Saturday, May 23, 2009

Wait for God(2)

From Biblical record,we see Israel portrayed as the richest,most powerful and favored nation(by God)worthy of envy by neighboring nations because the hand of God was on them.They followed God with a deep sense of dedication(they worshiped God) to His counsel.Yet each time they began to follow their ways,God left them to their reprobate minds.Each time God left them,they were exposed to enemy attacks,their territory would be raided and their hedge broken down hence they face famine,confusion,captivity or exile and all sorts of havoc.They would cry out to God in repentance and God would forgive and bring them victory,deliverance,restoration and God's reign returned...

We are the spiritual Israel(God's people), and if we must claim such a position(of sonship),we must loose our plans.Yes i repeat loose ourselves,our consciousness,desires,and our lives to God.When a man says "I have given my life to Christ",it doesn't mean "I have now become one of those church people",yet he holds unto his life as if it is his.It means surrendering all and dying to self,becoming like Christ and allowing God trail the way.We become totally dependent,helpless(like symbiotic organisms) and relatively clueless.In our helplessness,we stay in God till He issues a command(Israel in Moses' time learned to follow the cloud till it was ready to move.They lived in temporary tents and at any given time,God could tell them to move camp...other times they wait till He gave further instructions).

Let me digress here,some of us are on careers,in schools,doing businesses and planning relationships God never approved of.We have hyped up "mickey mouse"activities all around town bearing an artificial seal of God yet He's so absent.Our investments,property and the likes are as a result of struggling to join popular trend not in the will of God.We had gone ahead to do what seemed right in our eyes as obtainable in the society we live in(do not get me wrong for I know God wants us to invest,buy and sell and have great jobs and relationships).I bet you,the world will applaud,award and associate with your achievements and call you;"Big boy and Big mama" but it is vain,worthless and unrecognized before by God-if God does not recognize our achievements,we are above all men most miserable,living a wasted life.
God is looking for a people who will defy societal opinion and stand for Him.Does God not want us to excel and be rich in this life?Yes He does but we must be sure that like Noah,we wait for Him to instruct and command(Noah was so unpopular to the men of his generation yet He obeyed the One that judges all men).Noah as historical reports say built the biggest ships of all time not even Titanic could measure up with it.Can you beat that?Abraham went against popular demand and we see the result of His obedience?God will never fail if Only we keep to our part of the agreement.

Did Israel miss God?Yes,a lot of times and the consequences were enormous.And one time in our lives we also miss God and by His grace,he saves us.Let's bear in mind as we return that God is looking for a people who will trust in Him and not lean on their understanding,His thoughts for us are good.perfect and trustworthy without an iota of evil,failure or a crash.With God,we can never crash land.He will make a way through the sea,paths through the deepest waters and a footprint for us to follow.God truly wants to rule our Government-our heart and lives-,he wants to decide when we attack the "Philistines"(like David consulted God) and when to refrain from "taking a census"-David's show of pride over an army that belonged to God.He went against God's command for some personal aggrandizement-God wants to be the C.E.O and director of our every detail of our lives(from dusk to dawn).Above all,He wants to decide when we attack the "Philistines"(like David consulted God) and when to refrain from "taking a census"-David's show of pride over an army that belonged to God.He went against God's command for some personal aggrandizement-God wants to be the C.E.O and director of our every detail of our lives(from dusk to dawn).Above all,He wants to give us the power to excel and make wealth.

Did he not successfully lead the Israelites across vast waters?even the seas could never with stand such great power,they were subject to His command for He created the seas and demarcated them from dry land.

They bowed to His decree and a path was created.

Yes the Israelites panicked as the Egyptians closed in on them.?yes.Though they shouted out in fear because they doubted that GOD could really rescue them from those skillful,vast army of Pharaoh(undoubtedly, the Egyptians were known warriors,they were very rich and influential)but God needed to prove to both parties that HE alone remains The Almighty,the Greatest of all,The Commander of the Hosts of Heavens and the only Invincible warrior.
God permits circumstances to rock us so we honor Him alone.
We as well fret and panic(at some point in life),we have times and hours we feel God has forsaken us but God wants to prove he has us in the hollow of His palms.
He knows us from the day we were conceived till the day we are six feet below.He is the same God who said to Israel; "do not be afraid,stand still and see my salvation."As God discomfited the Egyptians of yester-years,He is the sasame today saying;"remain calm and let me fight for you."if it took God alone to create the world then He can order our path through life-without your help.
Do men plan?Yes but in our well carved out plans,may we allow the counsel of the Lord prevail.Most times,His plans are contrary to ours so we need to ask him and allow Him decide.
If you truly know God,you will act like Jesus who lived on this earth like man.He learned to say and do;"my meat(will)is to do the will of my Father and to finish it." He never had his plans,he did only the Fathers will that is why he could go to the cross.It was a painful one for Him to die like a criminal yet He said;...Lord not my will but thine."True siblings of Jesus are they that do the will of the Father in Heaven.Weigh your plans with that of Heaven and see if they really fit,if not it is null and void.
God wants Sons like Jesus!
An unruly earthly Son is termed recalcitrant by his father because the former refuses Dad's advice.How much more the All-knowing?God requires that we obey Him to the latter.God's standards are high and the stakes will not be compromised for any unruly son unwilling to listen to Him.
Initially,God's purposes for our lives seem unfavorable,stringent and cruel but if we are wise,we will follow through for He has our best interest at heart.

God will surely give us an expected end(be reminded that men give themselves an expected end which could be myopic even the devil gives men an expected end and we know what that means).In God the end is "Yea and Amen",a glorious,fulfilling end Heaven and earth will celebrate.
We can only say we know God or we are following God when we "learn"to follow and lay down our lives for Him.When we totally depend on him,He will take us across,over,through and under every fork,curve and bend life poses.Well,i particularly believe we do not need to envy any man outside of God's will for such a life is heading for a disaster.Man is mortal and frail,systems fail,and we are so insecure without Him.Our plans will face a depression outside of His will.

Dear,God is our safety at a time as this.let's truly rest in Him.

The counsel of the LORD,that shall stand.

Wait For God(Part One)

Can i truly say I follow God? Can I boldly say i Know how to trust Him without consulting my feelings, my friends and job and my senses?

God intended through Moses to teach His sons(Israel) to follow Him to a place they'd never known. Moses did not know the end of the journey but He obeyed God's instruction. Not even did he know there was a road in the Red Sea, he didn't have prior knowledge on the path to follow and God who reveals in bits only said to him to take the Israelites to a place of worship...

Most times God only issues a command, ours is to obey to the latter.He may never unveil the end of the matter(I am sure He doesn't)because He wants us to learn complete and total-without figuring out alternatives-dependence on Him.The journey will always look clueless,long,lonely and dark.On that path if God-led is a God trailing and blazing ahead,making road marks and solving the labyrinth ahead.

We can never say we know Him till we learn to wait, stay quiet and follow as He's instructed.God hates to see his sons with other options especially when He has given directives and issued a command-to wait.We have become a people wired by the world's standards to subtly say;"Heaven helps those who help themselves" and we overly conclude that a man who puts all his eggs in a basket is not only lazy but unwise.

