My Melting Point

I trust you all remembered to appreciate our father’s yesterday. It was such wonderful feelings to have my many Dads pray for me yesterday, simply because I remembered to say some nice words. Dad’s eh, they are such softies J. And the men of RCCG COD Cambridge too had a wonderful weekend I was told following their successful highly anticipated MEN’s conference, and the turnouts of participants from around the globe. We women definitely missed out, but our turn is coming also on 16^th to 18^th of September. I can’t wait!

I learnt an important message on Sunday. The Men’s plenary speaker Rev. Kola Ewuosho was constrained to stay for the Sunday celebratory service, so that the rest of us who were not in attendance for the conference had something to take home too. And I learnt an important lesson of my life.

You see, I had lived in Isolation for four of my seven years as a Christian, and had learnt during that time of my life the many messages of perseverance, refusal to give up, the attitude of worship, a closer walk with God, and so many. And yet, I did not learn the lesson of “maturity in dealing with people”.

I am easily offended! And as the man of God reminded me on Sunday, is an action that means others can’t be free around you since you are not free yourself. It took getting used to. I learnt so much in my time of solitude, so much that I pleaded with God not to take me out of the mountains, but I realise now why I had to leave. I realise now, that the world is made up of relationships, and I cannot confidently say I love or I’m in LOVE with God if I don’t relate well with His people. It took the Lord to take me to a place of a meeting with so many minds and characters to reveal the truth of the state of my heart to me. And on Sunday it came to melting point.

Not everything in life is that important to lose your joy over, and your pride, your insecurities, your fear of rejection is not worth compared to the joy and freedom that you have found in Christ. To let it go, to let them go, and to allow you and they be free. I was even more encouraged on Sunday that my failure in the way I deal with people, my acceptance of my failure and my ability to admit it to God and my attitude of change is actually what prepares a way for my success.

Even though I was previously introduced to the Kingdom of God, my acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Saviour, allowed Him to become the foundation of my life. Yes, He taught me many lessons during the many seasons in my life, but I still needed to be a matured Christian. And thus I had to leave the comfort zone of the lovely mountains of Alto Adige, to a place where responsibility was key.

To make a choice to either be easily offended, or choose to see beyond the offenses! To choose to see the offenses as a stepping stone to the manifestation of the greater person God has created me to become. A woman who is conformed in the image of Christ living in Dominion and Freedom that has been given to me, because of the finished work of Christ on the cross. Indeed I will be a fool if I choose to remain a woman in bondage, in bonds and at the mercy of people God has created me to take responsibility of my actions towards. No! From today, I choose not to be offended, and go and sleep a day I feel it’s gotten to a critical point J. But I know the Lord sees my heart, and He will help me in this new decision of mine in Jesus Name. Amen. And if you are like me, make that choice today too, and you will not regret it. The Lord will help us all in Jesus Name. Amen.

Forgotten

No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been – Mark 5:19b (NLT)

Hello family, I trust all is wonderful with you, and this new month has started wonderfully for you already. I thank God for your lives and mine, and I am indeed so grateful to God for all of his wonderful works in my life.

Yesterday I was reading the account of the healing of the two demon possessed men in the region of the Gadarenes in Matthew 8:28-34 [28: When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him]. The account ended with the villagers urging Jesus to go, but nothing further was mentioned. Immediately I became restless. Why you may ask, well of all of my years of studying the bible, I never realise that there were two to begin with. In the accounts of Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8: 26-38 only one was mentioned, and so even though I may have read the book of Matthew on more than one occasion, I did not make a mental note of it.

Then I asked the Lord Jesus, how is it that this story was told three times, but only one account mentioned that in the beginning there were two men? I thought to myself, maybe I may need to take this to my pastor, check out the bible concordance and read all the commentaries that bible scholars have to say of the matter.

But I didn’t even have to go that far. My eyes were drawn to Mark 5: 18-20 - As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. And similarly in Luke 8:38-39. Immediately I realised something. There were indeed TWO to begin with. Two had a problem, two were healed, and one was grateful for what the Lord Jesus did for him. One stayed back up until when the villagers came on the scene (Mark 5:15; Luke 8:35), this one pleaded with Jesus to follow Him, this one was the one told to go and tell his family of the goodness of God. Isn’t it amazing that when Mark and Luke investigated the story, only the account of the one that wanted to follow Jesus and who went throughout the ten cities testifying of how good God has been to him, was told. Yet the eye witness of the event Matthew told us that there were two to begin with. Dear God, only one of the two healed had his destiny justified and glorified.

Two received a touch from God, one’s account was not mentioned. He was forgotten – I don’t know if he ran away with the herd’s men, or maybe disappeared among the crowd, but one thing I do know is that I was told in Matthew 8:34 that the whole town went out to meet Jesus on hearing about the lead up to the miracle to ask Him to leave their town – while, the account of only one was remembered.

I pray dear God that even after all you have done for me, it would not end there. You have been too good to me for me to forget about your wonders. You have been so awesome to me for me to forget you generosity. Many may have been blessed in the same way I have been placed, but I refuse to have my story end with me. Oh No, by God, I will proclaim your goodness at the roof tops, I will proclaim you beauty on mountain tops, oh God I will proclaim your loving kindness and mercy towards me to whoever and whatever cares to listen.

Lord, so great is your mercy towards me, that I would be a fool not to acknowledge that. Thank you Lord for taking out the time to bless me, and make me a blessing to everyone you send my way.

Thank you Lord for all You have done for me. I love you Lord Jesus!