WAITING FOR THE RIGHT ONE

You may have all your requirements set. All the pros and cons well spelled out, prayerfully and watchfully waiting for the right one to come along. It may seem like an exhausting wait, sometimes even impossible to imagine. The “kissing many frogs” fairy tale does not sound, in any way, impressive. Some may leave you with scars only the touch of Christ can heal while as for some, the idea of ever loving again becomes a far-off dream. However, being a child of God, the Lord has opened my eyes and revealed to me the easy way out. Sleep.

It may sound absurd and impractical; however, it is where the secret for a lasting relationship and marriage lies. The renowned preacher, Jon Courson, in his sermon, A Match made in Heaven, made me look at relationships and courting from a whole new perspective. For a Christian, relationships should not be a matter of trial and error. Matters relationships touch the core of the heart. Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary heartbreaks and disappointments, there are a few basic pointers that can guide you in the right direction. Prayer, fellowship and the word of God are the major building blocks in ensuring that a Christian is not led away from the will of God as far as relationships are concerned.

As a born-again youth, the challenges of relationships you face may not largely differ from those of the unbelievers. However, you stand a better chance at overcoming these hurdles since you have a Father in heaven who knows your needs even better than you do. Therefore, by learning to trust in God and totally surrendering to His will, He will guide your steps and you will not fall. This is what now resonates with sleep. Matthew 7:11 puts it perfectly. “If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” This verse reassures us of God’s faithfulness and we are left to do nothing else but just trust in Him. God will give you the best. So don’t get ahead of yourself. He is in control. You just need to sleep as Adam did. (Genesis 2:21)

As you go through the divine sleep, you are not supposed to just stay idle and dream about your future spouses. At this point, you have the chance to serve God and engage in establishing His Kingdom here on earth. This can involve taking part in various ministries especially missions which are very empowering. Temptations will always come but you are expected to stand firm. You should never compromise or reason with sin. Sin is sin and that is it. Our minds should be set on winning this war. The Lord promised that His grace will be sufficient. So, just hang in there. Jesus was tempted too and He remained blameless. We can strive for that as well.

Through time and experience, I have come to confirm Jon Courson’s exhortations. For us to avoid ending up with the wrong partner, there are some basic truths about ourselves we need to be aware of. We were made in the image of God. Therefore, just as God is a triune being and so are we. As a human being, you have the body, the soul and the spirit. All of these aspects of your being have to be well corresponded in a relationship. This fact is quite helpful in ensuring that you correctly identify your life partner and it also helps to avoid relating with the wrong person.

In the area of the body, there is physical attraction between you and the potential partner. This however should not be confused with a crush, which is superficial. With this kind of attraction, there is a mutual romantic spark. It might not be from the word ‘go’ but with time, if he/she is the one, it might just spark into a romantic fire. For the soul connection, it will be manifested through good communication and getting along. You have to be soul mates. It might sound like a cliché, but here, I mean it in every sense of the word. Your souls have to be in sync. Your view of life, your priorities and backgrounds have to blend easily. They don’t have to be the same, but all you need is to be comfortable with one another despite your differences. With the spirit, it involves your levels of spirituality. For your relationship to work out, your spiritual levels have to be at par. Your level of commitment to God has to be almost the same. Your Godly values have to be on the same wavelength. All these three areas have to be in check for your relationship to last through time and the storms that come with it.

You may have two out of the three but then, that will be a disabled relationship. It will need a lot of work to survive. You will find yourselves spending more time solving issues rather than actually being there for one another as it should be in a relationship. It is not too easy, waiting for the right one. With whom you will adequately correspond in all the three areas of your being. However, the beauty and comfort that comes with all the three being present makes it worth the wait. So be patient and sleep, the Lord is preparing someone special for you.

Oh! I promise, to be true to you.

To live my life, in purity as unto you,

Waiting for the, day that I will hear you say,

Here is the one; I have created just for you.

Jaci Velasquez – I promise 

Knowing my God

Many of us have a collective perception of who God is. The many attributes we give God are those which we have heard from songs and other people. You hear people say God is awesome and you also say He is but if asked, how awesome has He been to you, what would you say? You hear people sing that God is Almighty. You sing along. However, can you confidently testify and tell others why you sing this God is awesome? This all leads to one question. Do you know your God?

As a Christian, it is imperative to know your God. The first step in getting to know God is by getting born again. This makes you to e counted, not just as a Christian by name, but as a child of God. Here, you accept Jesus into your heart as your Lord and savior. With that, the Holy Spirit will come into your heart and dwell within you. He will then direct your actions and the choices you make and in the process, He will help you in your quest to know God.

