Humpty who?

As I strolled down a resplendissant lane called wonderful, I overheard just above me screams of we are undone, we are undone, the “blessed curse is upon us”. I watched the wings of the first break, and as he tried to steady himself loose his loot, lost his balance and fell down to his death. The same happened to the second after him and just as it was about to happen to the third, I saw that a weird looking man with greyish wings, who appeared to be one of their oldest and most decorated member was being released and ordered to seek them all out and annihilate them all completely. It was as if the time set for them to turn against each other was upon them. However, if they were able to exchange their misfortune in time by successfully entering into the household of an unsuspecting family in one accord with one another, they might just be able to keep what they find and thus prolong the inevitable only for a moment longer. Just two doors down the road appeared to be a family, with only two young children in the house. It was a large uniquely located house with many window openings, and not one was locked. I was a bit apprehensive as to what to do, and called out to the inhabitants of the house to find out if there were any adults at home and why their windows were all left unlocked. The children at my behest ran round the house in a bid to lock all the windows they could find and indeed locked them all accordingly. I wasn’t quite sure if they had securely locked them, and thus made up my mind to go in and check. I had barely gone a few steps when I heard what appeared to be a heavy thud coming from the north east section of the house. As we hurriedly made our way there, I found that they were trying to crack open one of the elevated wooden windows by trying to drill nails through it. I realised that if I were to place log pieces over the area where the nails were being drilled in, we might just be able to prevent them from creating enough gap to forcefully enter into the house. And so we retaliated with log for nail, a process that reinforced the sturdiness of the window. They proceeded to change tactics by trying to bull doze their way in. In the instant when they were about to burst it open, did my eyes draw to a study ladder, completely made of wood, which I and indeed we hadn’t noticed was there before. We immediately grabbed hold of it and were able to push it against the window and were able to secure the window. Finally, after several blow out attempts, the intruders couldn’t manage to get in, and in the end ran out of time.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Phew what a story, but I’m going somewhere with this.

How many times do we see friends, neighbours, strangers in great difficulty and we turn a blind ear. Yeah, you read it correctly, a deaf eye. The Lord Jesus reminded us of the importance of being vigilant [John 10: 10 - The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly] and Peter also reminded us of the fact [1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour]. And throughout the bible we have been given examples of the need to be alert [Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:16-17; Luke 10:18]. And yet, many of us are of the view that as long as our world is resplendissant, then all is indeed well in the world. In fact, Jesus told us that in order for us to inherit eternal life we NEED to LOVE LOVE LOVE God and our neighbour (He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself – Luke 10:27).

So since we know that the enemy is prowling around looking for families, people to destroy. And since we know that the enemy, our adversary, will try to pick off the weak, the needy, the ailing, those among us who have grown weary and have dropped back, and is always lurking for opportunities to isolate and manoeuvre’s us into positions where he can then attack and deal that blow (Pow). AND since this is a fact and the truth, what are we doing about it? When was the last time you could honestly say, “I got his or her back on my knees in prayer?” Exactly, are we people who genuinely care for one another? Better still as we have been taught in our worker’s class when was the last time we prayed for one another [James 5:16]. Some of us don’t even know the name of the person sitting next to us (am not even pointing an accusing finger I am so among these groups of people, but I digress).

And if you happen to be among those (of us) going through some difficult situation, fear not. Remember what the Lord said to you, that He is near to those that call Him – [Psalm 145:18-19 - The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them]. So we are not alone. We also need to remember that God has indeed put a wall of protection around us, so there is a limit to how the enemy can toy with us (Job 1:6-10); and that God allows it all as an instrument for our elevation. To get to the top or a next level you need a ladder, a stair case, a device of some sort. A mountain is a high place because it comes after a long low area of land, or else everything will be on a plane, and the mountain will just be another level place. There needs to be a valley, a long sunken area before getting to a mountain. So also, to get to the next level, a level higher than our current position there are some tests we need to meet and overcome. Have you tried climbing a mountain before? I Have, and trust me it isn’t easy at all. During one of my earlier experiences, I was worn out, my entire waist was aching, I was out of breath and out of shape, and I wanted to give up every moment. Infact if I wasn’t with the group of people I went with, I would have happily given up a third of the way up and just sat down. And just as my friends helped me overcome the long walks to get to, up and over “Monte Bondone”, “Monte Mezzocorona” and countless others, that is what God does for us during our long low area walk and up the mountain of life. In the same way God used “these period” for Job and the Lord Jesus (Matthew 4; and Luke 4), and we know He is no respecter of person every one of us have opportunities for elevation. So therefore every situation we face are just opportunities for elevation. So don’t fret, you are so not alone.

And for those of us with resplendissant lives, we’d better be vigilant that we don’t fall into temptations.