In the principles of God's kingdom,the above quote is erroneous and worldly.The world will never follow God for his ways are senseless and past finding.His word knows to say'"those who wait on Him will never see shame"...it takes a "learner" to follow God.A learner is one willing to depend on someone with more knowledge to teach him,a learner is ready to look "unintelligent" just to acquire and garner information,he learns patiently. A learner always runs back for instruction,he is desperate and knowledge savvy.

Isn't it the way God desires all His sons should be?A servant will not know more than his master so will mankind never exceed God.Our entirety is from Him and because he made us-never forget we are the sheep of his pasture-,he requires that we acknowledge Him as the All-knowing,a God that sees the end from the beginning.

It's interesting to note that we have a Father who permits our choices,he watches us make decisions we feel are right and harmless in our eyes and if we are sincere,most of our choices have driven us out of God's plan...Selah.

I pray you stop and ponder...you will and can never force God into your plans,Never!You can only coat God on it,you can make all your plans look plush and seamless(godly as well) but I bet you,God is not present.You can erect towers like Babel,you may claim you prayed and God spoke but I assure you they are fleshy,human-orchestrated projects.
God desires-no doubt- that we excel and be masters of our vocation and purposes.It was His original plan to see man rule,dominate and become masters over the earth until man fell beneath the plan(to sin).But with or without the fall of man,God did not create(even the first Adam)man to be his decision maker outside of Him(God).No man should say;"It's my life and i decide what goes on here."From Genesis till now,God wants to be and He remains the Only final say over all things.God will never share his glory with a selfish intention because he knows the heart of man.As beautiful as the tower of Babel seemed,as magnificent as the wall of Jericho were and as influential and powerful as Egypt was,GOD knew that none of them could bear His glory neither were they erected to glorify God but man.We are too fond of charting our path,building our thing and making a way for our selfish ego then we claim "God said"or "To God's glory,i did this".

Take a deeper look at the million inexperienced Israel leaving a plush land(Egypt)to the unknown,we'd perceive a complete reliance on a God that spoke years before to Abraham,Isaac and Jacob(Israel),we'd see that God heard their anguish and came speedily to their rescue.These millions are like a throng of us today faced with loads of pain,burdens and fears also crying out for His promises to be fully accomplished in our time-but our biggest problem with God is our "smartness"(so we think).We always have a Plan-B as we wait for God,we figure out our jobs,marriage,aspirations and then we try to drag God along-he can not be pushed.
The Israelites left Egypt like "zombies".They initially were like "cowards" without a road map,like an old blind man with a cane waiting for a guide to help him trace his steps.Not that God planned for them to look foolish or vision less,No,he only used the Exodus march to prove to them that He is the author of their lives,their Father,a faithful guide and the Almighty whose government can neither be challenged nor overthrown.
God made the heavens and the earth and all things(even the age old devil was created by him)on the surface of the earth not to mention the things beneath.God knows what we will never know and he sees ahead of time(never forget times and seasons are with men for God sees a thousand days of man as a day).God is Omniscient-no scientific evolution can define His existence-.He is Omnipotent-He is here and now,he is everywhere,he is all things to all men,He is much more than we can define Him to be,He existed before the world was formed,he creates one today and takes another off the earth in split seconds.He has the power over man's breath even animals,He can over throw kingdoms and thrones in a day and He can shut the devil out of our plans.He is also the same God we take for granted,what a pity!
He is a God that looks on mankind in love,very slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and he says to one come and to another go.He is matchless and powerful.Why will we not submit to a God that can withdraw our resources in a day if he had to?we joke with a God that kills and makes alive,a God that can topple a nation's economy in a day and make the poorest of nations rich.He is that God we must revere.Not even Moses knew the end yet he wisely obeyed.That obedience
leads to trusting God alone above human pressure.Trusting God requires shelving our substitutions and eliminating our plans.We may seem stupid to depend on God when "your peers"are ahead of you but I believe in a God that can eventually make a man a head over a people(you can overtake you mates if God wants that for you) that started the race of life...
Does God intend to make us look clueless?No.But we will only know his plans for our lives when we his Sons learn to wait,remain still till he gives a GO-Ahead-then our plans will be wrapped up in Him when we allow Him make the plans.

Monday, April 13, 2009

One reason we divide our lives into the secular and sacred, private and public has a lot to do with our personalities. Most people live dual lives- there’s the church “pious” life and the work/ everyday (probably abusive, wild, aggressive, truant, irresponsible, dishonest) life. We put up a lovely, masked appearance (theatrics) and well acted out life for the world to admire yet our private lives are murky- we’ve got skeletons sprawled around- and dingy. Our dual lives bar us from representing who we truly are in God. We want to blend into “every” dough and mingle in every goblet of wine. On Sabbath, we dress in our best ironed out CASSOCK but we’re the sole originators (and DJs) of the wild Friday night party. We simply do not want to miss out on anything in life; we don’t want the world to describe us with the scruffy, fanatics…so we rebrand our “Jesus” to fit into our duality.
Charles Swindoll says, “I don’t see life divided into public and private, secular and sacred. It is all an open place of service before God…”I believe that we are so easily affected by societal pressure, a lot of us suffer an identity crisis so we ape the Joneses to gain man’s approval. We strive to meet up with the world’s standard hence the dual nature. The double standard or personality questions our integrity and truthfulness. Meanwhile GOD desires that everything we do- I mean everything including trading stocks, addressing customers, selling in the market, punctuality to the marketplace- brings him glory.
Today’s world instigates man’s superficiality which we see on our TV screens, billboards, shows and the like. They propagate unrealistic lives like the “bling-bling”, the labels (and designer clothing), the red carpets, name them. So we model them and celebrate men (and women) who are stunning on the red carpet but quite frankly suffer from broken marriages, drugs, sexual abuse, alcoholism, depression and extremely terrible “off the scene” afflictions. So we see a society subtly promoting dualism lest we appear too weak hence the plastic surgeries face lift and make up to hide the faults and mask the pain.
But GOD created each person a unique being and made each of us holistic (and complete) beings. Though we have loads of weaknesses, phony habits, terrible character flaws because we are not perfect, GOD sees the best in us. All the human approval is short lived because our lives are eternally responsible (and answerable) to Him- that aspect of truth no man can alter. He prefers we live simple, sincere and truthful lives no matter what men think of us. I agree that if we display our weaknesses to men- or the public- they will scorn at us and see us as failures. Most times we fear losing the approval accorded to us by men so we put up the dual life. But I strongly believe that dual living is not only hypocritical but misleading, dangerous and destructive.
I recommend that we (Christians) either stay in or out and stop playing games, and stop the theatrics- its fake! Let’s be men and women of sound doctrine, enviable character to the world and that means upholding godly integrity and uprightness in the most trivial things we engage in- obey traffic rules (avoid one-way and turning at wrong junctions created by bike men), balance our scales, treat our jobs and colleagues with passion and respect, etc. If we open our hearts to GOD’s leading, he will point out those areas we must stand out for his name’s sake even if we are regarded by the crowd as cowardly and unpopular. Let’s desist from trying to be “wanna- bee’s and “feeling among” to gain the world’s applause, let our lives be a rare fragrance. As hard as these path maybe to tread -because of the societal decadence-, GOD needs and equips willing men, die- hard people that will STAND OUT for him so choose you which nature you will wear…the DUAL or…? Be the God kind of person.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Is God really an intimate friend or a taskmaster?

