My aunty Tada Eareckson and I

My life is marked with so many remarkable stop overs. I call them remarkable today because it was at some of those bus-stations that I found the will to continue in my journey. At every one of these stops, I would always meet people who seem to have been planted there in anticipation of my arrival. They would share their lives’ stories or stories of other people’s struggles and quite often too, they would point me to some powerful verses of Scripture.

It was on one of those stops that I met Joni Eareckson Tada. She was at this particular bus-station, seated gracefully in what she now calls a wheel chair. She asked me to try and join the Bus again, that in spite of its seeming sluggish movement, it was sure to get to the ‘expected end’. I tried to tell her that the Bus wasn’t comfortable, that the seats were wobbly and that the Driver didn’t know how to make the right turns. Aunty Tada (in my part of Africa, an 'aunty' could be a female mentor whom you love and respect) laughed and said, “the seats will no longer be wobbly if you know how to sit on them. She shared with me, how through her own Bus ride, she was able to write life transforming books. I was surprised because she’s quadriplegic (having both arms and legs paralysed). She told me of her award winning paintings. And I asked how…w? She said, “I hold my pencil with my teeth and paint”. I was shocked!

Aunty Tada is one amazing person you should meet. You know what, she didn’t start out like that. She was involved in a diving accident that affected her spin when she was 17. She told me that going through the pains was horrific but when she found Jesus and some good friends who helped her read James 1:2-4 differently, everything changed. So, while at the bus station, confused and afraid, she shared some life changing notes with me from her book *Pearls of Great Price*. I was strengthened. I made a decision to jump back into the Bus. It’s been 50 years since the unfortunate incident that confined her to a wheel chair and this is what she has to say-
What a difference time makes—as well as prayer, heaven-minded friends, and 
study of God’s Word. All combined, I began to see there are more important things in life than walking and having use of your hands. It sounds incredible, but I really would rather be in this wheelchair knowing Jesus as I do than be on my feet without him. But whenever I try to explain it, I hardly know where to begin. “God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves.”

Friend, I don’t know what it is you are going through today, but you can draw strength from Aunty Tada’s testimony. The Lord has you in His plans and His thoughts for you are good! Don’t let the devil lie to you; we are created for much more! Yes, the Bus may not be moving as you wish but the Driver knows your destination and He’ll take you safely there. Jesus loves you!

Are you a fan or a follower?

Today, the world is defining what it means to be a Christian in so many interesting ways. The disturbing part however is that we have created more fans for our Lord Jesus, than followers.

I guess you know who fans are. They sit with the cheer dancers, singing and jubilating as long as you keep winning. I have heard people say, “Chelsea for life” in one season and “Man-U for life” the next season. Fans really don’t care about the things you do to get to the top, all they want is for you to shine for them.

Does our Lord Jesus want us to be His fans? I would say, He wants His followers to be His fans. Followers stick around long after the cheering is over. They care about your interests beyond the pitch. Followers try to be as disciplined at their Master.

In Matthew 8:19-20, after all the astounding miracles done by Jesus, a young man who I believe was a fan made the bold declaration to follow Him. The Master was quick to give him the true picture- there are no mansions, no SUVs, body guards attached to this SuperMan! After that eye-opener, there was no other record of that man following Jesus.

Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 

However, to us who have decided to follow Him, He says “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). He didn’t try to candy-coat the reality of following Him just so that His band stand will be filled. He wanted followers and not just fans.

If we are Christians, then we can’t just be fans. Fans have no business with self-denial. They will not give up anything of value for the Lord. Fans are ashamed of the Cross but celebrate its glory.

Followers are disciples of Jesus. That’s the life we are called to. We are called to represent the Master.

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. Luke 6:40.

Dear friend, train to be like the Master!

On the Las Vegas massacre...

Watching and listening to the news on the monstrous event that claimed the lives of 58 innocent people, points one to so many realities.

