Overcoming The Fear of Ebola

                      

I remember a song we sang in children’s choir, which was coined from Psalm 1:3.

The song goes:

I’ve got to be like a tree

Planted by the water

Trusting in the father

To keep me strong

Mr & Miss Anonymous

Here's another write-up (broadcast) I came across. Who wrote it? I don't know; but immediately I read it, I knew for sure it was worth sharing.
So I did a little editting and named it Mr & Miss Anonymous.

Food For Thought...

I read through this post by Pastor Nomthi Odukoya and I couldn't help but share. I guess it's because of the homely, practical narration used to explain this piercing and blunt scripture of the bible in Matthew 12 43-45. So I culled the post and tagged it a food for thought...

I laughed so hard when my friend told me about her 7 months old daughter who had started crawling, opening the cupboards and throwing away anything she found inside the cupboards. Having grown tired of putting things back only to have them taken out again, my friend bought some lockers. The young girl, not knowing that her mummy had outsmarted her, went for business as usual, 

FROM PRISONER TO SCHOLAR- THIS CAN ONLY BE SUPERNATURAL

Dear Reader,

I actually wrote this post some weeks back but didn't get to post it. It's an inspiring true life story/report please read on...Tunwase Kabiru, a Nigerian prisoner graduated with a bachelor’s degree from National Open University Lagos on Saturday the 18^th of January 2014. Vanguard Newspaper.

WAITING

We have a term in my home referred to as someone’s “National Anthem”.  We usually refer to a song played over and over again (an overplayed song) as someone’s national anthem. This is because the national anthem is sang daily and sometimes one 

gets weary of listening to the same old song. Although I must 

admit that in primary school, we sometimes looked forward to 

the anthem because we longed to play or hear the drums.

So there was this season my sister declared a particular song as my national anthem. It was a song sang by Juanita Bynum, titled, 

“I Don’t Mind Waiting”. Interesting enough, the song 

always ministered to me as often as I played it. It even gave me insight as to what action to take at a certain point in my life.

The lyrics of the song:

I Don’t Mind Waiting By Juanita Bynum

You know, sometimes in life,

Situations are going to occur,

Where you may look to the left or to the right,

And you can’t find any answers,

And you can’t find anybody to help you,

But I’m reminded of the word that says;

They that wait upon the Lord, He shall renew their strength,

They shall mount up on wings as eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

Come on, you’ve got to learn how to wait.

Chorus

I don’t mind waiting x 3

On you Lord

Repeat Chorus

At some point in our Christian race, the solution to our challenge will be to wait.

There seems to be negligible action/activity while performing the verb “WAIT” that we often choose to add irrelevant activities to 

our waiting period. We often say, “How can I just sit here and not do anything about this situation?” Besides, a saying goes “Heaven helps those who help themselves” This saying is not in the Bible and guess what? You are actually doing something when you choose to obey God by waiting. Even the English dictionary says WAIT is an action word (a verb).

We will all take a life test; a point in our lives when we’ve tried everything, yet we can’t seem to go go forward. We have even trusted man and man has failed us. Then we finally run to God and hearken diligently to His words but there seems to be no answer. When this happens, don’t be afraid or discouraged it’s a lesson of patience. God wants you to WAIT. Hold on to His word and let it strengthen you.

 Isaiah 40:31 

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;

 they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; 

and they hall walk, and not faint.

The grace to wait is upon as many as who ask. I have come to understand that the best things in life don’t come easy. I often imagine it takes a little longer to deliver a large, luxurious gift than it takes to deliver a cheap, common gift. Its the end of the year, and you may have something you're still believing God for, hold on to Gods word because it will soon come to pass.  

Merry Christmas in advance!

Love you and God bless you!

HOW TO BECOME FRESH AND CLEAN LIKE YOUR MAKER

You’re a tree replanted in Eden , bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom… Psalm 1:3 [MSG]

A question crossed my mind and it’s likely to have crossed yours too- “What does ‘fresh’ and ‘clean’ really mean”? Taking a closer look at the above scripture, Psalm 1 tells us that those who walk in the way of the Lord and keep away from the path of sinners but instead thrill to God’s word, chewing the scripture day and night, are like a tree replanted in Eden bearing fresh fruit every month, never dropping a leaf and always blooming.

Let’s analyse this scripture a bit. Psalm 1:3 which is our key scripture proclaims 4 things:

1.      You’re like a tree, replanted in Eden-a place seen as been perfect and highly pleasing

2.      You bear fresh fruit

3.      You never drop a leaf

4.      You always blossom

A woman of God once told me that whenever I don’t understand a Bible verse or peradventure someone quotes a verse of the bible to support a statement which is not in line with my line of faith, I should read the verses before and after that verse. It makes the verse clearer. (Food for thought)

So we’ve been promised that in every area of our lives, we’ll be like trees in a perfect land, bearing fresh fruits, never dropping a leaf and we’ll always blossom. A tree that bears fresh fruit can be called fresh, and a tree that never drops a leaf can be termed as clean (Never withering; growth is a constant).  This is a fantastic promise but what does it take to get it.