Does anybody wonder with me why some friends last for six months and are gone? That has formed the basis of my story.
Does it occur to you in your wildest imagination why God would appeal to some as a cosmic figure, a mystery being with no resemblance and no face, an old orthodox story, a miserable law giver, a gigantic taskmaster and a Santa Claus that drops off seasonally to deposit gifts to the people he is partial to. It really just occurred to me that that makes man believe in the non existence of a God that created the heavens and the earth…I pondered today and I write.
And if it has ever struck your mind if God can be a friend of more than six month to an eternal intimate perhaps romantic lover, please come with me lets dig the ever living archive that never grows dusty or molds, but last for generations yet unborn. And as we dig, we will consult with the greatest of all friends of God, Abraham and he will tell us what earned him a bosom in Heaven.
Does God really deserve to be called a trusting friend and not a truce breaker?
Please come with me…

Today God showed me what it means to be a true friend.
I have different categories of friends some I call the “hi- hi” friends, some are “paddy mi”, I have acquaintances, colleagues, partners, etc. But I have very “dear to my heart” friends whom I am extremely vulnerable to. They are those friends that know my mischief, my seriousness in fact the can read me like a book. They are friends I long to see every day, talk to, of me cry with, laugh and play all manner of games with. In my little experience, I’ve categorized my friends to a point where each friend knows the what I call peripheral side of me, the other side could be a degree or two and my very intimate friend knows deep into me –they see my bones. I have myriad of friends whom like Jesus I have streamlined to twelve, then the three and one.
I have friends I am accountable to; I can share my dreams, aspirations, failures, regrets and mistakes with without a feeling of betrayal, mockery, competition and oppression. If you would agree with me, some friends are somewhat oppressive, competitive and treacherous. Most so called friends constantly carry hatchets to hack down their friends. Most times these “hackers” want to stay on top of everybody and everything and hate being out classed. Some are like task masters; they constantly suppress and make their friends look like subordinates. Still these taskmasters are like “she who must be obeyed”. They love smelling “approval addicts” and sycophants around them. They’re afraid of anothers achievement…
As much as the human factor is involved, man is fallible –there is no flawless friend-, but there are exceptions to the rule of friendship. I can boast in my circle of lovers cum friends.
Most of us can’t confide in anybody because we haven’t identified trusted, intimate friendship. How sad that could be for no man is an Island. Each person needs a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
Above all, one truly beats them all and that could only be GOD!
If as secretive as I am I have trusted earthly friends who are temporal, how much more the Eternal God?
I cherish my circle of friends such that God knows I adore most of them because they share a greater part of my life. If I hold man in such high regard, where would I place God?
I consulted with Abraham and he revealed the secret behind his bond, confidence and friendship with God.
Abraham knew how to tickle God with obedience. God would issue Instructions- even though some were extremely painful and sacrificial like parting with his family, leaving comfort zone for the unfamiliar and trying to sacrifice his only son- and he would obey at all cost.
Abraham also taught me the secret of God’s approval, BELIEVE! Have you met a gray haired man fast approaching the grave in this age and time still longing to have children? If I met him, I’d say; “Baba abeg go rest, handover the mantle to the young men.” That was Abraham’s heartfelt desire. He had faith and believed the promise of a son at old age. That pleased God so much that he was called righteous.
Abraham revealed to me God’s requirement for everyone he –God-wants to call a friend. He said to me; Enobong God needs you.”He said I gave God my time, I conversed with God, we used to gist like mates. He said God confided in me, he told me about the future, my descendants, the honor I would be accorded from generation to generation and I was the first he told about the destruction of Sodom. He said I had a will and a life but God was involved in my decision making. He said I was in love with God.
Have you seen a worshiper? ‘Ape Abraham’. He knew when and where to build altars…he built on his job, in his home, on his journey, as he feasted, at the coming of his son, etc.
Abraham “bribed” God with a tenth of his goods; he knew how to entertain strangers that could turn out as angels of God. All of these earned him God’s favor, trust and confidence.
Abraham wasn’t a flawless man as he made very grave mistakes like carrying ‘Lot the baggage’ with him, deceiving Pharaoh and Abimelech on account of his “sisterly” wife, Sarah and the gravest was sleeping with Hagar the slave girl. Yet God overlooked his weakness and blessed him. God truly honored him and made a father of nations.
If a man of like passion could have such access to God, and was further rewarded with the good things of life? Why not you and me? Was he a superman? No! Today we’re called Abraham’s children and we sing ‘Abraham’s blessings are mine’…. I love to be associated with him for God made him extremely successful and rich. He had all the things we scramble and run from pillar to post for.
Do you know the secret behind Abraham and God? INTIMACY!

I’m in the school of learning intimacy and I believe God is helping me learn fast. God told me, “If only men will make me a friend, then every other thing they need, I will give”. Scripture says; “Seek first the kingdom –go about doing God’s thing not activity- and every other thing- the car, house partner, etc- will be added unto you.”
For many reasons I feel Paul said; “the kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” because he perceived that men see God as less than He is. I came up with the fact that God’s kingdom is about God and is God Himself. Through this word in-my context- God showed me that he is not only a life giver, gift shop, donor, a spare part shop, a food provider and a cash dispenser like an ATM people hurry to for urgent cash or an “On the Run” eatery for quick food. God is much more than all of the above. Yes he is the healer, provider, safety, giver, the actor and the likes. But God has many more sides much deeper than we see in church and everyday life. He supersedes the earthly husband, the lover man, girlfriend and companion. He wants partakers and friends of his kingdom.
Our earthly friends and lovers are a type of who God longingly desires to be with his people. God wants to be an intimate “romantic” (if you permit me) lover, a bosom friend involved in everything we do. He wants to bear our secrets, he wants to confide in us and we confide in Him. He wants more than most of us see Him as. He has never been the huge man bearing a whip trying to force laws down our throats; He is a darling friend with tender mercies and unending love.
The problem God has with us is that all we need from Him are the benefits. So many really don’t go to God to love him, praise him, talk and wait on Him, we keep asking and begging and acquiring! God in His mercy will not stop providing but beyond that ask yourself, “Does He reveals deeper things? Can He confide in me like he did to Abraham?” How many sides of God have you seen like Moses, Abraham, the disciples, Paul, John of Patmos, etc who saw God in His fullness and received deep revelation from Him? God knows some of us are too comfortable with the “manna and quail”, the “Baba I want…”prayer, “sharp-sharp, kpa kpa-kpa” quick fix God.
Today, God used an analogy to teach me… he likened Himself to a friend I’ll call Alice. Alice was once a “Hi friend” then we became gist partners. I enjoyed her conversation as we kept talking daily so I longed to have Alice around me. Friendship grew out of one meeting. My first meeting with Alice was peripheral but with continuous meetings I warmed up to her. After a careful study, I believed I could trust her so I let her know more about me. We became inseparable friends; we knew our private lives, our families, our strengths and weaknesses. We confidently shared our secrets with each other. One day’s conversation led to intimacy. Even though we are miles away, we long to see ourselves, talk on the phone, and write to each other. The deeper the friendship grows, the closer we are. We understand ourselves and read each other like a book- we know most of our needs and desires. We pray and bear each others burden. We try not to offend or hurt each other. We celebrate and adore each other.
Alice knows about my bank account, my investments and most treasured items.
My love for Alice has nothing to do with what she brings to the table, but about her person and vice versa. Money and material things have never been the priority. It took time to build the friendship yet we are best of friends today
I love Alice so much…
As Alice is to me, God wants to be a hundred percent more…