The man who committed this unt

hinkable evil, was an American who was living the ‘American dream’. He had never had to pay for electricity without any power supply. I can bet that he had never had the fender of his latest model SUV pull out because he made a wrong plunge into a ‘pot-hole’. I know for certain that he never drove a sick relative to a hospital and was told that doctors were on strike.

Stephen Paddock was blessed by human standards. He was rich enough to have owned two private aircrafts. He was also reported to have loved the Sin City, Las Vegas.
What could have gone wrong with such a man? It hasn’t been established that he was linked to ISIS or any other Islamic group. This was a premeditated evil; one that he spent money, time and careful planning to achieve.

Friend, no matter what the investigations throw up tomorrow, it is clear that this seemingly blessed man was frustrated, bitter and eaten up by the devil. It made me think about Luke 12:15 again – And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Indeed the content of our lives is not in the things we possess.
If such a wealthy man could feel so much emptiness to have committed such a mindless act, then it is certain that he lacked that one thing that makes life full and worth living- loving the Lord.

This incident and several others of its kind affirm the Scriptures in Matt. 24:12 and 2 Timothy 3:1-4 about the last days. Today, like no other time in history, the love of men are waxing dead cold, men are unloving, unforgiving, despisers of good, unholy, brutal, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

We are living in the last days; the signs are all here. The Bible also said that activities will be going on like nothing is wrong, to the point that men will not be mindful of these signs (Matt. 24:38 – 39 paraphrased).

The question for us is, “had I been one of the victims of this massacre, the hurricanes or the mudslide, would I have made it to eternity with Christ?’ Before you say, “God forbid”, please take time to answer this question honestly.

My heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims. May the Lord comfort you all.

Is life really vanity upon vanity?

I tend to agree a lot with king Solomon on most of his summations about life and I know you can’t blame me for that. After all, he was a man who saw it all, took it all, had it all.
However, the life of Apostle Paul and his own declaration about life left me thinking if it’s the same life that was described as ‘vanity upon vanity’ by Solomon the great.

Apostle Paul had nothing as compared to the amount of wealth king Solomon commanded. He didn’t have a personal house, not to mention one that had a swimming pool; no wife nor concubine, yet his frustration about life and living was expressed by this statement-

And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your, it is better that I continue to live. Phil. 1:20-24 NLT

The difference in the perspective of these two men wasn’t the absence or presence of material wealth. It was a determination to pursue divine purpose. Solomon forgot God’s agenda for his life, hence the failure, confusion and frustration that led to his conclusions.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. Eccl. 2:11 NKJV

Apostle Paul on the other hand summed up all his pursuits in life into one eternal goal- I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:14 NKJV

Life becomes a chasing of the wind (Ecclesiastics 1:14) when we chase any other thing other than God’s purpose for our lives.

Action Point
Can you say that living for you is more fruitful work for Christ? Please make your time here, count for Jesus.

Resisting the devil? How?

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7

I had an encounter with this verse of Scripture some days back. Often times, the reason the devil does not flee from us when we resist him is because we haven’t fulfilled the condition that empowers our warfare. Submitting to God is how to resist the devil.

If we make a success at submitting to God, then our lives’ default setting will become ‘resist the devil’ with little or no action from us.

Hey dear! How have you been fighting? Putting the cart before the horse or the horse before the cart?
I can even imagine the wicked one gritting in excitement, yes gritting in excitement at our folly and misplacement of the order of spiritual weapons. If we are to use the Word which is the Sword of the Spirit in battle, let's make sure to also obey it.

Looking at our theme Scripture, I would think that it’s easier to do the first part and allow the second and third to glide along. How is it that we keep trying to work it from behind?
According to 2 Corinthians 10:6 it is only when we are walking in obedience to God that God fights those seeking to contradict His Word over lives.

So, if we submit to God, it is correct to say that the devil will flee from us!
💞💞💓

Parable of the Talents

To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Matthew 25: 15-18 NKJV

In this parable, our Lord Jesus taught about our responses to eternal gifts. There is no difference between the man who received the five talents, the man who received the two and even the man who received one talent. What made the difference is how they responded to the gifts.

