Not Eliphaz but Boaz (Ladies in Waiting)

I don't need someone to kick me while I'm down like Eliphaz.
But when I'm goin through, can get a prayer through like Jabez.
I'm not playin peek a boo, hide n go seek or
Can you guess what's on his mind?

We need to stop chasing these boys
Make ourselves the best catch a man can find.
As always, we gather information and pray to our Father.
While the man hunts us, looks for us;
Using the Holy Spirit as the compass
To discover us.

Crouched down, busy, working with our hands,
Nurturing, praying, and warring with our hands.
Teaching the little children the Lord's commands.
Being the example of strength
That when we've done all we can do, we stand.
Stand therefore in holy adoration,
To the only One who can heal our nation.
If we would simply seek His face.
And stop being like the world, caught up in the rat race.
And recognize that our affections are misplaced.

So turn off reality TV and get into God’s reality,
That to have somebody anointed, we must remain busy,
About our Father’s business
Providing and serving.
Depending on our walk with God
Is the level of a mate we are deserving.
So God is not mocked
What you sow is what you reap.
Little time changed in God’s presence,
Yields a husband who is spiritually weak.
A lot of fellowship with God,
Means a giant-slaying husband that no devil can defeat.
As we delight ourselves in God,
He promises to grant us the desires of our heart.
But many of us forget to do our part.
It was while Ruth was on assignment,
That she captured a blessed man’s heart.
She was fighting off the grips of poverty
Pursuing the well being of her family.

So what is it that the Lord has told you to do?
Are you following exactly what He is telling you?
Me personally, no and I must repent.
Turn from my own agenda and relent.
Cast of the sins that so easily beset me.
Get busy with the ministry He has already given me.
And allow the Lord to use me and prepare me.
So that when my Boaz comes, I’ll be ready,
And fully grown into maturity,
To reign in heavenly places unspotted, unwrinkled royalty.

My BFF

Satan Tempts Jesus
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 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.’” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” Luke 4:1-11 NKJV

The Lord reminded me of how passionate I am about situations that people go through, especially when I’ve been through the same circumstance before. And how Jesus has been tempted in every way, been through everything I could possibly go through and was without sin. He reiterated to me how passionate He is about my trials and tests, and how eager He is to help and save and protect me. Oh how He cares for me! It’s just too amazing to grasp how concerned and interested He is in my daily affairs! How He desires to know every detail of my life, even a splinter in my finger! David expresses his amazement in Psalm 139 which intricately lays out the depth of God’s love and concern for the tiniest details in our lives.

He waits on the other end of prayer like a compassionate best friend on the phone, anticipating every detail of my story, of my grief, of my sorrow, and all my bubbly joys. Oh how He rejoices with me on the other end as if it were Him. He is never jealous or trying to stifle my joy, but egging me on in anticipation of the outcome of my success in Him. So confident He is in Himself that He makes me think that I’m doing all this on my own. Then He patiently waits for me to stop and think and give Him the glory. He is the wind beneath my wings, the invisible energy radiating from the sun that gives me and everything around me life and vibrancy.

“12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. 14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:12-16 NKJV

This passage reveals that there is nothing hidden from the Lord, who is the Word. He knows my thoughts and my needs but He still enjoys communing with me in prayer. And when I’m going through, overwhelmed and in despair, He patiently listens with understanding; non-accusingly advises when I am in need. He knows when I am just venting but not looking for Him to fix anything with inaccurate assumptions. He knows all things and esp. all things about me. He is that friend that sticks closer than a brother. How baffling my human nature is because it is so easy for me to forget all this. Many times when things get rough, I run to another for consolation, attention, and direction when He is the first one that I should be running to since He knows me so well! Then after searching from person to person, I find myself bewildered, frustrated, and confused and mad that they don’t know me. Finally, I come to my senses and I am ashamed because I overlooked the One who is right there with me and knows me the best. He tenderly takes me in His arms and wraps me in His security blanket. I tell Him all my problems in addition to all the unnecessarily added frustration of going to man and not God. He quietly listens without interruption and guides me and leads me into the green pastures and beside still waters as He restores my soul because He is my Best Friend Forever.