Also, the first time I came to God, I virtually let him into my living room. I was still mechanical and careful with letting him in. God used to feel like a hard task master filled with rules and laws. But as I grew in Him, I let him into other parts of my apartment then I showed Him my room. I gave into Him and took him everywhere in my house including my junk room. Like my apartment, I gradually let God into most parts of my life- every day. God began to teach me he is no BOSS in our friendship, he said; I no longer call you my servant, but my friend. I lay down my life for you to have it in full measure. I am not a “hacker” or a slave driver, I am a lover just waiting to hear and have you always…what a dear loving Father. The closer we are with God, the deeper our knowledge of Him.
Just as God revealed everything to Abraham, God wants our relationships with Him to grow a level where He draws out His plans for our lives, jobs, even the city and nation we live in He will reveal the future, he will instruct and guide, he will also warn and reprimand.
But the pain of such intimacy is diligence, sacrifice, dedication not to works and activity but to Him. He will demand a lot from us, we will need to shed weights –ask a fat person fighting to shed off weight how painful it is to lose fat- it will require our time, our comfort and almost everything we so cherish (including sleep). If it requires time and hard work to build lasting relationships with people, then God deserves more…I am learning!
Some men and women have found this path to God and God denies them nothing. Over years of sacrifice, they have built and are still building intimacy with God. They dig into the mind of God, they search out his purpose for existence, and they take pains to trail His path. Most of them know what will happen ten twenty years from today because they search deeper. They yearn for the secret place. And these men most of us idolize today. These men have touched the heart of God and are still going into deeper romance with God till the leave this earth. Do they have a special gift we cannot have? Are they super heroes? No! Does God want a select few? No way.
God also taught me that Abraham was one friend who desired Him more than what He could receive from Him. That is why the later looked forward to a city whose builder is God- Heaven.
Examine you: why do you love God, why do you pray? Why would you take the pains to run to church and engage in all those activities you do? I can answer for what I have grown to see- I have been a church girl for years- among God’s people. Most people are interested in that side of God that spills out benefits, works, miracles and pursues demons- the by-products. They cannot take the pains to know God, they are satisfied with a particular level so they leave the super heroes to consult God for them and these ‘superheroes’ will always look more advantaged because they hold the secrets most people do not have. And that is found in the secret place.
God wants us to experience the purpose for creation which begun from the Garden of Eden till the year of the Economic crunch and beyond: Fellowship and Intimacy. That is God’s heart beat. The deeper we grow in God, the easier it is to access God and surely the benefits will follow but that must never be the priority. God wants us.
Let me assure all that God is not slow in rewarding diligence, he will never with hold good from his loved and trusted friends. If an earthly lover and friend like Alice can share her money and possession with me, how much more a loving Father? He did same for Abraham; he is doing for most men and women who have sought God deeply why not you?
I long to romance God, I long to know Him deeper than I do, I long to be His bosom friend, I desire intimacy. I see that the deeper place reveals hidden secrets and treasures.
God cannot be mocked my dear! He knows the heart and longings of every man and he will only open the hidden treasure to those that come up higher. God will ONLY unravel top secrets to the available, the desperate, the wanting, the thirsty and hungry. He revealed Himself to Moses alone and to the Israelites; he gave the food and water. The former was privy to eternal things because He longed for depth and he sought for it desperately and the latter sought after perishable things because they really did not want the stress of going unto the mountain to seek God. Who was most popular and who does the whole world identify with? Moses.
He knows His own and no good thing will He the Lord with hold from them. God publicizes his friends when He is sure he can confidently entrust them with work, responsibility and most times leadership. The beginning of the journey may seem, demanding, grueling, lonely, and unfruitful but the end is glorious. Ask Abraham and Moses.
My friends, which path will you tread? Won’t you come along let’s dig deeper into God?

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I Am a Priest

I routinely read 1 Samuel, which is Hannah’s travail and victory. Most times I read this Chapter, I felt like throwing in the towel so I would draw strength from that lady and am rest assured God’s at work.
Last week I read my favorite Chapter again and this time I received a revelation that spun my head. Hannah had been without child because God had shut her womb, and her adversary, rival and foe (Penninah) took it upon herself to mock and scorn her to the point of deep anguish, loss of appetite and perhaps sleeplessness. This occurred every year and I am so sure Hannah had it up to her neck, so she GOT UP! I feel she heaved a sigh and said; “Enough is enough”…
Hannah wouldn’t listen to her husband Elkanah who assumed she should be satisfied with having him but she remembered the word said; There shall be no barren in the land…none shall cast her young and probably she heard David say; “children are a heritage from the Lord… knowing that she owns a womb and deserves to have her quiver full of them, she went up to Shiloh.
Traditionally, Shiloh was a place people went up to worship the Lord yearly and to offer their burnt offerings, peace offering and then have the Priest atone for their sins. Hannah and her family religiously went to Shiloh yearly to seek and worship the Lord. So she went before the Lord with her grief and complaint and she had God hear her.

The revelation I received: It may not be new to my readers what I gained from this chapter but like any word tossed to the wind in today’s church, I had to extract and ruminate on it before writing. As Hannah went into the temple, she passed Eli the Priest at his customary seat at the entrance of the temple. Very interesting! At a time when the Priest was supposed to be on duty and Priest in that time were the channel to God, but this woman in dire need shoves him aside to meet with her God- one on one. The Bible says Eli was sitting at the entrance to the temple, his normal everyday position. But Hannah did not approach him with her request, she went straight to God.
For the first time in many years of reading this chapter, I was awestruck that Hannah who may not have been the first in the scripture to approach God herself without meeting with the Priest actually broke tradition. And my mind raced to Hebrews four from verse fourteen where boldly I claim my priesthood “in the line of Melchizedek”.

