire to do. Not everyday is like this but many are as I know they are for others also living with chronic illness. So to view each day as a gift when ill can be quite challenging.

But I don’t want the days to pass me by; even when I’m not feeling well. I want to acknowldege the gift that each day innately holds. I still want to engage in some part of it if only from bed. Somedays all I can do is look out my window and take in the beauty of that given moment. Sometimes the gift of a day for me is found in savoring a cup of hot tea or listening to beautiful music. Sometimes its in hearing one of my nephew’s voices on the phone. Or even in the words that a friend writes on my Facebook wall. Life is fleeting and I’ve come to see that simple things really do mean the most. And that, despite my circumstances, each new day is filled with fresh mercy from the Lord (Lamentations 3:22-23). Now that is certainly a gift for all of us!

Truthfully, the Gift of a Day can hold something different for every one. Maybe it’s taking in the beauty of an early morning sunrise with your favorite coffee or tea. Maybe it’s in needed moments of quiet solitude. Or maybe it’s in enjoying an abundance of good health and energy.

Perhaps the Gift of a Day is being in the presence of those you love. Spending time with God; spending time with family; spending time with friends.

Maybe the Gift of a Day is found in giving; the giving of your time and resources to others who are in need; giving to your community; giving to your neighbor; giving to a stranger.

Or maybe the Gift of a Day is simply found in the time itself. The time to reflect. The time to listen. The time to appreciate. The time to laugh. The time to cry. The time to rest. The time to cherish. The time to pray. The time to discover. The time to embrace. The time to be present.

While none of us are on the proverbial mountaintop every single day, God, in His goodness, still sends us this precious gift at the start of each morning. And I believe there is something for all of us to discover within our days regardless of our cirucumstances. So let’s don’t overlook it or work through it but instead; let’s take the time to explore it.

“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why we call it ‘The Present’.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Photos: Photobucket.com and FreeFoto.com

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