*Photo care of SusanStockman.com

THE COST OF COMPROMISE: PART 2 FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

The fear of the unknown and the inability to surrender all to God can cause us to compromise. An average young Christian woman hungry and desperate to be embraced found a guy friend who gave her a little attention. The guy asked her out and she accepted the proposal be in a relationship with him. Unknown to the girl, the guy’s only intention was to sexually relate to her not love. He vowed in his heart that he would do anything in his power to cause this girl to fall. But being a virgin and scared by what fornication could do to her, the girl refused. Enjoying the attention from the guy who sounded so promising, she decided to show some affection to the guy by kissing so the guy will not leave her. However being hypnotized by that little attention and fear of losing him caused the enemy to bombard to sleep with him to secure her attention. The guy was satisfied but she was in tears. That marked the beginning of a period of misery and bondage for her with no way out without the grace of God.

As a straight “A” student who pursued her education with a full scholarship lost it all; doing poorly in school due to problems that began to arise in her life: spiritually and psychologically. Her health was also threatened and she was bound by the enemy in such that she was now addicted to sexual immorality. And she began to imagine things she had no business imagining which got her into more trouble. Although, she loved God with all heart but not looking up to Jesus, the author and finisher of her faith for strength and attention but man released fear into her heart and she compromised.

Many are in the same position as this girl, ready to make the same mistake based on the deception of the enemy. Do not give in! Take these steps to avoid the painful cost of compromise. Flee from that situation that is constantly serving you with that plate of compromise as Joseph. It is better to lose your dignity than to lose your destiny (Genesis 39:10-12), the price is too costly! Jesus puts it this way, “if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life injured or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire (Mathew 18:8).

Wait upon the Lord by praying, worshipping, reading the word, and fasting. The more you walk in the spirit the more you become like Christ; in the presence of the Lord there is no sin. Our strength is renewed in His presence (Isaiah 40:31). We need also to embrace the logos (written word) and the rhema (spoken word )of God, believe in it and walk in obedience; disobedience can cause you to miss the path of righteousness (Josh 1:8; Mat 4:4). Also, consistently declaring positive things in our lives releases faith that challenges us to walk upright with God (Proverbs 18:20-21; Job 22:28).

If on the other hand you have already compromised, repent of you sin, confess your sins to God, submit yourself to leadership for restoration, and then follow these steps to keep you away from compromising in the future. “And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me…” (Judges 16:28)

The Cost of Compromise PART 1: Did Delilah steal my destiny or I sold it to her?

21But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. Judges 16:21

Samson at the peak of his life was a judge of Israel and respected by all men. He was a leader glorified among his people. Samson, a man whose voice echoed through the land with all the dignity and victorious leadership skills was very careless about the way he conducted himself. He succumbed to the lust of his flesh and allowed himself to lay with a harlot (Judges 16:1) that is to say a prostitute. Samson now compromises his ethics and stands in righteousness because of the pressure of the lustful desires. Now Samson has lost his hair which was the source of his strength due to the pressures of his Delilah. The mighty warrior and a judge is now grinding in the prison house of the very enemy who was terrified by his presence. Brethren, what a price to pay for compromise! The mighty is fallen and has become the laughing stock in the eyes of his enemies
Unfortunately, there are a lot of Samsons in our churches and cities today who have also become the laughing stock of the world because they gratified their flesh and also gave in to the pressures of life around them These fallen heroes include our very own prayer warriors, worship leaders, pastors and apostles among others. As a result, they are bound by the enemy and he uses them to his pleasure. Once the vibrant soldier for the Lord and full of power, now a prisoner to the enemy. Compromise has cost many people their lives, marriage, ministry, business, family, etc. there is a cost for compromising and it is very expensive.

Do not be deceived by the enemy that God understands, and he knows what you are going through and he will forgive and that all is well. Yes God understands, and will forgive you but He expects faithfulness and commitment from us to Him. You will pay for that compromise – an amicable agreement between parties in controversy, to settle their differences by mutual concession.