I grew up to hear/ see Priest especially in the Orthodox setting and I was taught to revere, report confess and counsel with the Priest- when faced with challenges. But as I studied Hebrews four, I took away a vital point for every man’s faith. We have a throne and that throne people like Hannah in old times approached. That throne I have know is for every man and not only the “earthly priest”. As a matter of fact, every man or woman in Christ is a Priest. The book of Revelation 1:6 says, “He has made us his kingdom and his PRIESTS who SERVE before God his Father … (NLT)” So the office of the priest is not for a privileged few, because Jesus by dying on the cross, the thick veil that hung in the temple was torn apart (Luke 24:45). He gave every believer to come to him, approach Him one on one, no longer through a man?
But today, there exist an invisible wall that demarcates some as priest and others as laity/followers. It occurred to me that so many believers in Christ have not assumed their place as sons, as priests, hence people frantically run to a “priests, pastor, overseer of a “church” for prayers .please don’t get me wrong, the Bible even says is anyone sick, let him go to the elders of the church…and we are to confess our sins, bear one another’s burden in the church).The Bible acknowledges the office of the Bishop as an overseer, leaders and elders But my point still remains that before the king of glory we have equal rights and His heartbeat is that all men grow into their place in Him.
Yes, God is still in the business of calling and choosing men for his mission. He gives gifts to all men and it is in His authority we operate. Our High Priest has seized to be the man with the white collar, but Jesus who was without sin yet knew the feelings of our infirmity (weakness). Jesus is our High Priest- Hebrews 4.
I am a priest because I have been called and chosen for the harvest. I did not choose myself but Jesus did. Some men choose to be addressed as priest as a “church duty” which may not be bad but I can so boldly say that God chooses, and He doesn’t give it to a select few or the pious, He gives to all men who come to Him. Hebrews 4 says; “and no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He has to be called by God for this work. Even Christ did not exalt Himself to become a High priest, he was chosen by God. I reiterate, we all in Christ have been called and chosen…
Jesus henceforth has always been our Highest Priest, whether men like it or not he will remain. So let us boldly run to Him, cry to Him as we would do to a man. Hannah did not run to Eli which may have been the best option, since they represented God, she knew her right and went to Him. We have long been ushered into the Holy place. It could be right to ask a man to pray for you, it could be good to share your heavy burdens with a man of God but most times, God wants us to come to Him and tell Him as it affects us- without holding back anything.
Let’s look at Eli. He was the Priest at the temple and was to serve before the Lord. As it was custom for the Priest at that time, he was to burn incense in the Lord’s presence and to pray for and bless the people. I realize Eli did not recognize the woman neither was he sensitive to her deep pain. Eli was so insensitive to know that Hannah was groaning in prayer. He was beginning to lose his priestly role that is why he could identify Hannah praying in the spirit. Hannah was praying in the most unconventional way which Eli may not have been accustomed to – she groaned, her lips moved while she prayed in her heart. So before one runs around seeking an ephod to consult- a priests, pastors and spiritual heads, beware of Elis! Some have become too busy to hear , too insensitive to God’s voice, some are too accustomed to religious rites and are “Ichabods” operating on the past anointing and no new revelations for the people (like Eli and his sons). The glory had long departed.
A sensitive flock must arise like Hannah and learn to approach God alone, no man needs to help. Personally, I have run around people to pray for me until God taught me that he has been waiting for me to come to Him myself. He wants me to know He can handle whatever the problems are, he has taught me to know I have power and I have authority in his name to speak to things, demons and principalities. He has taught me that though it is good to agree in prayer with two or three people, he wants me to become my spiritual head, prophet and priest- that’s my rightful place. And I can say to my readers, don’t wait for a “man of God” to come open the heavens for you, the Heavens have been opened. What that man spends time doing in the presence of God, you can also do and receive from god what the man of God receives. Let us hear God for ourselves. Let us grow from being spiritual babes eating on the same meal we ate at repentance. Mathew 28:18 says we have an authority given to us by God to ask anything and do whatever…in His name. I am a spiritual man because God speaks and I hear, as he speaks, I judge…. Jesus said in John 14:21; “And I will reveal myself to each one of them”, he said in verse 12; “anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works… you can ask for anything in my name and I will do it, because the work of the son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it.” God wants us all to operate at a higher realm. Some of us are called to the 5-fold not as “full time” like we say but as men who do the will of the master wherever we find ourselves. I believe every believer is a full time able minister of the gospel called to do exploit for God like Paul and Peter were . We are called to work together in the Body of Christ and called to do the work of the master. Not to idolize any man or make man a god.
The harvest is too ripe but laborers are few because men and women of God have left power at the feet of a few. The gifting and calling of God are for all in Christ. Let us wake from our slumber and do the will of the Father. He has no favorites; he wants all to come to Him boldly and approach his throne to obtain whatever we desire in Him. He wants to reveal deep things, he wants to come up higher, and he wants to give power and authority to all that come to Him. Jesus has not found enough men and women who profess his name to release such anointing to that are why he says the laborers are few. I want to be a part of the laborers and I want all men and women in Him to come to spiritual responsibility –a people who will claim and stand on their spiritual rights in Christ. No longer babes tossed about by every wind of doctrine and religious jargon.
Men and Brethren arise and take your place, say unto the City of Judah- you dwell- behold your God (Is.40:9-11).Arise and do what God called you to do, arise and let not a few do the will of the Father, arise and stop cowering in fear, speak up and operate as the prophet, teacher, pastor, helper, etc called you to be. Stop idolizing the few who have worked hard to become great men of God; you too can become one (you don’t need to own a church building or a lectern). Let your office, marketplace and business become your pulpit- to speak for Christ. Arise and claim your priesthood. Arise and share fellowship with people, bear burdens, let men feel free to share their burden with you. Let them find confidence to talk to you because they know you have Christ.
Say to yourself I am a Priest!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

The God Life

THE GOD LIFE… EXCELLENCE!

For one month, I enjoyed constant power supply and I was overwhelmed with such a level of comfort without the surrounding noise of generators but a day came for me to return to my location where incessant power failure welcomed and entertained me like cheerleaders do when motivating a team to win a match. I could not complain because at present, there are no laid down infrastructures providing constant power so I carefully adjusted-though praying for a change. One morning, it rang a bell of warning in my mind; “So does man overly settle for the crumbs, the meager, and the “I can manage” syndrome, even the “anything goes attitude”. I said “I adjusted” because I have not been used 24-hour electricity. I have countless times heard people say;”Wetin we go do, “I hate Nigeria”, things can never change and “we can never have a good utility system like most developed countries” So you hear captions like; “When the desire is not available, the available becomes the desirable…” That’s foul, cheap talk!

When you read histories of most nations like China, America, Britain and South Africa, you realize that it took men and women like us to consciously and I mean consciously build the nation. They also didn’t evolve into wealth and sanity; they fought for it and disciplined themselves to have a proper, orderly nation. Do you know that simple “we can do” things like using the dustbin, refuse dumb is not inculcated in the average Nigerian? People throw bottles, food wraps and refuse on the road for the “Government” to take care of forgetting we make up the society we live in, a percentage of people break traffic rules and bribe their way through, we squeeze and rough handle the precious naira note and lots more.