You’d notice that the man with the five talents came back with five more, making 100% profit and the same with the man with two talents. In these two instances the response of the Master to both men were the same- ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He scored them by what He gave them.
Had the man who received one talent returned with one more, the Master would have congratulated him too.

The problem with most of us is that we are not responding well to the gifts and potentials that God has deposited in us. Yours mustn’t be as ‘BIG’ as your friend’s before you can bring returns to the Master. Do something with what the Lord gave to you. We all carry great treasures.

The servant who did nothing with his talent was called wicked and lazy by the Master. ...‘You wicked and slothful servant! Matt. 25:26
So, it's wickedness and laziness to not put to use the gifts and potentials God has deposited in us. And you'd see that the Master took his one talent and gave it to the man who already had ten.
We attract divine favour when we are diligent at our duty posts.

Action Point
You are created for so much more! Go out and trade with your talents. It’s wickedness to God when we do not use our gifts. If you buried any talents, dig it out and dust it up today.

The Parable of the barren fig tree

He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that[a] you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:6-9)

In the parable of the fig tree, God is the Landowner, and Jesus is the Keeper of the Vineyard. You and I are the fig trees. We see the Vinedresser, our Lord Jesus negotiating for extra time on behalf of the figs. And the Vinedresser didn’t just secure extra time but he did something to help the figs bear fruit. He dug around them and fertilized them. This extra time and His digging around the figs is what we call grace today; it is the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus to redeem us from eternal destruction. Grace came so that we can be fruitful.

The Vinedresser fertilized the figs when He sent us the Holy Spirit, to quicken us, teach us all things and make us fruitful unto God (John 14:26).

In spite of how much the Vinedresser was willing to raise the fig, He never promised to make it bear fruit. He said ‘…if it bears fruit, well. But if not, You can cut it down’. The word ‘…if” is indicative of the fact that it’s our responsibility to make something of the grace of God upon our lives. His grace came to make us fruitful.

What are you doing with your extra time? Are you bearing fruit? If not, begin today to abide in Christ, to avoid being cut down.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:4)

Prayer
Lord, please help us to be fruitful so that we will not be cut down.

Love and obedience

Obedience to God is such an essential attribute of our Christian lives that it is the proof of our love for God. There’s no way we can claim to love God if we are not walking or willing to walk in obedience to His Word.  

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. John 14:23 NKJV

Obedience has been defined as “dutiful or submissive compliance to the commands of one in authority.” The word ‘dutiful’ means it is an obligation to obey God as our Creator. ‘Submissive’ indicates that we yield our wills to God’s will as the One Who has authority over us. 

While it is good to obey God as a matter of duty, it is far more pleasant when we obey Him out of love. When we begin to think about Him as a Lover who we do not want to hurt, obedience to Him will become a lifestyle. Then, we’ll no longer struggle with submitting to Him.

If you take a second look at the Bible passage above, you’ll see the web of love and obedience. It’s the love inspired obedience that attracts the love of God and ultimately gives birth to fellowship with the Divinity (…and We will come to him and make Our home with him).  

Have you settled the love question yet? If not, you can open your heart to Him today in a special way. You can find Him at the place of prayer. 

Obey Him if you love Him and love Him if you want to obey Him. Then and only then will They come and make Their home with you. 

Lord, help me to love You with all my heart, all my soul and with all my mind!

The Power of obedience

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. Deut. 28:1

The strength of our relationship with God is a direct product of our obedience to God. Every form of disobedience robs us of our connection to God.
 It’s important to note that every promise of God come with terms and conditions that must be kept in order for us to access them. The simple act of following God’s instructions is the pass code to our inheritance in Christ. Ok, it’s not so simple but we can make obeying God a lifestyle if we agree that God’s instructions are all in our best interest (Jeremiah 29: 11).

Obeying God can also be made easy through practice. Practice will always increase our abilities at an act. We can start practicing the act of consciously obeying God at very small things.