For starters, there is no way you can confidently believe in God or serve Him when you do not know Him. You need to be conscious of this God so that your faith and hope can truly rest in him.

The most crucial and inevitable way of knowing God is from engaging in His word. John 1:1 tells us that: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God”. This clearly shows us that the word of God is indispensable in knowing Him. Those who authored the Bible were themselves inspired by God. Hence, purpose to read God’s word with the sole aim of getting to know Him better. Don’t just read it like any other text. Meditate upon the word day and night as Joshua 1:8 exhorts us to do.

Another avenue of knowing God is prayer. When you pray and ask God to help you know Him, He definitely will. Matthew 7:7 tells us to ask and it shall be given to us. God is faithful. Therefore, as we ask Him to mold us into His likeness, let us also pray that He reveals to us His true nature. Psalms 25:14 says, “I shall confide in those who fear me.” Therefore, the fear of the Lord is key in knowing Him. Fearing the Lord involves upholding His statutes and principles in everything we do. When He reveals Himself to us, consequently, we will love Him in truth and in spirit.

Personally, I can testify that the journey of knowing God has been a beautiful experience. Despite the challenges, it is full of marvelous adventure and discoveries. Every day I read His word, every moment I pray, each time I meditate upon His word, He has something new for me. When I consider the vastness of God, the extent of His power, my heart is filled with fear and awe for Him. There can be no end in knowing God. He was, is and is to come. His greatness cannot be fully perceived in our human minds. All the same, I will do just fine with the much He allows me to know about Him every passing day. My prayer is that my soul never tires of seeking Him, diligently. 

Hebrews 11:6b - ..because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

YES YOU CAN…DO ALL THINGS

Plenty of times, we are inspired to believe that we are more than conquerors. That with the Lord on our side, we are assured of victory, but then, there’s always that self-doubt. Another small voice from deep within which always seems to discourage us whenever we want to try something new. We even sometimes feel like there is a possibility of failure. Who wants to fail? I bet none. It is a common natural feeling. However, some situations may require us to surge on despite all odds. Hence, that calls for the strong-willed to push themselves ahead, while as for the others, encouragement from those around them becomes necessary. For those of us who rely upon the Lord, Philippians 4:13 is the verse we mostly cling to with a sense of victory in our hearts. 

Personally, I draw a lot of courage from my confidence in the power of God bestowed upon me through His Holy Spirit. I have learnt to believe in myself because I have Christ in me. With His guidance and strength, I know I can do all things. However, this does not necessarily mean I can do just anything. This is now where you need to pray and seek God more for Him to reveal to you your purpose in this life. You need to ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to opportunities available to you and for you to also know those that are not. If we choose to go by our own natural eyes or instincts, we may be up for disappointment. 

In a letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes in chapter 2 verse 10 of the book, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This verse reveals that even before your existence in this world, God already knew you and had a plan for you. Therefore, you just need to submit to His will and through it all He says, His grace will be sufficient. Philippians 4:19 encourages, “And God will meet your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Whenever worry or uncertainty crop up, you should always remember the powerful words in Philippians 4:6-7. The Lord is always with you. 

At times, however, the struggles may weigh upon us. We may sometimes feel weak and totally worn out. It might go as far as that failure we dread. Still, we must always hang on to the fact that God is with us. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” People may point fingers at you during the times when you seem weak and defeated, like they did to Jesus at the cross. Those times you even cry and feel depressed. The world may even question why you are down cast and yet you call yourself a child of God. Such questions might even cause you to start having second thoughts about your salvation. Jesus Christ provides a perfect way out of such circumstances. While at the cross, the crowd taunted Him to defend Himself if He really is God. In my heart, I know He had the full capacity to do that but He did not. Instead, He asks the Father to forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. Jesus focused on fulfilling His cause in this world for He knew great glory awaited Him at the end. Thus, since the Lord already worn the war for us, nothing which comes our way should deter us from finishing the race that has been marked out for us.

My moments of weakness always serve to humble me before God. I often recognize how much more I need Him in my life. Therefore, whenever I fall, I stand up, dust myself off and move on. Like David in Psalms 73:26, I say, “My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” In the end, my mess becomes a message and my test eventually transforms into a testimony. You should not allow your moments of failure to set you back. Those are times that God’s glory is just about to erupt in your life. Therefore, do not despair or feel as if God has abandoned you, but rather, you should let go and let God’s will prevail. 