One compromise leads to another and eventually causes the presence of God to depart from you. Samson started with the prostitute and then Delilah which led to his to loosing the glory of the Lord that was upon him. His compromise eventually rendered him powerless to defend his destiny and he broke his nazarite vow unto God. You might think a little lie is harmless, after all others do worst things, or a light kiss on the lips to show your affection to your boyfriend is “that bad”, moreover, watching a five minute pornographic movie will not hurt, at least you are not fornicating.

However, the truth is every borne fire starts off just little and escalates. Do not give way for the enemy to come in and cause you to sin. Do not fornicate to pay your bills because the enemy told you will be evicted and you credit will be messed up. Do not steal grocery due to fear of dying as a result of starvation, trust God as your Jehovah Jireh (your Provider) and allow Him to make provisions in every situation surrounding you.
Stand even as Joseph, Daniel and the three Hebrew men stood against compromise when confronted with the delightful “pottage” prepared by the enemy.

Mind Your Mind

Mind you Mind:
Dictating your experiences through the power of your thoughts

Mind your mind' is a phrase that I've started using a lot lately. I've come to realize the importance of a right thinking in influencing my daily attitude. Therefore, if I can mind my mind then I can control my attitude. Do you know your thoughts dictates your reaction towards any circumstance, which influences your attitude and your attitude affects your character? Therefore you are the product of your thoughts.

Proverbs 23:7 “ For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (MKJV).

The bible indicates you are what you think. Your thought pattern or mindset determines what you will be. You will become what you habitually think. Therefore to change your future for the better you first have to change your thinking.

You actually determine what you want to experience in your life by your imagination. Your imagination draws the blue-print for your future experiences. Your actions always start as a thought. Therefore your experiences does not originate from your actions but from your thoughts. Therefore the Lord does not separate your imagination from your experience. He declares:

Matthew 5:28
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

This means that when you look at a woman and have an imaginative desire about her, that desire has already taken place in your heart. The word lust in the above scriptural text is epithuméo in the Greek. It is made up of two Greek words "epi" meaning in and "thumeo" which means mind. Therefore epithuméo means in mind. Jesus therefore states what one has in mind towards a woman has already taken place. Jesus does not separate your thoughts from your experiences. Your tangible experiences are a product of your invisible thoughts. Good thoughts produce good experiences. The bible therefore admonishes us to think on good stuff.

Phil 4:8 (KJV)
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

You have the power to influence your future experiences for the better through your right thinking. It is high time you focus on minding your mind.

Therefore it is very important that we watch our thoughts.