We almost all think about disobedience to God in terms of very big things like fornication, adultery stealing and the likes of those easily recognisable sins. Obedience to God should run from such small things as how we respond to our neighbour’s pains, to how we serve in His house and fellowship with Him. It should include how we are willing to play our roles as wives, husbands and children in a home. It should also include our willingness to allow Him to guide and control our lives.

The great king Solomon became God’s enemy after the celebrated blessings and friendship with God because of disobedience. ...“Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 1 King 11:11 NKJV

Action Point:
Take the Book of God’s instructions, study and walk in obedience. You might want to take one step at a time. Go ahead! His grace will surely multiple your strength.

It's not a weakness of faith to wait!

A friend once told me of her experience of a missing child. She kept her three kids somewhere around a large shopping mall while she went in to pick some items. The long queue at the payment point delayed her exit. The kids were worried and the only boy among the girls decided to move and "bring mum"! Shortly after, the mother arrived and another round of search began to look for the boy. He was found after two horrific hours of tearful search! You know the biting question from the mother? Why did you move from where I kept you?

Faith that walks must first learn to stand! Sometimes, God measures spiritual distance by how long you stay and not how far you have moved! Doing nothing could be hard work! Keeping quiet could be a "wise-collar" job. If the last call was to stand, my dear, stay put! Don't be pushed by insanity to prove your relevance. There are Jordans you cannot step into ahead of the Ark, otherwise, you will be washed away. There are waters you must never step on until you see Jesus and hear His "Come"! Faith can be proven by rest; by snoring in hope while the storm rages. Taking steps may be a proof of doubt. It is not every race that is inspired by courage. People could jump into spiritual canals out of fear. Saul pushed the sacrifice to make something happen! It was his last call to honour! He got his mandate torn without repairs!

It's not a weakness of faith to wait. Strength is renewed while waiting on the Lord. If you kick the ball before the whistle, your goal is a nullity. If you start running before the gun shot, you qualification is annulled. The first idolatry of Israel occurred when they couldn't wait for Moses' return from the mount. It was quiet where faith stood, it was "happening" where compromise was moving. Moses descended with a brighter reflection than their golden calf! His life overtook their lies!

In a generation that is always in a hurry, it takes faith to stay! In times when patience is blacklisted as impotence, where spirituality is defined by verbal stunts of imaginary prophecies and psychological construction of emotional bridges, you cannot follow this noise and not miss His voice!

Abraham's greatest regret was a wrong move to have a baby! Pentecost was the consequence of waiting!

You might be under pressure to do something, but if God says wait, every move is a crime!
#copied

I got this message from a friend and couldn't resist sharing it with you. I hope you are blessed by it. May you find the grace to continue to stay in God’s plan.

Social Media and the social Christian

Keeping up with the frenzy of social media is fast becoming a herculean task for most people. More worrisome is the impact of this trend on an average Christian. 

Today, being social or sociable is measured by several  parameters, beginning from how many friends you have on Facebook, how many people are following you on Twitter, Google+ etc.

The point is, what do we really do with the 1000+ friends on Facebook, other than like their pictures and send birthday wishes? When we get on Twitter, what do we Tweet about? Should we really accept everyone’s friend request? 

I see respectable Pastors post 30 to 50 pictures of a Church service on Sunday afternoon after Church. Some of the pictures are intended to help us see how the Holy Spirit moved in the course of the service...nice! But sometimes I wonder if it wouldn’t have been more impactful sharing highlights from the message that was preached. Are we really evangelising here? We all seem to be caught up in this ‘show me – see me’ band wagon. So, we are here sharing pictures, viewing pictures, liking and commenting where necessary, at the expense of several more important things in our lives.

Before you accuse me of judging you, I am also a culprit. How many hours, huh! (did I say hours)...I mean minutes do we really spend reading our Bibles? Is there such a thing as a time for meditation anymore? Sadly, the world is steering us in the wrong direction in the name success and knowledge. I see believers  typing ‘amen’ at a picture of pregnant women as a demonstration of their faith to get their own babies. Hmm...m! Who has it ever worked for? Find Bible passages that are relevant to your situation, read it, eat it, pray it and the creative power in the Word will come through for you. Anyway that’s the subject for another day.