 

Philippians 1:6 - …being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

JUST DO IT

“Do I really have to do it now?”…“It’s not that urgent.”…“I’ll get to it later.” The many excuses we come up with to avoid doing something we need to do. With how things are today, the pressure from all directions may sometimes leave us confused about what we really need to prioritize. The duties and responsibilities bombarding us every day, the friends and family we need to attend to, emails and messages we need to reply. It might just weigh a bit too much on us.

Duty calls almost every moment. It is hard to just do one thing at one given time. Even the time to just sit down and relax can end up being unavailable. However, we can choose to do the right thing, at the right time. In an article, entitled Master time, in the Saturday magazine, Oliver Emberton revealed, “Humans are pre-wired to focus on things which demand an immediate response…and to postpone things which are most important…” I thought this revelation was quite valid and it got me thinking. I have since sought to change a few aspects in order to improve the quality of my life.

Whenever you feel that something is important and, from deep within your heart, you have the urge and the time to do it, just do it right there and then. You might be tempted to procrastinate but the problem is that, that might have just been the best, or worse, only chance you had of doing it. We have an enemy, Satan, who will stop at nothing to make us suffer and eventually, end up like him. The moment you make that decision to do something good, either for yourself or for someone else, he will do all it takes to fight it. Therefore, do what you need to do the moment you have a chance to do it and proceed. Don’t say you will do it later. Paul reasons with us in James 4:14-15, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” Therefore, since you cannot be sure about your tomorrow, for your own sake, just do what you got to do right there and then. For that which you cannot do, let it rest in God’s perfect will.

It might be that sick one you have to visit in hospital. You may be the one to cheer them up to recovery. It could be that pledge you made in church, or a child’s school fees that you promised to pay. Don’t keep postponing, just do it already. It could also be an assignment that is due in two weeks time but you have the chance to do it now. How about you just get done with it and be easy for the rest of the time as you wait to hand it over. I must admit that I am a culprit of such but, I do believe, I am on the road to change. It always seems too early to do some of these essential things. It only hits us when it is almost time and we have to rush to get things done, or worse, when it is too late. Procrastination is indeed, a bad syndrome.

Now this is the epitome of all procrastination. We spend many Sundays in church, listening to the word of God. We even, at times, agree with what it says because we see the point. However, how many of us choose to truly live by it? How many times do we leave the church and forget about what it was the pastor said? How many instances do we convince ourselves out of responding to the alter call, when the preacher calls on those who wish to give their lives to Christ? I hear many saying that they have not yet felt the conviction. Do you know that by saying so, you are actually dismissing that very conviction you claim not to be feeling? Others may say that they are still enjoying their youth and will get born again later in their years. The enemy delights in such speak because he knows exactly what to do so that you miss out on eternal life. He will make you so engrossed in loving the world and its pleasures that you will even end up forgetting about that plan you had. Worse, he can as well destroy you before you get to that time you intend to give your life to Christ.

Don’t take any chances, just do it. Time is running out quick and life is not that long. Live for the moment, making good use of every opportunity, and let God hold your tomorrow. 

THE INDISPENSABLE USER MANUAL

Many a times, we buy items, especially electronic equipment, and we care less about reading the user manuals. We proceed on to use them, relying on our previous knowledge of dealing with such items. We assume that they work in the same way. However, we fail to realize that this kind of behavior may prevent us from getting the best out of that particular item. It may have some special feature which we may fail to recognize just because of not carefully going through the user manual. Anyway, we may get away unharmed when we don’t read user manuals of worldly items. However, that is not the case with salvation.

The word of God, to any Christian, is an indispensable user manual. It is the one which will guide you. Enabling you to understand the will of God in your life. 2 Timothy 3:16 clearly states that all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The verse clearly defines the importance of scripture. It is meant to lead us, through correction and rebuke, to righteous living. All these will then equip you with the content and ability to do every good work which will then lead to the Glory of God.

In this case, good work entails leading others to Christ. It is our duty, as Christians, to bring others to the Lord. This is well instructed in Matthew 28:19. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Thus, as followers of Christ, we should not just sit down, enjoy our salvation and wait to go to heaven. We have a collective call to go out and be fishers of men. The only way to have the passion and confidence to do that is through reading scripture and prayer. At first, I used to wonder how I would reach out. However, with time, God has slowly opened me up and has given me platforms on which I have spoken to His people. Right from the Sunday school children in church to you who is reading this right now.