My Confession

Wow weee, I am back, walking albeit gingerly but I am in “da” house!!! So how has everyone been? Did I hear you all try to tell me what you’ve been up to all at once? Say what? Well maybe I should start with me. Well as I got on that boat, you know the non-stop express to my next destination I was so busy being excited and rejoicing that I was finally leaving and getting on to the next level to the point that I almost did like the Israelites did when they left the land of Egypt. I was so busy doing the break dancing of touching my head, gyrating my hips, moving my legs in and out and moving my hands from side to side, that I had almost forgotten my Source.

Could you believe it. Since during these past four years I was pretty much on my own, I literally had God for company. I would holler at Him, have some deep and meaningful discussions with Him, and talk to Him on my way to work, to the airport, to the train station, to the market square, to the church, to the Gelaritaria, where ever I was I just had to talk to Him, because let’s face it, I had nobody to talk to, I mean literally. My good friends went home most weekends and my out of the country / continent friends, well you know how it is. On all of my long walks I would talk to Him. Even when the journey felt a tad too long and quite frankly unfair (you know the why me sagas J), I knew I had no choice, nowhere else to go, because the bottom line was JESUS Is both the WAY and HAS the WORDS to life. And in the words of Peter, to whom can I even think of going to: "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” – John 6:68. As in really think about it, even if you are fed up, angry, depressed, frustrated, and want to just leave and turn away from God, where would you go? Which one is better (:)). Trust me, NONE is as good as Him. “No one do me like He do me”!!

I always knew that regardless of what was going on in my life there was no better place to be than to be smack bang in the middle of that trial, test or as some has called it, the valley experience. I mean look at me now J. We may never believe it, but it sure is for our greater good [2 Corinth. 4:17 - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory]. Think about it. To enter into any of these prestigious universities, the exams are not like the “simple simple things” my young 8 year old cousin once complained about when he was told that Mimi my baby cousin had come first in her class and Mimi is 4years old - I guess first in waking up J - but I digress.

Now that I am at this end, and looking back, I have now realised that the time spent in the wilderness was indeed the BEST four years of my ENTIRE life. I felt a connection that was that close to God and I knew that my isolation was for my own good. And then He went and sent me back to my people, significantly more than when I left all those years ago. I felt like JJC that had just landed in “obodo oyibo”; see television where people spoke in English. I ate slept, woke up, watched television, went to the Cinema and watched all of the films that I could not get to see because I was in a foreign land. Kept trying to reacclimatise myself and my “funetics” :) and started going to the theatre where they sang in English. I was indeed back to civilization (no more in the mountains of Italy or the beautiful hills of Blacksburg). And as time went by, days turned into weeks, weeks into months and slowly I began to realise that my spirit was slowly getting disconnected from my Jehovah. I had started to get busy and the time spent dissecting His word had become non-existent. And then I started to wonder, if God would have had to say to HIMSELF, did He make a mistake in bringing lifeofastranger to her land of more than enough? I guess I started to feel a bit bad, and had to start telling the Good Lord that He didn’t make a mistake, and it was not a terrible thing to bless me.

My Lord and my God in any way I have sinned against you and walked in the ways of the children of Israel when you took them to their promised land please God forgive me. Have mercy on me and do not treat me as my sins deserved.

I realised one morning when I was busy getting busy that I could no longer understand what I was doing and my ability to remember was decreasing, and it hit me. The reason my mind had run a blank was because the Words to life that it functioned on had emptied itself. And only 12 weeks had passed since my return. I knew I had to go back to my Source and back to the familiar, back to the way it used to be. Back to the times when only He and His Words mattered, nothing and no one else. I had forgotten all this while that God’s Word was the very foundation on which He built my success on. I could see it. I didn’t need to be told the significance of the WORD of God for my daily survival. Indeed I have found Him to be my sustenance and survival [Acts 17:28a - for in Him we live and move and have our being]. I started to become forgetful, loose focus and remember the things that people did to me J. When did this all start? How else would I have known that these are so not the exhibits of the fruits of the spirit [Galatians 5:22; 2 Peter 1:5-8]. It’s all in His word.

So here I am back to my love. And I would be a fool to let the bright lights of civilization dim out the light of His Hope that burns in me. Receiving my breakthrough is not the end, but instead the beginning of a new journey. I must see to it that I don’t repeat the mistakes of the past that incurred previous debilitating problems in my life or else worse could happen. I have indeed found that my ability to succeed is most definitely tied into how much I know of His Word (which is tantamount to how much time I spend in His Word). You see His Word is Life to they that find it [Proverbs 4:20-21]. If you don’t believe me check it. Check it!! [Jeremiah 23:28-29; Isaiah 55:10-11]

Farewell Trento, Farewell Italy!!