There’s also the endless streams of WhatsApp messages and videos. One day, I spent close to two hours responding to WhatsApp messages. That’s when I started asking me questions.

My point dear friend is, most of us are wasting our destinies on social media. The devil wants to keep us at the level of the physical....enhanced pictures, flashy cars, fashion and all of them. Remember also that the things that are physical are temporal...flitting...ephemeral! 

While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 NKJV

Please let us do more to invest in our spiritual lives. That’s where the power lives. That’s what will count in the end. Please as a matter of urgency, censor your social media time! 

#stayfocused

Christ is Risen! The tomb is empty!

Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” Mark 16: 2-7

May the power that raised Jesus from the grave set you free from every captivity of the wicked. All of the pain and shame of Calvary and His resurrection is to enable you and I walk in our dominion and authority.  
No matter how large that stone of limitation is, the Spirit of the Lord shall roll it away for you as you embrace His love today!

Happy Easter dear friend! 

The Purpose of the Cross

When the Cross is mentioned in  certain circles amongst Christians, all that come to mind is pain and agony. You get to hear someone say about a difficult spouse or child- ‘leave it, that’s my cross to bear’. To a lot of us indeed, the Cross is misunderstood as a symbol of defeat or ill-luck. There’s also the very interesting group that sees the Cross only as a symbol of Christianity. Such people put it on their door posts and use it as ornaments. 

The Cross is much more than all of those. It’s symbolic of Christ’s triumph over death and the grave. It’s the miraculous reconciliation of mankind to God. If you study the book of Leviticus; all that we were to keep doing in other to be in right standing with God, then you’ll better understand the purpose of the Cross. 

The death of Jesus is the once and for all sacrifice that released us from the bondage of atonement by the blood of bulls and goats. Sacrifices that were in themselves a futile effort to take away sins.

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Hebrews 10:4

And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, Hebrews 10:11-12

So powerful is this sacrifice that it not only redeems us but also secures our future. 2 Corinthians 5:17

The Cross represents our triumph over sin and the condemnation of the wicked. It’s a seal on our adoption (Gal. 4:5-6) and our access into the promise of the eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15).

As we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus this season, may the purpose and the power of the Cross find FULL manifestation in our lives!

Put the Word to Work

It’s one thing to receive a gift and quite another to know how to apply or put it to use. We’ve talked about following the example of Mary who went after the one thing that is needful. However, it’s possible to know the Word yet not know how much of it can produce our much needed results.


To make the Word work, we must have faith in the Word as God’s testament, otherwise it will not profit us anything.
 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. Hebrews 4:2 NKJV.
It is faith that translates the letters of the Bible into the Living Word of God and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is in our hands like the rod of Moses, waiting for us to have faith enough to put it down. It is only when we put it down by faith that it can swallow the snakes of the Egyptians.


Thirst for revelation! It’s very dangerous to get too familiar with the Word of God. When you get to that point when you think you know too much of the Word, it ceases to produce something fresh for you. Be expectant each time you approach God’s Word. Ask the Holy Spirit for something new- revelations, breakthrough...!
The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130
I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure. Psalm 119:162
The Psalmist's attitude to the Word was always that of someone who found great treasure. A heart like that will certainly encounter the power in the Word.
To receive revelation, you must also learn to meditate on the Word (Joshua 1:8).


Share the Word. God’s principle of giving and receiving works with the Word as it does with everything else. The power of the Word multiplies in our lives when we share it with the lost and seeking.
And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Mark 16:20 NKJV


Action Point
Put the Word to work!

Does the Church have a culture?

Culture, we’ve been told is a people’s way of life. Also, that without culture, a people is bound to go into extinction.
Growing up, it was easy to tell a born-again Christian from an unbeliever. Christians dressed and talked in a certain way.