Having the urge to read the word of God does not come easy. It may seem difficult or even impossible at first, but with discipline and commitment, it will eventually become a joy. I can honestly attest to the fact that the scripture is the most pleasant text I get to read every day. Since news broke out about secret societies, that is, illuminati and the rest, some people find themselves obsessing about them. Digging up about their histories and hearsays. I had rather arm myself with the right amour which renders me protected from all evil. Jesus used it against the devil and He won in a mighty way. The tempter was left mum. For that, I have even vowed to be reading it over and over again, until the day I die. By God’s amazing grace, I know I will manage. It always teaches me something new about God and my daily life all the time, and that is what gives me the zeal to keep reading it. Hence, all you have to do is just open up your heart and you will enjoy reading the Bible.

The word of God is, of course, not like the ordinary user manuals. You don’t just read it once and you are all good with it. You need to constantly meditate upon the word. This helps you to keep yourself in check, such that you don’t forget what you have been instructed to do. Also, in as much as you may read the scripture, you should be careful not to take it as a burden. Rather, you should view it as God’s way of speaking to us, which is indeed the case. As you listen, you should let the Holy Spirit direct you. Remember, we do not walk by the flesh, but rather by the Spirit. Therefore, like David wrote in Psalms 119:105 let the word of God be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. With the Godly inspired words in your mind and the Holy Spirit by your side, you can never go wrong.

Go on and have a life-changing read……..

A SILENT WAVE OF SLAVERY

Back in the days, way back before civilization was this stable, slavery was a norm. The rich and powerful were well known and they made good use of the poor. History is not really my favourite subject, but with the little I know of it, I believe there were so many unfair policies in place during the previous centuries. The Bible provides several instances where slavery and oppression are depicted. In Nehemiah’s time for example, the poor were crying out to him on how the rich were taking advantage of them. The nobles were exacting usury on the powerless. When it occurred that they were unable to pay back their debts, they would then sell their sons and daughters as slaves. Another heartbreaking story is that of the Israelites in Egypt. The Egyptians decided to turn against their Israelite counterparts, who were inhabiting their country, because of fear. They subjected the Israelites to gruesome torture and labour in order to weaken them. In all these instances, and many others, we see God eventually setting His people free. This, to me, implies that God cherishes freedom which is why He provided for us a way to have ultimate freedom through the ultimate sacrifice.

When I look back in time, I always thank God for the many legends He has used to liberate the oppressed. Most African nations, and many others, have in one way or another undergone a period of colonialism. The powerful nations descended on the lesser countries and saw to use them to their own advantage. However, not all the subjects were ready to just sit down and bear such kind of treatment. Several revolutions arose in opposition to colonialism and in a short while, it became history. I was not there to witness all that they did back then but I sure do appreciate their efforts. A lot of blood was shed in order to give birth to what we have today and I give God all the glory. He allowed all that to happen so that those with the ability to learn can do so. God knows how valuable freedom is and it is why He gave His one and only Son for us to have it. The days of physical slavery are long gone. It may still be there but not as spontaneous as it was back then. What we largely have today is the silent and subtle slavery. The spiritual kind that many are blind to.

The master is the one who dictates what a slave must do and the slave, on the other hand, has no choice but to obey all the master's orders. Disobedience, mostly, leads to untold punishment and torture, making the slaves to be in total submission to the master. Things, however, may not be that direct in the spiritual realm. We become slaves to objects and even people when we cannot do without them. When it comes to objects, they could be, for instance, technology, money, fame and even fun, among others. All these are, by no means, evil. However, when you place them as your top priority in life, then they become your master. Take money for instance, if you prioritize the search for money as your main goal in life, you will find yourself doing all it takes to make money. This may in turn make you numb to all else around you as long as you achieve your goal. This renders you a slave to money. 

When it comes to fun, it may seem quite harmless but it is in real sense that which is leading many astray. We live in a world where good is seen to be boring, while bad is now fun. Some end up doing stuff like smoking cigarettes and bhang, engaging in illicit sex and even staunch alcoholism, all in the name of having fun. The sad part is that all these are subtly addictive, leaving one a slave to them. Others may justify smoking and alcoholism in the sense that when taken in small quantities, they are harmless. My question is how come they end up being so dependent on them. Some assert that smoking stimulates their minds and alcohol reduces stress. Well, I'd say God has a better shot at it. He can stimulate your mind and get rid of all your stress, not just reduce it, without the risk of giving you cancer or causing you liver cirrhosis. As for your money, it will go to better use. 