The preceding verses says that we must

1.    Work in the way of the Lord.
2.    Keep away from evil company (remain clean).
3.    Have intense excitement and pleasure for    God’s word.
4.    Meditate on the scripture day and night. (replanted in Eden means to replant oneself in the word of God daily).

My belief is if we can desperately desire a fresh and clean life, then going through the steps to get it would be very easy. There is more to an ideal fresh and clean life. I’ll let the lyrics of Mary, Mary’s song titled “God In Me” unfold this mystery.

The God In Me (lyrics slightly remixed)

I just want to tell the truth now

You’re so fly, you’re so high

Everybody running trying to figure out why

You’re so cool; you’re winning all the time

Everywhere you go, men you get a lot of shine

Boy you’re like a magnet, bet I’ve got to have it

Everything you have, people say I’ve got to have it

From the white Suit, to the Gucci, hear the public say

People want to be like me

But what they don’t know is when you go home

And get behind closed doors, men you hit the floor

 and what they can’t see is you’re on your knees

so the next time you hear them talking

just tell them it’s the God in me.

They think I’m so fresh, think I’m so clean,

they think I’m so sweet; it’s the God in me

What is it people see when they see you, and what do you see when you look at yourself in the mirror? If you and others can see a fresh and clean Christian who is prospering in everything, then you’re on the right track. Because you can’t fellowship with God, pray study, meditate and obey His words and not look fine, fresh and clean in every area of your life. There must be always be a transformation.

 “What do you want? Name it: Nations as a present?  Continents as a prize?”

Psalm 2:8 [MSG] God blesses those who serve him without restrain.

While working in the transformed state, we must remember to constantly give glory to God. This reminds me of Obiwon’s song titled “Testify”. Giving the glory to God is giving Him the honour due Him. It always reminds us that it wasn't by our might or power but by God’s grace, so it reduces your chances of  loosing focus and due to pride.

Nevertheless, this doesn't mean we shouldn't take compliments. We should acknowledge compliments with a smile and or a thank you but we must always remember that it was God. Some even precede a compliment with the phrase, ‘It’s God’ or ‘Thanks to God’. When people probe further trying to find out how you got transformed feel free to publicly give the glory to God.

Let’s talk about a fresh and clean diva. Lyrics continues…

See this girl, they think she’s nice

they look at her whip (hair), say the whip’s tight

they look at her crib; 

they’re thinking she’s well paid,

they look at her life; 

they think she’s got it made everything she’s got,

 the girl’s been daring, She calls it a blessing 

but you call it living

When it comes to money, she can be a hero,

She writes them cheques 

with a whole lot of zeros

But what you don’t know is when she gets home

and gets behind closed doors, 

men she hits the floor and what you can’t see 

is she’s on her knees

 and if you ask her she’ll tell you,

 it’s the God in me.

Prayer is a constant in the life of a fresh and clean diva. It is what you do behind closed door that shows who you truly are. As a Christian we need to imitate the fresh and clean life of our maker by being more like Jesus. We must plant the same seeds Jesus planted to get his kind of harvest.

And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and Spirit, blessed by both God and people. Luke 2:52 [MSG]

The last words of the song says:

They think I'm so fresh, they think I'm so clean,

They think I'm so sweet but God is my secret,

It's as a result of the time I spend praying

It's the result of my giving

As a result of my decision to change my ways

to be more like Christ

So the next time you're wondering

Just know that "IT'S THE GOD IN ME"

Who is in you? Kindly share and comment…

Love you and God bless you.

LEAVE IT TO GOD

Ese Walter on Thursday the 22^nd of August 2013

alleged that she had an intimate 1week affair with 

Pastor Xxx…” (The Pastor of a prominent church 

in Nigeria).

The whole world waited eagerly for the pastor’ 

response and finally, his response was, “When we 

asked God, God said be quiet. Thank you!” His 

response can be summarised as “Leave It to God” 

says Ofili (Ofilispeaks).

Has leaving it to God and taking little or no 

responsibility as we act, become our way of life in 

Nigeria? Or has the renowned prolific writer 

Ofilispeaks (a writer I really admire) jumped into 

conclusion all too soon?

Click these two links to discover the truth

http://ofilispeaks.com/leaveitforgod/

http://esewalter.wordpress.com/

“The things which hurt, instruct” – Benjamin Franklin

Love you and God bless you.