However, today with the advent of knowledge and illumination so falsely called, none of those can be seen amongst Christians anymore.  What really happened? Did we find out that it was wrong to choose to be identified by our appearance while making sure that our inner life reflected the nature of Christ? Is it still in a bid to let them ‘come as they are’? How did the Church become such a place where there are no standards anymore? Jennifer Hudson and five other superstars performed at the Shell energy innovation day – Best Day of my life Best day of my life. They were all dressed decently at their level. Our own Yemi Alade didn’t wear bum shorts. Jennifer’s outfit looked like something for a Church outing. The reason was because they know the culture around a corporate place like Shell.

It’s good that we found the ‘truth’ about wearing certain clothes or jewelleries but can’t we at least wear them as men and women professing godliness? 1 Timothy 2:10. How is it that Christians are the most careless of all the religious worshippers?

The culture of a people is the most potent tool of colonisation. Anytime you see a country that has been colonised by another, you would notice that they talk and dress like their colonial masters. That’s the reason I am writing this in English and not Igbo. Culture is important and from every indication, the world has colonised the Church.

In the movie industries around the world, in order to depict a certain character, costumes will be changed. That goes to affirm that the way we dress or look can be read as who we are.
It's really sad to see Pastors today wearing claws in the name of nail extensions, earrings that run all the way down to the collar bones, not to mention the display of cleavages. Men sag their pants in the Church! Yes, nothing wrong with all of those because it’s not written in the Bible but how would you interpret- Phil. 4:5: Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Moderation and modesty is our simple rule. I think that's the culture of the Church.
 
A lot of my friends fuss about islamization of Nigeria and other nations of the world and I always tell them this – “the situation that offers the platform for the islamization of any people has the same potential to bring about the Christianization. The difference is how much we are ready to stand for, or sell our identity. 

What we preach is not half as effective as how we live; our culture.

Please let's bring back the culture of the Church... our identity; who we are!

Gain is not godliness!

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 1 Tim. 6:6-7 NKJV


In these days when Church meetings have become nothing other than a business summit, it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell which is the correct standard from God’s perspective- gain is godliness or godliness is gain.
I am not in the least opposed to messages on prosperity or the success of believers but I do not agree that any of those can equate to a right standing with God. The Bible says that godliness with contentment is great gain. It’s  important to note that contentment is a godly virtue so even when there is gain, without contentment, we are bound to continue in the vicious cycle of chasing the wind.
What’s my point? Let us make effort to pursue godliness as much as we pursue success or even more than we pursue these physical gains. Everyone of the fruits of these successes that we pursue so fervently these days, do not have eternal relevance.


For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8:36


This question of our Lord Jesus is more relevant today than at any other time. What are you chasing after? Have you put more premium on it than you have put on your soul? Please make effort to study the Bible for your self. The Word of God does not define gain as godliness. If gain were to be godliness then the Bill Gates and Dangotes of our time would be high priests.
It’s quite regrettable that we are taught today that affluence is equal to living right with God. It's a lie of the enemy to keep us where he wants us to be.
God wants us to prosper in all things but only as our souls prosper.


Prayer Point
Lord, please help me to pursue after godliness so that every other gain will be added to me.

One thing is NEEDFUL!

And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” Luke 10:39-40 NKJV


The lesson from Martha and Mary’s encounter with our Lord Jesus on His visit to their home is so important for us today. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet to hear His Word while Martha was busy trying to make sure that the Master was well entertained.
Martha was genuinely  busy, in fact she was the one who seemed to show reverence for our Lord yet the Bible calls it 'distraction'.


And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42


Today we have even more of those ‘many things’ that our Lord cautioned against. There are genuine and wonderful pursuits of our lives that are not necessarily ‘needful’ by God’s standard. While it’s not bad to give your best to your job, get more degrees/certificates, let us always bear in mind that all of those will be taken away from us.
Jesus described the Word as the ‘good part’ which will not be taken away from Mary. The Word bears such fruits that are not only relevant to us here, but all the way into eternity. His response to Martha is clearly a pointer to how much premium we ought to put on the Word.