My life surely cannot get any better than it is right now. I see myself, the way He sees me, and just the way I have always wanted my life to be. I am finally where I want to be. Everyone seems to concur. All I keep hearing from them is wow LifeofaStranger; you are finally where you’ve always wanted to be. There is this smile that creeps up on my face. Maybe it’s a relief of some sort, maybe even a sigh of satisfaction. A giggly feeling; am I dreaming or awake? For sure I am awake, or how else am I able to hear these people stop to greet me at the door ways, on the corridor, on the stair ways, even in the conference room. Wow LifeofaStranger, you are finally where you said you will be. You are where you have always wanted to be. A surprise I’m sure on their end, since it involved me always saying things like: the God that I serve is taking me places. That my God is a Real God. That my God is the Real Deal. Another smile, maybe a cheesy grin, I don’t know what it is, a sigh of satisfaction, and a reply from me, yes I am indeed where I’ve always wanted to be.

Then she walks into my office, wow LifeofaStranger, you are finally where you’ve always proclaimed you will be. Sorry come again, I responded. You know what I’m talking about. Another quiet smile from me, yes, you know I am after all the prestigious daughter of the Most High God. She smiled back and replied, yes you have always said that, and that in Your Father’s house there are so many rooms. This is why since you walked into this place close to three years ago; we have called you a princess because you acted like one. Another smile on my face (maybe a smirk). An apology from me, I hadn’t realized that my position in my Father’s house had given me an air of arrogance. Well it made us sit up, and treat you as if you were a foreign princess [sigh]. I cannot begin to imagine how I’ve pranced around the corridors of this place as if my Father owned the institute. I am truly sorry, I responded. I honestly didn’t realize it. I know you all call me a princess, I just figured it was because I was one.. I smiled, she smiled, we both smiled.. I apologised again citing my behaviour was all attributed to the innate drama queen in me… we both smiled again. .

How well am I doing?

Don’t forget to say a prayer for me. For us, and for all of us, she responded. I know God always answers your prayers she said. Look at you. The spoken, has happened to you. Even we all here know of that much. Your God has been so good to you. Indeed He truly has. Indeed He truly has been. Indeed He most definitely has been too wonderful to me.

How well am I doing?

The count down has ended just as it had barely started, my journey is done. My long walk through that desert is over. I have had to stop too many times at designated refresher points, never knowing how long it will last. But now, after all these years, the final leg of the journey – Italy – has come to an end. My ship is set to sail to its final docking station, and indeed how magnificent it will be. The Long turbulent journey is over. I was almost marooned, left for dead, heart broken, distressed, almost destroyed, but thank God for God, for indeed there was nothing in this life and in this world that could have ever separated me from the Love of God. Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? … Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us – Romans 8:35 - 37.

I have learnt never to shut God out. He has always been everything I needed and even more; He has been my anchor through this turbulent journey. Many a long times when the day refused to break. It was as if the sun didn’t want to shine any more where I was concerned. But who would have thought? Who would have believed? Surely not you! Surely not I! Surely not them!

The sun is out, the wind is perfect and I am set to sail to my final station. My final docking station, the beginning of another GREAT journey, the journey I was born to live. I am going home. I am going home the same way Jacob did. More than He was when he left. With a renewed confidence that He truly is not just a faithful God and Father, but through all this He has been my protector and My warrior, the General of my armed forces. Forever ready to defend me. Always there to catch me when I fall, and to wipe away all of my tears. My peace in the midst of the confusion, my way maker when I did not know which way to turn. My consolation, my very great reward. My elevator, He that can only promote has indeed promoted me beyond my wildest comprehension. Who has given me beauty for all my ashes! Who has given me glory which is visible for all to see. O How can it be Lord, that You are so mindful of me? That You think so much of unworthy me! God YOU ARE TOO MUCH!! YOU ARE GOD ALONE.

I will miss the high places and the mountains. I will miss the lakes and the trees. I will miss the fountains and the buildings. But most of I will miss the people who have made this journey an unforgettable one.

I know I am destined for greatness. We are destined for greatness. Lets now all go become it.

Today is my LAST DAY in the office. So until Next month, see you in England. And Happy Friday Everyone!!

Pretentious pretense the lot of them!!

Swollen eye lids, eyes that have refused to stop tearing, swollen lips (geez even Homer Simpson looks hotter than I am looking right now with those lips of his), and I’m not even in Nigeria. I look like I’ve taken a serious beaten, and have been crying for days on end. What seems to be the matter I keep getting asked? Should I milk this for what it’s worth? I heard it again, what seems to be the matter? I had to really think about it. Really is there anything the matter? You seem sad, you are looking rather dull?