Lest I digress from what I intend to talk about, I have an undying passion for Nigeria which means that I will not adjust to incessant power failure and a damaging economy, I will not settle for less than the good life in my nations state. I strongly believe that if each person wakes up to the situation in our country, we will -in our various locations-change our country and make it as lush as the Western world. I can hear my reader say; “which year will Nigeria ever change? How will it happen?” Some men told me some days ago that Nigeria will never change in our time and that it would take another exaggerated 50 to 100 years to be like other well established nations. And I will say like the average Nigerian when holding an argument; “Na lie!” Some believe you need to live outside the shores of Nigeria to make it (please do not get me wrong incase that’s where God wants you to reside) while others say, “Go outside Naija, make money, come back and live large” (is living large all a man can accomplish in life?) I am eagerly expectant that change has come and in just a little time we will say, “Nigeria shall flourish again, Nigeria has flourished again.” I will not sit back and fold my hands but in my community and wherever I find myself, I will instill “change” even if my impact goes unnoticeable for now and I will ensure it works for the good of our dear nation.

However, any man or society that settles for less can not accomplish, dominate or reign over a territory. You will realize that most great nation builders like William Wilberforce-among others-(who for twenty years fought for the abolition of slave trade) and other great Bible heroes like Abraham dared to see and think beyond the imaginations of men. Also study a man scared of putting his brains to work, and afraid of launching out, such a man cowers for life in fear. Study the hen, the hen is one animal in the bird kingdom that can not fly above my grandmother’s little hut (pardon me).He was never created with the ability to fly like every other bird not to talk of flying heights like the eagle. So he remains soil bound.

Do you know that the aero plane was patterned after the eagle? That little creature- the eagle- can fly as high as 600,000 feet above sea level. But the moment that sky bound bird (the eagle) comes to live among the hen and chicks, he forgets the use of his wings and learns to scratch the soil; he adopts their principles of life and learns the language of the latter. So does man pattern his life when he forgets his purpose. He however subjects himself to scratching the soil for livelihood and thinks less of himself.

The simplest most powerful weapon in life is the power of influence. Just like the hen influences an eagle that lives with him for a while so man is influenced by another man. Man is one creature that easily apes another man, adopts another’s identity and lifestyle and fights to speak, dress and act like another person. Check out men with mentors!

It is so easy to be influenced by the company- either in the negative or positive- we keep. The Bible says in Psalm One; “blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord…. So hanging out with some kind of people will either make you or mar your mentality?

Lot (Abraham’s cousin) is one great man that failed to live out his God given destiny. For the fact that he made the first mistake of choosing Sodom does not mean he was doomed for life. God for two reasons showed Lot mercy for Abraham’s sake (a friend of God) and for being the only righteous man in that town. Contrary to God’s plan-in Genesis 19-, Lot’s timidity kept him from taking advantage of what was laid before him. His refusal to run to the mountain and his inability to see the mountain as a means to his redemption -after losing all in Sodom- caused him to choose the “little town”. He found safety there and I bet you don’t want to end up like Lot because in Genesis 19, Lot and his two daughters sinned against God, not only did the sin, Psalm 83:4-8, they have become enemies of God and Israel till date. Can you imagine such sheer timidity?

But hey, don’t be too quick to judge my man, Lot because many a people including me have uncountable times fallen victims to the “small place” and a lot more do not believe the excellent life freely given to all men because we are too used to the cage. We are too tied down by poverty, the impossible syndrome, “I am ok like this and let me manage skills; the “little me” ability- just name them. If not why would some always profess smallness about themselves and their nation?

I have also identified my own “small attitudes” which I pamper, magnify and give precedence over the spirit of excellence though I fight them daily. I know by the word of God that from creation, He said; “Let’s make man in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all…God blessed them and said, “Have many children and grow in number. Fill the earth and be its master. Rule over…EVERY living thing that moves on the earth. What an awesome mandate and position given to all that will tap into this existence. So God rejoices in our excellence though he abhors extravagance and covetousness, He has always had it in mind that man should enjoy the fullness of life in Christ Jesus, He has given us all that pertains to life and godliness and He has set before us an open door to choose life and not death. What an awesome God!!!

Do you believe that at everyone’s doorstep lies a package that reads “exceeding abundant life” which we can not comprehend? Do you believe it wasn’t stored up for a few or for the clergy? Neither did God create favorites as he takes no delight in such? Do you believe that as God has laid down promises he means it when he says, “In blessing will I bless you, and I will bless your fields and make you fat with oil and wine (abundance of good crops). He says, “No good thing will I withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Oh, so why are we still eating the crumbs? I ask myself. Do you believe that God was not kidding when he gave man the freedom to replenish, rule (not domineer people and turn men under your authority to “boy-boy”) dominate and even multiply. Can you just imagine this God giving man the “audacity”-the right- to name animals and those names stuck to date? Com’on friends who are we that God in his magnificence are so mindful of?

Do you believe that with the fall of man, God in His love still sought to redeem man so that we can still live as kings and Priest, we died with Him the day we received him as Lord and Savior and we have been raised with Him in glory and he has made us to seat with him in the heavens (Ephesians 2:4- 7). This he did for those in Christ Jesus.

What men ought us to be? Men, if you have been like me once saddled in fear and intimidation, rise up and take your place. Break free and Say unto those mountains- the mountains facing your God given life-“Behold your God”. Work on your mind and deliberately undo old myths, address the nagging snares to your success which may even be YOU! Strip your mind of every evil manmade ideology and every laid down systems that either bug you to lookdown on your abilities or work contrary to your well being.

Babes, change company if you need to, pair not with the “wanna-bes” (life goes beyond trying to be like the Madonna, Beyonce and Tyra Banks of this world, don’t be clothed in another man’s identity),but surround yourself with women that smell, sniff and dig God, spend time knowing God, get intimate with God, proclaim His promises for you life -keep saying it till you believe it- reduce pumping your mind with all sorts of movies and media reports (which doesn’t mean you should only have knowledge of fashion and style), groom yourself with world history and listen to constructive news not the ones that keep you on edge and make you fear the economic meltdown and Gaza strip like its at your doorstep waiting to bomb your household. Read less unproductive books and “doom fictions”, stuff your mind with truth. Proverbs says, “Buy truth and sell it not…so voraciously devour God’s word and principles. Confess and speak right, Speak faith, know God for yourself and stop waiting for the “man of God”. Don’t live no longer in the squalors, count in six digits when you have three at hand.

Possess the Land for it belongs to YOU! If you have been battered all your life, tell God to give you a brand new mentality and an attitude that life could be a million times better than you have known it to be. Rediscover who you were born to be and live the God kind of life. Let me reiterate here, Remember he said in Creation “lets make man in our image and likeness…so that explains to me that we ought to be Him? Whoa, that will blow our theology a little huh? Yes! For Psalms says, “Ye are gods…Hmn!!

Please don’t be too hard on yourself; life is a marathon not a sprint so take one day at a time. It is a continual process to change our mindset-our culture has battered us to believe in a bunch of lies which must give way for truth- to who we were created to. Determine in your heart like Daniel to be an excellent man (or woman). Excellence is for all who eagerly want to live an excellent life. Groan for the change and though it tarries, just wait, it will come to pass. I believe we CAN like Obama would say,” YES WE CAN” and has actually lived out his dream. Let’s walk towards it.