TRANSPARENT YET NOT ASHAMED

When was the last time you admitted a sinful act either to yourself, God or your fellow man? Are you one of those who find it difficult to expose hidden sins for fear of being cast down? Many of us have exulted ourselves higher than we are in the sight of others, feigning extreme holiness, and we are anxious of the possible loss of our reputation should our sins be exposed. Fear of shame and pride has caused many of us to conceal our sins and most of us have become liars to ourselves, God and our fellow man. Well, do you realize what you are losing by concealing your sins for fear of shame? Let’s reason together….
In the book of Jonah, we realize a great deal of transparency on his part during the tempestuous wrought of the sea against the ship he was traveling with (Jonah 1:4-10). Jonah had fled from the presence of God, against inaction on his part concerning God’s commandment to him (chapt 1:1-3). Unconsciously, he had disregarded the omnipresence of God and went on board the ship, as if that would hide him from God’s presence. Apparently, God proved His omniscience to him and figured him out with a great storm against the ship he was using for his hiding escapades. The storm was fearsome, and the other crew members cried out for an escape. Lots were cast as to whose cause the storm raged against them and it fell on Jonah. It is embarrassing for a lot to fall on you, come to think of it, for a bad cause. It is more disgraceful to admit to have run away from your task, especially as one old as Jonah who could have been thought to be responsible enough. It is worse of an embarrassment to admit you fear God and simultaneously, expose your disobedience to Him.
Jonah could have denounced any connection with the raging sea, lied to the people and against God and saved himself any embarrassment the whole situation might have put him into. He could have thought of the possible dreadful things the crew members could have done to him for causing them such havoc and conceal the obvious, yet he had no fear of man concerning his transparency, save the benefit of such transparency in the sight of God. So not only did he admit being the cause of the perishing that was about to befall them, he also told them what he did. He confessed his faith and task, not because he feared the crew members, but he knew God had found him out and it was only his transparency that would cause Him to still the waters and save them from perishing. If he hadn’t been transparent enough, it is obvious they all would have perished. Nevertheless, not only did Jonah not perish even in the belly of the fish, his transparency gained him a second chance from God to make right what he did wrong (Chapt 3:1-4). Most Christians are concerned about our reputation in the eyes of the public and not God. We are refusing to reveal the skeletons of sins we are hiding in our cupboards, because it feels right and good that no one sees those ugly skeletons. In the sight of men, we are receiving all the praise and exultation, but at the corners of our room, where no one can see us, we are dying slowly with the strong odour of the skeletons of irresponsibility, lust, bitterness, anger, jealousy and inaction which are in the cupboard. We are thinking of what people will do and say when we expose our ugly sinful lives, but we are not thinking of the grace and mercies that will flow from the throne of God unto us at the exposure of such sins. We are therefore losing the second chance to grasp the opportunities God has for us and the blessings that comes with it. We should be like Jonah, whose transparency about his sins not only gained him the forgiveness of God, but another chance to source His grace and blessings through obedience.
Jonah, admitting his sins, cried out to God and praised Him for answering his prayers and saving him, even at the moment he was under punishment(in the belly of the fish) (2:2, 5-9). It was after this that God actually saved him from the belly of the fish. Jonah’s words of faith here can only mean he knew his transparency automatically qualifies him for God’s mercies and to move His hand in his situation to grant him salvation. Jonah reinforces this by saying ‘they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy’ (2:8). Lying vanities here can be referred to those non-admitted sins we are deceitfully exulting and dignifying. Observing lying vanities here therefore means not calling sin by its name; In other words, he is saying those who call sin by its name (admit their sins) draw God’s mercies towards them. Many of us in the church are not calling sin by its name not only because of the anticipated shame, but because of sheer stubbornness. Sometimes, we feel embarrassed having to come before God again and again with the same confessions of the same sins; the odour stinks too much now and we know our transparency will shame us before God. Other times, we take the compassion and forgiving heart of God for granted. This anticipated shame and mockery of God causes ingrown pride which eventually makes us place a mark of normalcy on our sins, until we no more regard sin anymore. Yet, the Psalmist says ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me’(Ps 66:18); he buttresses this with Psalm 32:5 where we notice God expects admittance and confession of sin. Notably, calling sin by its name makes it easy for us to overcome them. When we conceal sin, we give the enemy the power to accuse us before God(which accusation holds) and exert authority over us, but exposing them diffuses his power. We must really fear in times of evil if we are concealing sin within us(Ps 49:5) If we are observing lying vanities in this wise, then we are losing our own mercies. The bible says, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1Jn 1:9). If we call sin by its name, it means we are admitting our sins, and if we are admitting our sins, we are confessing them, and if we are confessing them, we can say to an appreciable level that we are repenting of them.
Extensively, Jonah’s confession of sin and faith, and the subsequent awesome work of God (calming the sea), caused the crew members to have the fear of and faith in God (Jon 1:15-16). Impliedly, our transparency concerning our sinful nature and faith can do more as to win souls for the Lord. Sometimes, we realize the best way to recommend God unto others is by our own testimony of past sinful nature and the grace and cleansing of God that accompanied our confession and repentance. In this instance, yes we are exposing our ugly past nature, yet we are not ashamed for we know God’s mercies can extend to others and snatch their souls from perishing. We realize the same thing about Apostle Paul who admitted and confessed boldly his past sinful nature of persecuting the church, and then his faith in Jesus and the gospel just to win souls for Christ (Acts 22:1-21; 26:9-23). Paul suffered many persecutions for exposing himself in this wise, yet he wasn’t ashamed or discouraged for he knew what the Lord had in store for him at the end; a victorious crown and glory (Php 3:14; 1Corin 9). Admitting our wrongs to each other also generates peace; here, instead of being peace-keepers we become peace-makers which grants us the benefit of being called the children of God(Matt 5:9). James pinpoints our healing is assured if we confess our sins to each other (5:16). He emphasizes this need once more in verses 8 and 9. It is only when we become transparent that the rays of God's light can penetrate within us and make us shine.
Knowing the prize we will obtain at the end of the day when we expose our sins, we will never trade our transparency for the lying vanities of reputation as in self-exultation and self-righteousness! Loosen yourself, repent, admit and confess those hidden sins to yourself, God and those you ought to, and experience a wonderful touch of God!