Quite interestingly too, Mary’s decision to listen to the Word instead of entertaining the Master was her choice. Jesus could have called them both to come and sit, but He chose rather to let them choose what’s important.


Action Point
The choice is ours to make. Choose that ‘good part’ that will not be taken away from you.

Get resolute with the Word!

Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life. Psalm 119:92-93 NKJV

I listened to a man of God teach the topic ‘Overcoming by the Word’. He enumerated some of the benefits that come from putting God at the centre of our lives, amongst other fiery facts.

I will like to share some of the key points I took from the message that evening. There’s no way you can be an overcomer if you are not one who is ready to live by the Word God. And to do that we must consciously strive to become Word addicts.
Becoming a Word addict is important but not so easy. Have you ever experienced any of these?
That it’s the time you schedule for personal Bible Study that something PRESSING always finds its way to your mind.
It’s easier to read a 1000 word count post on social media and even comment but when you want to read your Bible, a whirlwind of sleep just blows across your room 😄.
The  simple mystery (yes, mystery) is in Galatians 5:17- For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

If we wait for that time when the physical man will consent to the pursuit of the things of God, then we’ll never grow in our  walk with  God. We must get resolute; take it by force...set new rules for ourselves. The Pastor suggested ‘No Bible, no breakfast’ as one of the ways. You can decide to make yours one chapter per lunch break. Anyhow, but take action!

You can consciously cut down on Social media. If we chart our time, you’ll be surprised to see how much time actually goes in to some of these platforms.
A friend told me how he removed his sim from his Tab so that study time will not be interrupted by text or calls. Great move!

Action Point
Get resolute about studying your Bible. Give it priority.

The Sword of the Spirit

Making the Word of God the controlling force of our lives is a license to supernatural victory. Everything we want to get or become is in the Word (John 1:1-3).

If you take a closer look at the Scriptures in Ephesians 6:13-17, you’ll see that four out of the seven weapons listed, are rooted in the Word.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
You know that faith is connected to the Word because it can only come through the hearing of the Word. So, if you want to go higher on the platform of exploits, embrace the Word.  Store it up. It will help build your faith.
The Word (the Sword of the Spirit) is the only weapon that is given to us for defence and offence.
And the Sword of the Spirit: A friend shared a testimony of how they went to demolish a dangerous shrine somewhere and the worshippers of the deities came to attack them. The war was a war of words. The idol worshipers made their enchantments, praising and making their claims to their gods. My friend and the other brethren with him, continued on the other side with the Sword of the Spirit and you can bet that the greater Sword swallowed the lesser.

We too can demolish altars and high places of the wicked by the Sword of the Spirit.

Action Point:
Draw up a study plan this year. Try to cut down on TV and social media. Add the time gained to your study time and I bet you, you would have achieved a turn around this year.

Grace Springs: Men carry green pastures!

Grace Springs: Men carry green pastures!: Bishop Oyedepo always say that "men carry green pastures" but I never really understood the depth of that statement until I ha...

Men carry green pastures!

Bishop Oyedepo always say that "men carry green pastures" but I never really understood the depth of that statement until I had the experience I want to share with you.

I went for outreach to somewhere in Bonny Island one evening after work. That part of the town was dark; without electricity. The few people who had light, had their generators on. I was a bit surprised at first but I took it to be our usual power outage case even though that's rare in Bonny. When I was later told that they don't have electricity at all, I went😳.

Most of the people I met there were non-indigènes. So I started wondering how anybody could cross the sea to come to Bonny (a community that is famous for constant power supply) only to live in darkness.
While I was pondering over it, the message of Bishop Oyedepo popped up in my mind- "men carry green pastures". If you don't carry it, you will still be living in darkness even in a land that supplies light.

Are you living in darkness in the midst of light? You can pray today like Jabez...that God should bless you indeed (1 Chron. 4:9-10).
The favour of God upon any man can supernaturally turn any destiny around. God made the land of Gerar green for Isaac. He can do the same for you. All we need to do is obey Him.