I live you with this scripture that blesses my heart, “The blessings of the Lord the make rich and add no sorrows to it”. If anything causes you constant sorrow, give it up and walk in God’s rich promises for your life. See you at the top dear one!!!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Our eternal purpose

It has gotten to a point in my little life where i identify the purpose of my existence.When i grew as a child,i was led to do everything and my decisions were based on another man's judgement.As i grew older,i learnt to take bold steps on my own,falling,tripping and rising up and one of those steps has led me to the Lord.It was not a choice i made by my strength but my a higher power helping me(God) and that choice is eternal.I realised from the day i made the decision to know the Lord the purpose of my living and that is to live a life acceptable to Him.I read my Bible and i learn from it that my body,my life are meant to be holy,and also acceptable unto the Lord( pleasing to Him) and thats my most honorable service to God- i would add that is my eternal purpose in this life.
At this point in my life,i identify wrong from right because i have chosen to align myself with the will of the Father,not meaning that i have attained perfection,but to say that i yield my temple to him and consciously by His grace,present my will to Him and align my desires in a way that please the Lord.Though I am still in the process of growth,i have further advanced to a woman that chooses to live right as I know God purposed(in His heart for all mankind).I have gone from a place of just knowing the knowlegde of good and evil to a place of eternal life and i choose by His grace to livemy life for Him and only him .This has never been by will power but by the help of God,the one by whom the foundations of the world were created.
As i stepped into the year,i did not make resolutions that will fade half way into the year,but i presented my life to God as a new lamb is led to the slaughter,not that i should be slain or condemned,but for a fresh start with him-in 2009 till eternity sets in.I realise daily that no man can exist without the help of God,though i marvel when men say there is no God or act as if their life came from them or evolved from a plant or "Homo" and fossils as old Chinese myths said.I have once acted in such a manner(like there is no God watching me) and i would acknowledge that each time i disobey Him,i act as though there is no God.
Our eternal plan and purpose on the earth could never be for the material and mundane things of life,though the material seems important and neccessary as the case maybe but they can only satisfy an aspect of life-Though the material things can never bring eternal satifaction,they will never in this life and beyond fill the void in a man's heart.Please do not get me wrong,the material things are needed and the life of a believer is complete in the Lord as He supplies all our needs according to His riches(in glory)through Christ Jesus,he gives us all that pertains to life and godliness,which includes our spiritual,physical,materia
l and emotional well being-its a holistic life.But the point I am stressing here is that men try to live life devoid of the spiritual(and concentrate on the perishable material things) which is the most vital for our existence.I often ponder and find that it is true that when a man is close to death,and he senses that he is close to the giving up his breath,even though he never believed in the existence of God,he repents and turns to God on his dying bed(God chooses in His love to show him mercy).That explains that man can not do without God who created man in His likeness to replenish,dominate and rule the earth.God's purpose for man was that man would be like Him though the first man fail but the second man-Jesus-came so that man would be restored to the initiial position God had in mind for him.Jesus came so man may have life to the fullest,that's what we call the abundant life which is all encompassing.It covers every aspect of life both the spiritual and the physical,it includes excellence,wealth,increase and all life could offer through Christ Jesus.
The problem God has with man is that man wants to have one side of the coin ignoring the other.... Man wants to eat his cake and have it but Jesus says I came that they might have life...the abundant life in Him.He came so man may fulfil life through Him.He chose to give up his life with no cost attached to it so man may be free from sin and death.But many a people still choose the other side of life which is a life without Jesus.
Simply put,our purpose from creation was to serve the Lord and only Him were we and are we still to serve.It is so sad that we live half hazard lives,many go about life as if it belongs to them.We fail to be sons and daughters of God though we pout his name and speak of him in our gatherings and exclamations but we truly don't desire to know him deeply,we do not want to identify wholly with Him because to many serving God means loosing touch with the world which has nothing to offer,some feel giving their lives to Jesus means turning to fools so they give up the sweet and joyous journey of seeking,hearing and receiving peace from Jesus.I would never try to say that the life of a Christian(a man that has made Jesus his Lord and Saviour)is rosy,no at all,the Bible states that in this world there are many troubles,tribulations,sorr
ows and deep heart wrenching trials but in the Lord,a child of God chooses to rejoice and have peace because Jesus commanded that we be of God cheer as He has overcome the world for our sakes.
What people ought we to be?Men and Brethren,the first step for all who do not know Him is to SURRENDER-acknowledge your sin,confess them and turn to the Lord fully,making Him the Lord over all your affairs and choosing to forsake the world and it's gimmicks to follow Jesus,also choosing to make Him a friend not just a casual friend but an intimate lover and confidant.The second step would be to walk with Him,learning to grow in Him through the word and by the Holy Spirit.Once the decision to know Jesus has been made,the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and dwells there as long as we are in the Lord.He cousels,teaches,guides and helps when we need Him most.He speaks and instructs,reprimands and rebukes when we are out of the way.He shows love and comforts when we are confused and weary,he even speaks and shows us deep things about the Lord.It is a gradual process which we would only outgrow when we leave this world but as one grows in the Lord,he leads us daily and makes us grow from glory to glory.We can never stop growing in the Lord.Woe is that man who thinks he is fat and too wise for the Lord to tutor and disciple,such a one is set for death,and spiritual stuntedness(except the Lord helps him in love).

As i write this early in this year,I implore my readers as I tell myself,that our purpose in this year 2009 should be to serve and love the Lord much more than we ever did.With all the economic meltdown and cash crunch all over the world,our peace as Christians will come from knowing the mind of God.God will never reveal his secrets to a man that refuses to know Him as he wants us to.Yes,God is so merciful that is why I read from the Holy Book ,the Bible,that it has never been His will that any man should perish,His desire is that all men,as many as want Him come to Him and have everlasting life.

My dear friends,ruminate over 2008,see the way it has rolled by like a 90 minute football match?Another year has evolved and some have made resolutions to make money,buy shares,property,cars,marry,have children,further their studies and you name them.But let me tickle you with an eternal question:"If your life were to end on the 3rd day in January 2009,where will you head to?Have you consciously pondered over your life and wondered that even if you spend 20,30,60 years on earth,there is an everlasting life awaiting you beyond the shores of this earth?

The truth is that one day,Heaven and earth shall pass and we will go to another place either to an eternal Home which is Heaven or to eternal destruction which is hell.My friends,Heaven will not be earned by motivations and wishful thinking,neither will Heaven be given freely like a gift,it will not be a cloud nine experience or a circus carnival,but Heaven needs men to work for and that means we need to be SAVED,we need to Be Born again,we need to continue running this race(if you are a Christian)with all perseverance,we need to wake up from our slumber and walk with the Lord,we need to walk out like one goes to the gym to either loose weight or keep fit our salvation with the fear of the Lord.Turn from iniquity and live right for the Lord.Resolve to be the chosen of the Lord this year and forever.Life is too short for anyone to live outside of his eternal destiny....Once again,i Introduce to you the saviour of all mankind,JESUS,accept him and let Him live in you.Enjoy the year of promise...2009.