Threshing wheat by the winepress- Displaced from the place of greatness

I’ve always wondered what kept me for years from embracing my divine purpose and walking in my ordained calling. In retrospect, I recollect that I fell victim to various cultural handicaps, ethnic stereotypes, financial constraints, mental limitations and a whole bunch of factors that become the foundation of my legitimate excuses. These factors made the mandate of God overwhelming, and improbable crippling me with fear to even engage the assignment of my life. I felt safe to strive for something comfortable that was not in line with the call of God. It was not as challenging, and demanding. The fear of the divine mandate pressured me to engage in an assignment that was not my call. It is unfortunate the many are still falling victim to the same scenarios. We will rather succumb to our comfort than engage our fear to access the divine best reserved for us in our call. How many God ordained entrepreneurs short change their blessings by working nine to five somewhere? We have people with great mandates locked in humiliating assignments. We are not functioning in our optimum because we engage our potentials in the wrong assignment. Our fears have frozen us from even engaging our God ordained call. We are displaced into the wrong assignment by our fears. This was the scenario of Gideon called to be a deliverer of Israel. In the time when he was needed he was threshing wheat at the winepress. Israel was under the bondage of the Midianites and their tyranny terrorized Gideon that he was threshing wheat at the wine press.

And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. (Jdg 6:11)

The terror of the Midianite has displaced Gideon to thresh wheat at the winepress. The wheat was supposed to be threshed at the threshing floor but to hide from the Midianites he had to thresh at the winepress. Gideon was abusing the purpose of the winepress. The Deliverer of God was succumbed to fear living below his ordained privileges, confused about why he was not accessing the divine favor. He survived by threshing wheat but was no where near the status, blessing and authority God had ordained for him. He had not responded to his mandate hence was locked out of the divine provision of his life.
How many believers are facing the same scenario as Gideon threshing wheat at their winepress? We have great Apostles doing security somewhere. God ordained Entrepreneurs crippled with fear, living a beggarly lifestyle instead of pioneering great businesses. Until we have awakened to our divine destiny, we will not realize our privileged status in God. Our potential only functions in its optimum in the parameter of our call. We will access our divine blessings when we embrace our divine callings. Therefore there must be a paradigm shift from where we are to where God has ordained for us. Our greatness resides in the zone of our divine mandate. Therefore we must be awakened to this to respond to our call.

Your divine identity is not defined by the reality of your circumstances
God sparked a revolution in the life of Gideon when He sent an Angel to call Gideon a mighty man of valor at the place of his mediocrity. He was a terrified farmer who had not won any battle but God called him mighty a man of valor. His divine identity was not a label of his circumstance. It was a divine concept that was established before his present circumstance. For God’s concept to become his reality he must respond to his call. Therefore he was made aware of where he ought to be not where he was. He was not called a farmer but a mighty man of valor. There was nothing about him that remotely suggested that label. Therefore, Gideon felt he had to refuse a label that was not his reality. His circumstance was very different to what he was called. As he complained about his limitation and lack, he was told to respond to the calling with what he had. He could not procrastinate waiting for the right time, amassing the needed resources, depending on the right people but he was to respond to the call immediately. He complained about his deficiencies but he was urged to respond anyway.

And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? (Jdg 6:14)

Whatever he needed will be supplied as he responded to his call. The “ might” will be unleashed as he responded to the mandate. Gideon responded and was blessed to become a mighty deliverer.
I hope the Gideons of today will respond to their divine mandates. As we engage our divine destinies, our resources and potentials will be unlocked into greatness.

JUST DO IT!

All things originate with God, so even though sneakers aren’t made to give God glory, yet, Nike owes God billions of dollars for the slogan they stole from Him.