Trusting and Knowing

Would you say that the verse of scripture in Daniel 11:32b (but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits) and our theme Bible passage in Proverbs 3:5 (trust in the Lord with all your heart) have anything in common?

For me, they both affirm each other. When you know your God, it definitely comes with trust and when you trust Him, He shows Himself to  you, thereby making you know Him. I’m sorry if I am not able to shed sufficient light with my explanation.

I saw a fine example of this paradox in 1 Samuel 14 when Jonathan decided to go against the Philistines with his armour bearer alone. Jonathan didn’t tell his father that he wanted to embark on such an adventure. There were more than enough soldiers (about six hundred men). I don’t  think the issue was that of lack of those to go to the battle.

Jonathan  had simply gotten to know God so much that he could trust Him with and in any situation. In fact, he created this particular situation just to demonstrate how powerful his God is.

Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 1 Samuel 14:1 NKJV

Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”
1 Samuel 14:6

God can do anything! Jonathan knew that God could deliver the Philistines to them through one man as He did with David, so why go with a troop this time. Trust and knowledge in action.

Action Point
Get the  knowledge that gets you on the platform of exploits.

Jehoshaphat’s loss

If we must be divinely led, then it's important to complete the cycle of trusting God, acknowleding Him and not depending on ourselves. Did you say why ‘trusting and acknowledging’? It’s possible to trust God yet not acknowledge Him in all our ways, and it’s also possible to acknowledge Him without trusting Him. Well, that’s a message for another day.

When we do not allow God to chart the course of our lives, failure is inevitable. Jehoshaphat was a man who encountered  God’s greatness and power in a very strange dimension (2 Chronicles 20:5-12,  21-25). I don’t think he had any problems with trusting God. If you read 2 Chronicles 20:6-9, you would understand the depth of Jehoshaphat’s knowledge of Who God is.

However, Jehoshaphat made a serious mistake in business because He felt there were areas of his life which was within his control and left God out.

After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very wickedly. And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber. But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish. 2 Chron. 20:35-37 NKJV

God’s Word in Prov. 3:6 admonishes us to acknowledge God in ALL our ways...not some of them. Trusting God must be accompanied with acknowledging Him if we must be divinely led.

Oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry EVERYTHING to God in prayer (a line from ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’).

Action Point
In all your ways acknowledge Him.

Abraham's Ruthless Trust

I would never have considered using a phrase like ‘ruthless trust’ until I saw Brennan Manning’s book, Ruthless Trust.
One of the many definitions of the word ruthless is- feeling or showing no mercy; hardhearted.
If we had to consider the kind of trust that father Abraham had in God, you would agree that it was in every sense ruthless, devoid of every form of sentiment. In fact it was die-hard, hardhearted trust!
How else can anyone explain embarking on a journey without a known destination? God didn’t mention any city that was familiar to Abraham yet he believed God to the point of mobilizing every member of his household on the blind date!
Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.
4, So Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken to him...
Gen. 12:1, 4 NKJV.
There was also the epic display of ruthless trust; agreeing to sacrifice a child he waited over two decades to receive. Abraham didn’t consider all the parties involved in this transaction- Sarah who had her first child at 90 or their innocent son, Isaac. Sarah would certainly have been heart broken if she had lost Isaac. Was it that Abraham didn’t care? No. He was confident that even after sacrificing Isaac to God, he would still have him back. Can you beat that?
😳
...concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. Hebrews 11:19 NKJV

How much are you willing to trust God? Would you follow Him on a trip to a known city if He didn’t tell you the hotel and the chauffeur that will attend to you?
God honoured Abraham’s trust in Him and will honour us when we also demonstrate our confidence in Him (Hebrew 10:35).

Prayer Point
Lord, please help me to always remember that you will never give me stone for bread.

Happy New Year!

Happy new year to you and your loved ones. May the Good Lord bless you in all that pertains to life and godliness.
May your 2017 be filled with testimonies of God's love and faithfulness.

Whatever plans or resolutions, may they be such that will help you keep stead with the purpose of God for your life.

God bless you!