This took me back to when I was young, younger than I am now (technically if I’m truly honest with myself, even now), when I looked forward to not so good news days; situations when I’m allowed to feel sorry for myself, so that when my mummy asked me if everything was well, I would sullenly reply and with the most exaggerated expression, enough for her to increase her prayers on my behalf, go out and get me some garments, and increase the pampering (no wonder I’m labeled as “such a princess” by a ton of people). I was jilted back again to the present, and no the enquirer is not my mummy, but still in a jiffy could run out to the shops to get me a get well card, some flowers to brighten up my room, and cherries that will last me a life time. And so I asked myself, should I milk this for what it’s worth, and is there really anything the matter with me?

I tried so much to remind myself of things and areas of my life where things weren’t working so well. Tried so hard to bring to mind situations that I appear to be currently facing that should make me sad, enough to justify why I looked dull, not emaciated, but just dull. I tried so hard to recreate broken times, times on end when things didn’t seem to be working. The fact and the state of things. My mind had become a court room where the opposition presented its case, and where the defense was armed ready to disprove it with the truth of the Word of God. The reasons presented by the opposition were quite conceited no doubt but it had a case. Can’t you see that a woman in your situation shouldn’t be happy? I mean look at you, married for so long and still with no kids? Single with no husband? Divorced twice and on your way to hell? Shut your mouth missy, what do you have to be joyful about? Yes you baby mother, you think a man wants to marry a woman who already has a child? You fat broke ass chick, trust me no man will and can ever love you! You think out of the group of people in your office, you will be promoted? You think there will be jobs available for you in this economic climate? I heard that there is a list with the names of people to be fired and your name has appeared on this list? Hahaha LMAO trust me you are finished! It seemed more like taunts, but in the real sense were facts being used against the defense. The opposition wasn’t making it up, their case was justifiable, and they were simply bringing to mind the current state of play. However, there was a problem with their air tight sealed case. Another fact had made it impossible for them to seal the case. The truth about the word of God which the defense team had knowledge of, which made it impossible for them to be fooled. It may have been a fact that indeed what is happening is really real, but what is coming was more real than what is. That the spiritual controlled the physical, and that the physical is not worth comparing to what is to come. And armed with this knowledge of the truth about the Word of God, the opposing thoughts could not stand a chance. And because my mind had been continuously immersed in the word of God, which I had meditated upon day and night, the opposing thoughts did not have the opportunity to come out into the open. And thus my mind a courtroom, where the defense team was actively and constantly winning, remained that of a conqueror.

And so I shrugged my shoulders, smiling and yet with a bemused sort of look, reluctantly said to him, it’s just a simple case of allergies, there is nothing internally wrong (nor would there ever be at the rate my defense team is working – I can’t even be allowed to feel sad just once I tell ya!!). As I walked away sniffing and touching my swollen lips, a tad bit disappointed, I finally realized that the “look at me I am suffering” days are well and truly over J. The childish days, times when I’ve refused to grow up are well and truly over ….No milking today!!, I see now that the word of God in me no longer permits me to feel sorry for myself again.. Aah kilode, a whole princess attention seeking drama queen like me, Nne I think your days of acting are well and truly over J.

$%^ SPOILLER: If you are an attention seeking drama queen, who loves to feel sorry for herself and for others to commiserate with you, errm, a continuous renewal of your mind with the word of God will so spoil this show for you. Don’t say I didn’t do you a public service by giving you a heads up in this area J. Geez Louise, I can’t even feel sorry for myself again. Oh Mehn! I can’t even throw an awesome pity party again. Oh well!!

How Dare You!!

Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?" – Matthew 26:67-68

He allowed himself to be handcuffed, be arrested, be hurled insults at, be spat on the face, be stripped naked, be put to shame in public and be beaten to the point of death. As if that wasn’t enough, they took him and hanged him up on a cross – for YOU and me.

After all this, YOU still have the audacity to grumble; you still have the effrontery to complain about your life’s turn of events; you still have the energy to engage yourself in fruitless worries; you you you YOU still have the nerve to say why me!!

I’m going to leave that with you for a moment.

It wasn’t as if He didn’t warn us about these coming trials. It wasn’t as if He didn’t warn us of all the troubles we will face here on this earth simply because we do not belong here (John 15:19). Simply because He chose us out of this world (John 17:6; 17:14; Matt. 12:18). Simply because He gave us His words and made us gods (Psalm 82:6; John 10:35). Simply because He made us clean through His word (John 15:3). And because of HIS words, things will never remain the same for us (John 17:18). And since no servant can ever be greater than His master, what He went through, so too we will go through it (John 15:20-23).

I am utterly amazed how quickly we’ve forgotten these in times of trials.