“And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.” 1 Chronicles 28:20

I heard a Word this morning that really made me think about my attitude towards life. I’m always trying to hold onto things, save things, and keep things in perfect condition. It is hard for me to plan because I’ve moved around so much, my life and circumstances have changed so much that it is uncomfortable to let go. It is uncomfortable for me to get settled in anywhere because “What if I don’t use it? What if I give it or throw it away and I’ll need it later? What if I get settled in and comfortable and something happens where I have to pack everything up again?” Not knowing that thinking and worrying about tomorrow is robbing me of enjoying the blessings of my today. God says,

“'Enlarge the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.
For you shall expand to the right and to the left.'” Isaiah 54:2,3

Then my mind says, “Okay, Lord but what if I make a mistake or what if I have to give it back? Is it really mine? Are you really referring to me??” Then, I realize that I have to enlarge the tent of my thinking first to fit the visions and the blessings that He has for me. And He gently says,

“He who observes the wind will not sow,
And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
As you do not know what is the way of the wind…
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do not know which will prosper.” Ecclesiastes 11:4,8

In other words, God says, “JUST DO IT!” Is there something God mentioned to you and you’ve been “praying about it” with endless excuses as to why your wisdom is more superior than His? Once Christ came into your life, your eternal life started at that very moment. How diligently we follow His lead determines the Abundance of the Life that we Live on Earth!!

“‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:9, 10

So I forget those things that are behind me and grab hold of those things that are ahead and I press, I press to launch out into the deep things of God. How about you?

Pray with me. Father, forgive me for being strange bedfellows with doubt and fear. Forgive me for looking down and not up at You, the Author and Finisher of my faith. I let go of past victories and failures, waiting for the new things You’ve promised me to spring forth. Thank You for reminding me to look to the hills to You and trust that You have me in the palm of Your hands. Therefore I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. In Jesus’ name I ask these things. Amen.

Divine Utterance

I AM CALLED BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO

I am sitting on my bed right on course wondering what to do.
Watching the clock tick;
Pondering on what is next
How long Lord?
In the Valley, on my way to Canaan the Land of Milk and Honey;
My promised Land!
Oh how long Lord?
Frustration! Frustration! Frustration!
The Song of the day
Wondering what is God thinking at this time,
calling me yet disappeared into thin air or so I think.
Wait a minute, what is happening here?
"God is going to make you great!" exclaimed the preacher; I see you this and I see you that!
Spring is here, the sun is out; tis time to get out
Spring is here, the Son is here? still in the Valley, on my way to Canaan the Land of milk and honey or Am I?

How many of you are humming to the tune of this song?
You sense the call of God on your life yet frustrated not knowing what to do?
The passion and zeal so strong yet overwhelmed with the whole experience.
Out of Egypt yet not in Canaan
Now you feel burnt in the desert by the Scorching Sun, already out
Yet on your way, way to the Canaan your Promised Land;
Your Land of Milk and Honey?
Oh what is next?

Can you be honest enough to attest to this?
Answer me and I will get back to you

You are not condemned!