The people that you love also have the potential to enslave you. A typical example is when you cannot do anything unless you get approval from friends or family. This may seem innocent but it is, in fact, a form of slavery. It is only God who understands the extremes you can reach as an individual. Therefore, you can do yourself a favour and stop limiting yourself to the opinions of those around you. Another way you may end up enslaving yourself to people is by doing all it takes to impress them so that they can like you. This is wrong. Yes, we should be good to people but that should not be at the cost of our individuality. Therefore, just be yourself and focus on impressing the One above.

2^nd Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Jesus died on the cross to set us free from the bondage of sin. The devil is today using the worldly things to enslave us when we don’t even realize. 2^nd Corinthians 4:4 talks of the god of this age having blinded the unbelievers. Indeed, the devil is a witty liar. He creeps into our lives and holds us hostage through the unexpected channels. In order to guarantee your freedom, you need to let the Lord take full control of your life. Let God be your Master. The most beautifully ironic thing about being a slave to the laws and statutes of God is that they in turn set you free. David, in Psalms 19, recognises the same. Your eyes become open to the boundless limits you can achieve by God’s amazing grace. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.” In the worldly view, slavery entails oppression and torture, however with God, He is a gentle and yet powerful Master. Hebrews 4:15 puts it as, “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way just as we are – yet was without sin.” Where in this world can you find such a master?

In conclusion, it is easy to succumb to the wrong kind of spiritual slavery. The pressure to conform to the ways of this world can lead us there. However, Romans 6:19 gives us solace. It says, “I put this in human terms, because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and ever increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness, leading to Holiness.” Surrendering your body to God as a living sacrifice is all He needs and He will do the rest. The Holy Spirit will guide and show you the way.

Galatians 5:1 – It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

AS I AM, AS YOU ARE.

Terming God as merely creative would be an understatement. He is marvelously and incredibly crafty, witty and wise to infinity. With these bombastic adjectives, I only hope to have attempted to capture God's amazing ability to create all that I can see and all that which I cannot even imagine, let alone see. Our God is an awesome God. 

Focusing on that which I can see, in God's vast creation, none is as captivating as the human species. They have never ceased to amaze me. They always leave me guessing how God could look like since we were all created in God's image as Genesis 1:27 refrains. The billions of personalities, faces and abilities the world population has, all have a unified origin and that is God's hands. We all posses His breath. The thought of that leaves me awed and God's love for me becomes more than just a reality. When I look around and see the many faces, I see God. With that, God has taught me how to love. 

No doubt our creator had a good reason why he made us different. My High School Chemistry teacher once wondered with us in class, “What if we were all the same? Wouldn't the world be the most boring place?” I agreed with her. I envisioned a mass of people who all looked the same, had the same character, likes and dislikes. It would have its advantages, but then, this way, which is God's way, appears better. Appreciating this fact has taught me to accommodate various types of people. It is not easy. The character traits of some individuals may get to us badly. However, with the Grace of God, we have the ability to accommodate and even love just about anyone. 

My mother learnt this life lesson the hard way and I have to thank God because in turn, I too, have learnt. She grew up in an ideal society, knowing that all people were designed to behave well and everyone knew that they had a duty to make the world a better place. Of course she could not have stayed there forever. She got married and had to move to a totally different environment. Her societal generalizations were however met with a staggering shock. She was apparently expecting too much from our treacherous society. She had a hard time adjusting and almost succumbed to depression. The very people that she expected to be her closest friends around turned out to be a jealous and malicious lot. This realization got her very disappointed and it almost got the better of her. Nevertheless, God was always by her side and in the end, she emerged a victor and conquered it all. She has since healed and indeed learned a great deal. Today, my mom is more confident in approaching life or anyone. She has also understood that in life, we should expect anything.

Things cannot always go our way especially in situations that are beyond our control. It is why in the serenity prayer, we say, “God give us the grace to accept, with serenity, the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.” That way, we will be at peace with nature and even with those around us. We will be able to take on everything as it comes. Also, we will learn to appreciate ourselves knowing that we are who we are for a reason. By no means should anyone feel pressured to be like anyone else rather than themselves. We can only seek God to transform us from deep within so that we can be our best. He is the only one who knows why and for what purpose He made each one of us. Seeking Him everyday and ensuring that we live our lives in a way that is pleasing unto Him will indeed reach us to that splendid destiny.

Therefore, as I am I will accept me, and as you are I will embrace you.