He told us many things about all that we will face, so that we will not abandon our trust and faith in him, on account of the troubles (John 16:1). Have you forgotten how He overcame the world? Did you forget about the truthfulness of the Words he gave to you and I, written all over in the scriptures. If we spent time researching His words, we will come to realize that Jesus is that Word, written about in the scriptures; who in the beginning was with God and came into the world to dwell among us for a time [John 1:1, 14]. You will find that He is indeed the true light that came into the world to guide us through the darkness of the world [Matt. 4:16; Luke 2:32; John 1:14; Matt. 5:14: John 1:9; John 8:12; John 9:5; John 12:46]. Our good shepherd to guide us when we find ourselves at the cross roads of life and can’t seem to make up our mind which way to turn; for indeed He will never ever lead us astray [John 10:11, 14]. Have you found yourselves in a midst of confusion, He is that prince of peace that you will ever need [John 14:27; John 16:33]. He has been that rock that is higher than you and I. Our eternal rock of refuge, a firm place to hold onto and stand on in times of trouble [Psalm 31:2; 40:2; 61:2]. I know there have been times when I’ve felt empty and thirsty, and I have indeed found Him to be that living water that causes me never to thirst again, because He has become a well inside of me, and I know I will never be empty again [Jeremiah 17:13; John 4:10, 13-14; John 7:38; Revelations 7:17]. He has never let me down [Proverbs 18:24]. He loved us so much that He chose to die for us [John 10:11, 15, 17-18; John 15:13; 1 John 3:16]. There were many opportunities for Him not to go through it all, I mean He is God, but for our sake, He came into this wretched world, for our cause [John 18:37], to be our sacrifice, to restore back our dignity. To restore back our rightful place. Surely after this you will come to realize how precious and wonderful you are in the sight of God. Don’t you realize you are God’s collector’s item? Don’t you realize His love for you? Many times the Lord Jesus reminded us that He came to this world to reveal the Love of the Father to us [John 3:16; John 16:17; John 17:25-26]. Enough for the Father to give up Him (Jesus) that meant all to Him, His companion and Son for the likes of you and me. And still you have the temerity to doubt all that Jesus stands for in your life. The victories He has won in the battle for your life.

Well anyways, just incase Ya’ll have forgotten, you just have to make do with my bubbling :).

I’m sure you can now realize why I am so confident in my Father. Why my walk had to move on to another dimension in terms of swagger. Why I walk with my shoulders straight and my head held up high. Why my walk can never be showcased or seen at any fashion show because it’s in a totally different dimension :). Why I love Him with reckless abandonment. Why I am so crazy in love with Him. He has been so so good to me. Every word he has declared to me He has brought to pass. Just like it did in the days of King Saul, when all the words of the Lord spoken through the prophet Samuel into life of King Saul came to pass in one day [1 Samuel 10: 9], the Lord has done the same for me. All it took was one day. He simply blows my bind. He has done exceedingly, abundantly all I could ever, ever, ever, ever, think of, imagine, comprehend. He has done the impossible, and has put a smile on my face forever.

He’s no respecter of person, He truly rocks my world. And in this time, His time, He has smiled on me J. He truly is and has the Words of life in Him. Don’t you dare give up on Him just yet! He truly is an awesome God, and He is able to do that which He has promised you. Watch and see.. I see the clouds already forming in your horizon!!!

The count down has begun :)

You weren’t there!

I watched her as she walked in. Dressed in her very best, wearing a pair of Max Mara heels and a large bag to boot. She had on a shift dress, elegantly made from burnt orange dupioni silk with Swarovski crystals embellishment. It fitted her so well, as if it had been hand crafted and made by her very own personal fashion designer. She wasn’t wearing too much jewelry, but I could notice that she wore a Tiffany signature diamond gold necklace and a matching set of earrings. You could tell she must have visited a salon the day before, because her hair was so wonderfully made, and immediately I made a note to self, to ask her where she got her hair made. I couldn’t help but ogle her, she really knew how to carry herself, and all I could think of was MasterCARD. She sat down next to Didi and waited for the service to start. She participated well during the bible study group, and when it was time for the main service to start, as the choir stood to go on stage, I watched her take her heels off, and re-position herself in the center of the aisle, as if she was getting ready for a race or a dance off. I wasn’t quite sure what she was about to do, but I watched her nonetheless. Then the praise and worship session started, and she began to dance. She danced, and danced and danced and danced and danced and danced to the point that I got tired just watching her. Many a times I watched her jump, move her head so profusely that her nicely styled segmented hair came apart. But it didn’t stop there. I watched her as she waved her hands in the air, and was moving around as if she was in a rock concert, and I couldn’t help but say to myself, “ I wonder what could have ever caused her to make such a public show of herself, especially since you know, she was so nicely put together”.