What do we do when someone falls into sin in our Churches? Do we relegate him to seat at the back pew as a punishment? Is the front pew holier than back pew? What do we do when our leaders are caught in immorality? DO we condemn them or help as a church restore? The president of a very big evangelical ministry fell into sin and the church executives allowed his exposure on television, impeached him, and forced him to resign. Not stopping there, they slammed the doors of the church in his face and left him on the streets just because they wanted to protect their reputation. Also another incident of such but different happened to three zealous college students in three different local ministries. Of a fact their girlfriends were impregnated as a result of fornication. The fruit of their hypocritical lifestyle expose them before the church and leaders. They were summoned by the Church board and were presented before the church, relieved of their duties and were kicked to seat at the back of the pew without a shot at restoration. One of the guys out of guilt and condemnation murdered his family and committed suicide. The other two guys are still struggling with their morality in the church. Also one of the girls left her parents house to live with her boyfriend, left her church to join her boyfriends’ denomination. This is the standard of how our churches deal with such situations but I wonder, how would our Lord Jesus Christ deal with this situation? Does he deal with it or does he deal with it at all? Should we use the standard that we use now in our churches against Paul who was once a persecutor of the church and very injurious to the saints, he would have never been an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also considering Peter; he denied the Lord not just once but thrice, Abraham who committed adultery with his wife’s maid and David took another man’s wife and murdered him to hide his sin. All these people would have been found guilty and thus warrant their expulsion from their assignment according to the standard of our church in our time.The pharisaic spirit has invaded the church with its traits of intolerance and condemnation. We will put out people by reason of defending denominational doctrine and integrity but will not go the extra mile to restore and reconcile the fallen back to the faith as they repent. The same leadership that passes judgment of condemnation is the same leadership that in close doors “anoints” the young ladies in the church with “oil from Jerusalem.” Due to carnality and hypocritical traits in our leadership, drunkenness, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, profanity, etc have been legalized and being practice among the leaders in the church. Not considering what they do, impudently they thump others when they are caught. To simplify further, I remember in a board executive meeting in my previous ministry, some of the leaders would come to the meeting under the influence of alcoholic beverage which caused them to act impatiently and use profanity most of the times. They were punctual to church every God given Sunday usually smelling like alcohol mixed with mint. But one interesting fact about them was their ability to quickly judge people, and with a “holier than thou” attitude, preach against sin in the church. How appalling! It is said to say that our leadership has descended down from the Mount of God and are certainly growing worse than the Pharisees who like to wash the outside of the barrel and leave the inside unclean. In the biblical narrative according John chapter eight, the woman was indeed caught in the very act of adultery, condemned by the Pharisees (religious leaders) ,was brought before Jesus for the final verdict and he releases her by saying “neither do I condemn you.” He did not allow them to condemn her. Why? Does he not hate sin? Is He not the one who preached about repentance? The Lord Jesus did not condemn the woman because in Him there is always another chance, “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). Since the word condemnation literally means to impose justice so that there is no opportunity for another chance, bringing judgment to a particular situation whereby the person or people involved would not have the chance to redeem his or herself to have another chance in life. It did not reflect His nature as the “Redeemer” and “Savior” of humanity. Just as the potter made the marred pot into another vessel that seemed good to him (.Jeremiah 18:4 ), so does our God (The Greatest Potter) with those people who are marred. He is still in the business of restoration. Thus Let us rise to the divine standard and let the love of God which is shared abroad in our hearts lead us in all we do.

If It Had Not Been For the Lord

Psalm 124:1-3 (New King James Version)

“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,
Let Israel now say—
If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,
When men rose up against us,
Then they would have swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us."

This blog is dedicated to my fellow Crusader, Felicia who listens to the song "If It Had Not Been" by Kiki Sheard everyday ALL DAY. Also this is to every Crusader and believer who has been delivered from something/many things by the Mighty hand of God! (I put this song on today to celebrate victory in Jesus and my MP4 wouldn't stop playing the song when I got out the car. I kept pressing the pause button and the song kept playing. So I plugged my head phones into it and I'm listening to it repeatedly as I share this testimony with you all.)

Have you ever struggled through a long trial and as negative events keep unfolding, you begin to question if God really loves you? Does He really see all that is going on? I mean, one day I prayed 20 minutes worth of decreeing and declaring and tearing down this and cancelling and nullifying that! Then another hour of interceding and worshipping about this, that and the other! Then I dust myself off, clean away the snot and the tears, clear my throat, prepare myself to go out into the world by 11am and by 1pm, I'm stalked by a quota-hungry cop, pulled over, and my car is towed. In addition, all the money to survive for the rest of the week and then some, is put into the greasy hands of the tow truck operator, who is also baffled by my demise but wont give me one penny of my money back. I'm slapped with a summons to court and the prospect of having to make a 20 minute hike home on foot! But say with me now, "If it had not been for the Lord where would I be?"
What I did not understand at that time, in a dark hour of my life, is that My Heavenly Father knew this situation was the PERFECT opportunity for me to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord! He knew that the enemy's false accusations could not stick! Besides, Christ defeated death, hell, and the grave for a wretch like I was, therefore, like Peter, there's no charge or no prison that can hold me! So say it out LOUD with me now, "If it had not been for the Lord where would I be?!?!?!" I DID NOT walk home when my car was towed! I DID NOT miss church on ANY Sunday that I was transported by angelic escort from Connecticut to the Bronx, NY! And I WAS NEVER hindered from work or meeting anyone's needs of transportation, or ministerial support! AND I went to court today with all the legitimate documents I was accused of not having. I went into the lovely court building a King's kid, and the charges were nullified without me even standing before a judge! And I walked out an EVEN MORE victorious King's kid!
My faith is ALL the more increased and the devil's tools only sharpened my holy boldness. I KNOW all the MORE that I am His Beloved. I KNOW all the MORE that it is by His GRACE that I am called, elected, and chosen to do what He has called me to do! And there is no devil in Hell, Shoel, Hades, the Abyss, underneath the earth, upon the earth or in the heavens who can stop me because I come as an Ambassodor of Jesus Christ and have every right in the kingdom of God and of Heaven and then some! So I know, that I know, that I know, "If it had not been for the Lord where would I be?"