Our eternal purpose

It has gotten to a point in my little life where i identify the purpose of my existence.When i grew as a child,i was led to do everything and my decisions were based on another man's judgement.As i grew older,i learnt to take bold steps on my own,falling,tripping and rising up and one of those steps has led me to the Lord.It was not a choice i made by my strength but my a higher power helping me(God) and that choice is eternal.I realised from the day i made the decision to know the Lord the purpose of my living and that is to live a life acceptable to Him.I read my Bible and i learn from it that my body,my life are meant to be holy,and also acceptable unto the Lord( pleasing to Him) and thats my most honorable service to God- i would add that is my eternal purpose in this life.
At this point in my life,i identify wrong from right because i have chosen to align myself with the will of the Father,not meaning that i have attained perfection,but to say that i yield my temple to him and consciously by His grace,present my will to Him and align my desires in a way that please the Lord.Though I am still in the process of growth,i have further advanced to a woman that chooses to live right as I know God purposed(in His heart for all mankind).I have gone from a place of just knowing the knowlegde of good and evil to a place of eternal life and i choose by His grace to livemy life for Him and only him .This has never been by will power but by the help of God,the one by whom the foundations of the world were created.
As i stepped into the year,i did not make resolutions that will fade half way into the year,but i presented my life to God as a new lamb is led to the slaughter,not that i should be slain or condemned,but for a fresh start with him-in 2009 till eternity sets in.I realise daily that no man can exist without the help of God,though i marvel when men say there is no God or act as if their life came from them or evolved from a plant or "Homo" and fossils as old Chinese myths said.I have once acted in such a manner(like there is no God watching me) and i would acknowledge that each time i disobey Him,i act as though there is no God.
Our eternal plan and purpose on the earth could never be for the material and mundane things of life,though the material seems important and neccessary as the case maybe but they can only satisfy an aspect of life-Though the material things can never bring eternal satifaction,they will never in this life and beyond fill the void in a man's heart.Please do not get me wrong,the material things are needed and the life of a believer is complete in the Lord as He supplies all our needs according to His riches(in glory)through Christ Jesus,he gives us all that pertains to life and godliness,which includes our spiritual,physical,material and emotional well being-its a holistic life.But the point I am stressing here is that men try to live life devoid of the spiritual(and concentrate on the perishable material things) which is the most vital for our existence.I often ponder and find that it is true that when a man is close to death,and he senses that he is close to the giving up his breath,even though he never believed in the existence of God,he repents and turns to God on his dying bed(God chooses in His love to show him mercy).That explains that man can not do without God who created man in His likeness to replenish,dominate and rule the earth.God's purpose for man was that man would be like Him though the first man fail but the second man-Jesus-came so that man would be restored to the initiial position God had in mind for him.Jesus came so man may have life to the fullest,that's what we call the abundant life which is all encompassing.It covers every aspect of life both the spiritual and the physical,it includes excellence,wealth,increase and all life could offer through Christ Jesus.
The problem God has with man is that man wants to have one side of the coin ignoring the other.... Man wants to eat his cake and have it but Jesus says I came that they might have life...the abundant life in Him.He came so man may fulfil life through Him.He chose to give up his life with no cost attached to it so man may be free from sin and death.But many a people still choose the other side of life which is a life without Jesus.
Simply put,our purpose from creation was to serve the Lord and only Him were we and are we still to serve.It is so sad that we live half hazard lives,many go about life as if it belongs to them.We fail to be sons and daughters of God though we pout his name and speak of him in our gatherings and exclamations but we truly don't desire to know him deeply,we do not want to identify wholly with Him because to many serving God means loosing touch with the world which has nothing to offer,some feel giving their lives to Jesus means turning to fools so they give up the sweet and joyous journey of seeking,hearing and receiving peace from Jesus.I would never try to say that the life of a Christian(a man that has made Jesus his Lord and Saviour)is rosy,no at all,the Bible states that in this world there are many troubles,tribulations,sorrows and deep heart wrenching trials but in the Lord,a child of God chooses to rejoice and have peace because Jesus commanded that we be of God cheer as He has overcome the world for our sakes.
What people ought we to be?Men and Brethren,the first step for all who do not know Him is to SURRENDER-acknowledge your sin,confess them and turn to the Lord fully,making Him the Lord over all your affairs and choosing to forsake the world and it's gimmicks to follow Jesus,also choosing to make Him a friend not just a casual friend but an intimate lover and confidant.The second step would be to walk with Him,learning to grow in Him through the word and by the Holy Spirit.Once the decision to know Jesus has been made,the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and dwells there as long as we are in the Lord.He cousels,teaches,guides and helps when we need Him most.He speaks and instructs,reprimands and rebukes when we are out of the way.He shows love and comforts when we are confused and weary,he even speaks and shows us deep things about the Lord.It is a gradual process which we would only outgrow when we leave this world but as one grows in the Lord,he leads us daily and makes us grow from glory to glory.We can never stop growing in the Lord.Woe is that man who thinks he is fat and too wise for the Lord to tutor and disciple,such a one is set for death,and spiritual stuntedness(except the Lord helps him in love).

As i write this early in this year,I implore my readers as I tell myself,that our purpose in this year 2009 should be to serve and love the Lord much more than we ever did.With all the economic meltdown and cash crunch all over the world,our peace as Christians will come from knowing the mind of God.God will never reveal his secrets to a man that refuses to know Him as he wants us to.Yes,God is so merciful that is why I read from the Holy Book ,the Bible,that it has never been His will that any man should perish,His desire is that all men,as many as want Him come to Him and have everlasting life.

My dear friends,ruminate over 2008,see the way it has rolled by like a 90 minute football match?Another year has evolved and some have made resolutions to make money,buy shares,property,cars,marry,have children,further their studies and you name them.But let me tickle you with an eternal question:"If your life were to end on the 3rd day in January 2009,where will you head to?Have you consciously pondered over your life and wondered that even if you spend 20,30,60 years on earth,there is an everlasting life awaiting you beyond the shores of this earth?

The truth is that one day,Heaven and earth shall pass and we will go to another place either to an eternal Home which is Heaven or to eternal destruction which is hell.My friends,Heaven will not be earned by motivations and wishful thinking,neither will Heaven be given freely like a gift,it will not be a cloud nine experience or a circus carnival,but Heaven needs men to work for and that means we need to be SAVED,we need to Be Born again,we need to continue running this race(if you are a Christian)with all perseverance,we need to wake up from our slumber and walk with the Lord,we need to walk out like one goes to the gym to either loose weight or keep fit our salvation with the fear of the Lord.Turn from iniquity and live right for the Lord.Resolve to be the chosen of the Lord this year and forever.Life is too short for anyone to live outside of his eternal destiny....Once again,i Introduce to you the saviour of all mankind,JESUS,accept him and let Him live in you.Enjoy the year of promise...2009.