You weren’t there the night He found me. How He picked me up, dusted me up, and put the pieces of my broken life together. How He washed me clean and put on new garments of praise on me. How He stilled the storms raging in my life, and smiled on me. No you weren’t there when he covered me with His glory. O how can you ever imagine the depths from which He rescued me from? For all this Lord I will bless YOUR name forever.

You don’t know the kind of joy that He brought into my life. How He became my joy giver in the midst of my sorrow. How He delivered me from all of my troubles. You don’t know the unimaginable peace He gave me. You don’t know the countless breakthroughs and victories that he gave me. You don’t know where He has brought me from, or where He is taking me to. No! You don’t know why I have to give Him my very best, because even that is not even good enough. You can never fathom the price that He paid to set me free. You don’t fully realize that I have nothing worthy enough to render unto Him, and even if I were to dance from now to eternity, praise Him from now to eternity, worship Him from now to eternity; it still will not even cover “1/thirillionth” of what He did for me. I will forever be indebted to Him. I will forever owe Him my life. For all this Lord I will bless Your Holy Name forever.

So please don’t you dare judge me. Don’t judge me when I go overly crazy over Him. When I act like a stalker where He is concerned. Don’t ask me why I scream and shout whenever I think of Him. Why I get so excited doing the things that pertains to Him. Why I am constantly filled with His thoughts. You see He is my super star, my pin up image, the Lover of my soul, the one I dream about. Don’t you dare judge me when I go berserk over Him, because you just don’t know! You just will never know. You will never be able to comprehend what He did for me. His place in my life can never be taken. And as long as I can walk, as long as I can talk, I will continue to bless His Holy name and shock out to Him. There is no situation the Lover of my soul has not delivered me from. He has been my anchor all these years, and my way maker. My mighty warrior in battle, the commander and chief of my armed forces. He alone is God all by Himself. He truly is awesome. He truly is Great. He truly is beyond comprehension. He truly is excellent. He truly is magnificent. He truly leaves me speechless and breathless when I remember all that he has done for me. My Lord and my God, what can I ever render unto you for all your wonderful benefits? All I can say Lord is thank YOU; Thank YOU, THANK YOU, for all that You’ve done for me. Lover of my soul, Thank You for choosing to lavish your Love on me.

Re-Inspire Me

Dear lifeofastranger it’s been a little over ten weeks since your post on the fight of faith. From what I recall, it was filled with words of proclamation, and things you were not just hoping but was speaking will happen in your life this 2010, and in mine if I believed. I was hoping to find out how far along the list you’ve seen, and if indeed, it has come to pass.

Wow!! Has it been ten weeks already since my first post of 2010, and twelve weeks since the beginning of the year? Dearest reader, I am so pleased to hear from you, and even more so now. You see, as I wrote then, and still writing, this 2010 has and will not just be an ordinary sort of year for me. So much has happened in these past ten weeks, and I’m not quite sure where to start from. You see it all started like this:

I had heard that there was a sound of heavy rain (1 Kings 18:41), and so I went about preparing myself in readiness for the rain (just like Jotham did in 2 Chronicles 27:6) by believing. I was told to write down what was coming as a result of this heavy down pour – HIS promises of restoration (Joel 2:23-27), increase and promotion (Isaiah 60:1-3), open doors and hidden treasures (Isaiah 45:1b-3), undeniable, unstoppable, unfathomable miracles, a time of rejoicing, a time of unending testimony, a time of uncommon breakthroughs – PLAINLY for all to see, and to run with it, because the appointed time to favour me ( that is you and I) was now (Psalm 102:13). And so I ran as fast as I could only stopping to tell those I found on my way who wondered if I had gone quite raving bonkers, what the Lord said He was about to do in our lives. I believed His word, and so I spoke IT.

Has it all happened as He said it would happen? Am I still ringing forth with a dance? CERTAINLY!! I am still jubilating, and learning all the necessary break-dancing skills. I am still declaring that God is a GOOD God, for if you knew how far He has brought me, and where He is taking me to, you too will praise God on my behalf. For it has all been like a dream, and He has filled my mouth with laughter, and my tongue with songs of Joy. And everyone who sees me can’t seem to stop speaking of the Great things God has done for me. King of Glory, Lord of lords, has indeed exceeded my expectations and has brought to pass His words concerning me. Words spoken in the secret, plans He had forged without my knowledge, revelations which He had given me a glimpse of before hand - He continues to remain faithful, and TRUE.

Am I experiencing the reality of life? A resounding YES! It’s all real, no more religiosity of life; or how else will one see the difference that God has made in my life. For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power – 1 Corinthians 4:20.