Hanging on His Every Word

So many people I know, including myself, sing this song when we are going through...

“Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why does my heart feel lonely
And long for my heavenly home?
For Jesus is my portion.
A constant friend is He.
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches over me...”

The song writer is asking questions that many of us ask ourselves daily. But first let us ask, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?” Like the psalmist in Psalms 42, discouragement, despair, overwhelming trials, brokenness, self-pity and loneliness are all signs of a misplaced vision. You say, “Well, what do you mean? I know where I need to be going but these trials keep bothering me. The enemy keeps attacking me. I pay a bill and 3 more creditors call! So what am I supposed to do? The Bible tells me to look up unto the hills from whence cometh my help. I’ve been looking up so long that my neck is cramped and my back is aching! So tell me what do you mean?” The answer is simple, focus on Him. When we have disconnected the phone, shut out all background noise and turned our attention to Jesus, to the Bishop of our souls, the storms subside. When Peter stepped out of the boat, He was originally walking on the Word of the Lord, who said, “Come.” And Peter was the only disciple to walk on water because he depended on Jesus’ Word and not any external circumstances. He did not walk on water because the other disciples were in the boat cheering him on. And he did not walk on water because he had strong legs and was an expert fisherman. No! It had nothing to do with the flesh, what he was, or who was around him, but Whose Word he focused on.

Therefore, when we focus on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, we find the antidote for all these depressive and oppressive spirits that enter our lives. If I trust the flesh, I’m discouraged. If I trust Jesus, I’m encouraged. If I trust the flesh, I’m in despair. If I trust Jesus, I have hope. If I trust the flesh, I am overwhelmed. If I trust Jesus, my cares are cast upon Him and His yoke is easy and His burden is light. If I trust the flesh, I am wounded and broken. If I trust Jesus, I am healed and whole. If I trust the flesh, I feel sorry for myself. If I trust Jesus, I know that I am more than a conqueror because He loves me. If I trust the flesh and look around, I am lonely. If I trust His Word, He says, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

Like the song says, Jesus is our portion. Whatever that word is that the Lord spoke to you while you were reading His Word, whatever that dream or that vision is, whatever God has for you to do, focus on that. And Jesus will take care of the rest of your problems while He gives you beauty for ashes and the garment of praise instead of that old, outdated, raggedy garment of heaviness!!

Do you Love God

Sometimes we get a distorted idea about what love is. One night, a man decided to show his wife how much he loved her. After dinner he began to recite romantic poetry, telling her he would climb high mountains to be near her, swim wide oceans cross deserts in the burning heat of day, and even sit at her window and sing love songs to her in the moonlight.
After listening to him go on for sometime about this immense love he had, she ended the conversation when she asked, "but will you wash the dishes for me?"

This story reflects the lifestyle of many believers. We are passionate in worship, with all the drama of seasoned actors yet when it comes to genuine commitment to the divine purpose we fail miserably. We don't mind praying for hours and yet will not take a minute to forgive offenders. We hop from churches to revival meetings seeking divine encounters and prophetic word yet we are not disciplined to read a chapter of the bible. Our love for God must not be measured by only the eloquence of our speeches, the passion of our zeal, or the depth of our sacrifices but the quality of our obedience.
Jn 14:15 (KJV) If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Love is not just a emotional feeling but an action based on the understanding on what is needed. So if we love God we will take action on what He expects of us. Let us tone down the amplitude of our empty promises and excel in the quality of our obedience.