Don’t give up just yet. KEEP RUNNING with the VISION. I heard and therefore have I believed. I believed and therefore have I spoken it. SURELY YOU and I have a delightful inheritance (Psalm 16:6). He who never slumbers nor sleeps is more than ABLE to bring His words to pass in your life. I am a living testimony of that FACT and TRUTH. You will yet see with your very own eyes what the Lord, CREATOR of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE will do in your life this 2010. And He does not show favouritism (Acts 10:34).

We are still marching forward! We are still on course. We will not be unnerved because of the promised down pour we have yet to see. We have heard the sound of heavy rain, and we know without a shadow of a doubt that the clouds are definitely rising on our behalf.

The Mathematical CODE to Life!!

What truly amazes me is when you ask the Lord for something and it happens. As in just like that. I know after everything He’s done for me and continues to do for me, He still surprises me even with the little things. Today is no different than the others, and I woke up feeling like.. Wow.. God You truly rock you know!!

OK :), back to today’s post.. Yes where was I? My last post was indeed very close to my heart, championing God’s biggest cause, which is His love for you, but today’s is a little different from the last. You see I was reading the book of Acts where in Acts 13:48 it says – “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed”

It got me thinking, as in really thinking, you mean there is mathematical formula for eternal life, which can be summarised as follows: if and only if you hear and honour God then you become appointed for eternal life (this is the code for the equation). This Code is so simple, not as complex as what you may be led to believe.

But you may ask what was it that they heard? It was the message of Jesus Christ, the LIVING WORD of God - who in the beginning was the WORD, and was with God, and was God. He was with God in the beginning – John 1:1-2 – the WORD who in the beginning was God, had been spoken in their midst. They heard the “WORD” and honoured it by accepting it. Now the people in Acts 13:46 had judged themselves unworthy of eternal life by rejecting the “WORD” and dishonouring it; but the Gentile people of Acts 13:48 who had accepted the “WORD” after hearing it understood what this meant, an appointment with eternal life.

But you may ask, does that mean that there may have been some of the Gentiles present that where not appointed? You see because they heard the Word and honoured it by accepting it; they automatically became appointed for eternal life because they believed the “WORD”. Now going by this, it means therefore that those who are not appointed are people who do not hear the Word (either by rejection (Acts 13:46), or malicious accusations).

But you may say, being appointed, and actually entering it are two different things; for indeed many start well but don’t actually carry on in the Faith. That is true, that is why it is very important for us to continually hear the word and continually honour it. And the only way we can continually hear the word is by meditating on the WORD day and night and not letting it depart from us (Psalm 1:1-3; Hebrews 4:2; Psalm 119:97-98; Joshua 1:8; Colossians 3:16).

I truly understand that it may be difficult to hear and honour the “WORD” of God by believing because of our intellectual culture and all the scholarly books written on why we ought not to hear the “WORD”. But the fact that there has been over the centuries countless documentation on the existence of the WORD or its supposed lack of isn’t that enough for the intellectual among us to sit down and truly ponder. After all, if we can all attend conferences to meet like minded people to spruce up ones intellect, don’t you think pondering upon the LIVING WORD something worth thinking about?

I pray that this sentence does not describe you “Notwithstanding their intellectual culture were ignorant of the true God”. Being an intellectual is not enough of a reason to be ignorant of the true God. I lifeofastranger will not be deceived by what I see at the centre of learning.

Stop Imposing Him on Me!!

I have found it quite disheartening in the past (and more so in recent times) coming across comments placed on various websites complaining about how Christianity as a religion was “imposed on us black folks by our “colonial masters and missionaries””. And because the bible is not our culture we have no business peddling it. On another tangent, we have started a bible study group here at my centre and I am so excited about it. We read a book in the Old Testament on a weekly basis and then come together and discuss it. You don’t have to be “saved” to join in. So one of the members lives with a fabulous agnostic lady who when she saw her reading her bible asked her this question: “Will people living in the remotest part of the world, who have grown up in a completely different religion be doomed (by default of location), since they have no chance of hearing about the Christian message”? She a little confused came to me with the question, and thus I had to relay this.

And so I started: :)

Bit of History – From Noah to Abraham:

If we were to follow the creation concept instead of evolution then we will remember a man named Noah (Genesis 6:9). After the fall of Adam the earth had become corrupted, and the only inclination of man’s heart was evil and this grieved God (Gen. 6:6). But we find that because this man Noah was a righteous man and blameless among the people of his time, he found favour in the eyes of God (Genesis 6:8). Following his obedience to do what God commanded him (Gen. 6:22), the Lord sent the Flood, and only he and his family were left to re-populate the earth (Gen. 9:1). And from his son Ham came the people of Canaan, Ethiopians, Somalis, Nubians, Egyptians, philistines, Libyans; from Japheth came the now Europeans, Indians & Iranians, Medes and Persia, Afghans and Kurds; and from Shem the Semitic people, the Assyrians, Aram, Syria, Arphaxad and all the others. And because Ham had revealed the nakedness of their father to Japheth and Shem, Ham (the last son of Noah) the father of the Canaanites and Co. (see Gen. 9:22), was cursed to be a slave to Shem (see Gen. 9:26). And following the tower of Babel fiasco, the people were scattered to different parts of the earth and their tongues confused – Gen. 11:8-9. Now Abraham, who was a native of the Ur of Chaldeans, a descendant of Arphaxad, the father of the people of Israel and others was yet another outstanding man among the people of his time. But because God had promised Noah not to use water to cut off the earth again (Gen.9:11), instead of erasing mankind yet again (since they have still not learnt from the Flood experience, and still could no longer be trusted for the reason of its corruption), God made a new promise to Abraham, which involved where the salvation of the world had to come from above; and because of Abraham’s distinction, his line was chosen through which the promise was to be fulfilled (Gen. 12:2-3).

And thus the Jewish Religion was born!

Now true to His promise, through Abraham’s line, the Lord Jesus came to us (though he wasn’t of human decent, but had to come as human as a substitute for our humanity and as a perfect sacrifice).

Why as a man?

Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it – Revelation 5:2-4. Our accuser the fallen angel Lucifer famously known as Satan, Devil, who we gave over the keys to the ruler ship of this earth has been keeping a record of all our wrong doing and has been using it against us on a constant basis (Revelations 12:10). One of the many tasks of his job has been to represent us in heaven – Job 1:6-7. In order for Jesus to represent us in heaven, he had to pay a price. In the book of the Jewish Law, whenever someone did something wrong, they had to sacrifice a lamb. You see the life of a creature is in the blood and only it’s blood can makes atonement for one's life – (Leviticus 17:11). So Jesus had to come as a man to show that it is possible to live without sin, as the priest who makes the sacrifice and as the lamb to be sacrificed. So that in the end, there will be no human contamination (Leviticus 16:16); and since it was man who gave his authority over the earth, He as a man came and collected it back. And after presenting himself in heaven, received the verdict from his watchers; Satan (Lucifer), His Father and everyone in heaven and under heaven that He was worthy to act as our Judge and high-priest. And through the death and resurrection of Christ, the message of victory, salvation and another chance to be born again was born and we were told to go tell ALL about this wonderful news – Mathew 28:18-19.

How the thrust of the Gospel went to the gentiles!!

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! – Mathew 23:37-38. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvellous in our eyes’? “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it…… Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them – Mathew 21:33-45. Now the originals the princes (the Jewish majority) (Matthew 22:3-10; Luke 14:16-24) were not too keen on the message of Christ and what He stood for, and their rejection gave us the opportunity to come in. And following the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7 (a point that marks when the thrust of the gospel was given over to us non-Jews (called Gentiles)); the message of Christ went further than the gates of Jerusalem. So now - There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise – Galatians 3:28-29. Wow Thank God for second chances!!

My rounding up: And since we are now co-heirs, to the promises made to Abraham, then this promise is no longer to one people but to ALL. It is no longer about the Jewish religion or the white man’s religion, but it is also our religion :). Yours and mine!!

So even though during the Middle Ages, the reformation came with death penalties (i.e. if you don’t follow our religion we will burn you alive), that does not mean that it was the way God wanted it. He is not a forceful God. He alone chooses what to do to us and for us, not we deciding how it should be. So if I have been told to tell you the message of Christ, and I have done so, it is up to you to accept or reject it – I am not imposing it on you, just doing what I was told to do. And so in answering V’s question, the people in the remotest of villages will never loose out, because they have been inscribed in the palm of God’s hands, and thus can never be forgotten. The message of Christ will undoubtedly reach them, just as it did you and I. It is then up to them to accept it. It’s even funny how we all laughed together as we told V to start packing her luggage to go over to those places she had mentioned to give them the message we had just shared :). She laughed too.

Paul reminded us before his return to Jerusalem ………I have done what God told me to do, so I am free of your blood (Acts 20:25-27). A time will come when we will all give account of the people we have met in our journeys through life. And I for one don’t want to be among those that get blamed for not telling P and Q. I apologies if my message makes you uncomfortable, it’s just that I’m only doing what I was told to do :).

So back to the original comments, it’s not about culture or tradition but the message that was brought to us. The message they were told to go into the world and tell. The message I and my fellow believers have been told to tell, the message of the love of Christ. I just thought you ought to know. And if I have offended you by my message I am sorry. I just love God way too much not to do the simple things He has asked me to do. If I can be every ones biggest fans why can’t I at least champion God’s biggest CAUSE? HIS LOVE FOR YOU!!