Count my blessings

The night sky was so perfect

The stars were beautifully fitted into the sky

Shining so bright, my lantern seemed almost useless

Why was the sky so perfect yet my life a jumbled mess?

Tears formed in my eyes and I shut them tightly

No one needed to know my hurt, to see my tears

I felt the cool breeze caress my cheek

And I smiled….

That was the most love I had felt in a while

The first real smile that lifted my puffy cheeks

It took the night breeze to do that

I felt really glad to sleep outside just in that moment

Almost immediately, my chest gripped tight

Goosebumps broke out on my skin

What was happening?

It was like I was suddenly thrust in a mountain of snow

Flashes of how I was saved from armed robbers crossed my mind

Something was caught in my throat

I could not swallow

Flashes of the kind lady who insisted on feeding me three meals a day reflected so vividly

I grabbed hard at the grass

Flashes of the kind driver who dropped me at my work every morning without charge came in mind too

My head felt like exploding into a million pieces

I had clothes on my back

I was never ill

I did not struggle for food

The images of how blessed I in fact was, came rushing into my mind

I let the tears that initially wanted to come out flow freely

But this time, I cried in thanksgiving

My body shook with sobs

My ungratefulness would have been the death of me

I got on my knees and screamed

I WOULD COUNT MY BLESSINGS

I screamed

NO MORE UNGRATEFULNESS

I screamed

THANK YOU AWESOME FATHER

I screamed and screamed till I could scream no more

Till today, I unfriended and unfollowed ungratefulness

Thanksgiving is my new bestie

And screaming out in gratitude, no matter the circumstances, is my new hobby

REVIVED

She used to love going to church early

Cleaning the chairs,

Sweeping the floors and doing the decor

Not a Sunday went by without her lovely presence

Having graced the small building where fellowship took place

She went from cleaning to protocol

Making sure all went well in church.

First timers and new converts were carefully attended to

Everyone present felt comfortable

And nothing bypassed her watchful eyes

She so loved working for her saviour

It gave her joy and happiness and peace

In His presence was the only place she felt at home

After all, that was how it should be

But then she snapped

Being taken away from her comfort zone

Away from the only place she felt she could serve

Tore something out of her.

Of course she still went to church

But this time, was in a hurry to leave

She stopped cleaning chairs and sweeping floors

She just sat there and watched others do that

She watched others enjoy the blessings

Yet was not moved to partake in her previous joy

Sure she loved the services and the song ministrations

But there was something missing

She knew because it was the first time she felt that way

Then she figured it out

Kingdom stewardship

That was supposed to feel her with joy yeah?

But no, it did not

Rather, it made things worse than ever

There was no pull to engage

She tried, she started

But there was still something missing

She could not figure it out.

She spent day after day listening to her saviour’s inspired songs

Hour after hour

Still nothing

The thought of giving up crossed her mind

But her spirit would not let her

She would not suffer eternal damnation

It was not her destiny

But then she could not go to church anymore

She began to feel unworthy in His presence

Guilt and depression flooded her soul

She would feel so empty

No one to talk to about it all

No one perfectly understood her except Him

Yet, His voice could she hear no more

So, she tried to do it by her own might

Sadly forgetting that it is not and will never be

By her own might or power

But by His Spirit, which she still had but did not feel anymore

So she dived into spiritual books

Finding understanding but not quite knowing how to engage

Then one day

One Sunday morning, like the ones she had now

She did not go to church

But had a somewhat strange inspiration

To read a book in the Holy book

A book she had always intentionally skipped

For reasons only known to her

She did read

And read

And read

And then she found it

Revelations 2:4-5

It was like her saviour was talking to her

And so she listened,

And understood

Happiness flooded her soul

She prayed and finally knew

The last piece that was missing

And vowed to put it into work

To make sure she will never lose her connection

Her connection to her saviour again

For to her, it was a terrible thing

And she promises to remember her first love

And from where she fell

And to do her first works

So that first bond broken by her carelessness

Would hopefully be restored

And she can have her eternal peace, joy and happiness.

 

 

 

CONFIDENCE IN GOD = SET APART FOR GREATNESS

When we go to church constantly

And we study God’s word fervently

Grasping onto His promises heartily

And yielding to His instructions obediently

We are on our way to living the best kind of life

More than we dreamed

More than we imagined

And even more than people thought!

I never get tired of studying His word

Because there, I catch light that cheapens my access to success in life

One may think it a burden to read the Bible

Another may think it a joy to discover its treasures

The difference will become their impact in life

It becomes the ease with which either sails through life’s hurdles

If only you knew……

Many a time, we are taught that prayer is communication with God

From the time of early conversion

Even till you start enjoying the wine of the Word

Where you become intoxicated with God’s promises

His commands, reproof, among others

For which scripture was written for (see 2Timothy3:16)

But more believers than not

Still complain that they wonder if God hears them

They wonder if they will get an answer

They wonder,” how do others get responses so quickly?”

It’s definitely NOT magic

It’s also not only faith

Neither is it only the prayer or the crying out

What is it then?

Journey spiritually with me through 1 John 5:14-15

14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests,

we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

Oh how beautifully reassuring God’s words are!

First, we need to be confident that He hears

Not that we’re just speaking into the air

But that we speak from the depth of our hearts

To the Spirit of God that lives in us

Who then relays to our Heavenly Father our requests.

Now, confident that we have been heard,

We wait

Patiently

In thanksgiving

And with undoubting and unshakable faith

That whatever we petitioned Him

He WILL give!

How wonderful!!

Intentionality in 2021

A new year to some often represent the chance to start afresh

To others, a time to put in more effort

Taking a whole new perspective may be another reason for some too

And unfortunately, some also take a casual approach to a new year

However, let’s take a look at what the Bible says,

Concerning our mindsets about newness in general

In the book of Isaiah chapter 43:18-19,

He tells us in verse 18

“Remember ye not the former things,

neither consider the things of old.”

The reason to look back at the past is to consider God’s goodness

And to give Him glory for them

But forgetfulness is required for past hurts,

Past trials and temptations the devil may have orchestrated

Instead, in verse 19, we are told to:

“Behold, I will do a new thing;

now it shall spring forth;

shall ye not know it?

I will even make a way in the wilderness,

and rivers in the desert.”

God is telling us to look to His goodness ahead

Focus intently on Him

Because He’s about to turnaround something in your life

The time period given is “NOW”

It won’t just happen, it will spring forth out of nowhere

It will come as a pleasant surprise

In places where there seem to be no way out

No plausible explanation or solution

He says He is more than capable of giving a perfect way out

In any dry area of your life,

He’s going to manifest unending joy and supply like a river

You see, God is perfectly ready for us in this new year

The question is this:

Are you ready to focus on Him?

Love Him unconditionally and serve Him unreservedly?

No matter what the previous year held for you,

God is saying “Look, I’m going to do a new thing!”

“I will give you a way out and supply your needs!”

Remember, He’s more than capable

And He cannot lie.

May this year be one of grace and glory for us

And don’t forget to say “thank You Jesus “

When all is said and done.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

The Survivor’s Task

The more I study God’s Word

The more convinced I am of His unending love for man

And I feel overwhelmed by His mercy.

Led by the Holy Spirit to the scripture Isaiah 1,

I was both amazed and confused

By how a people so dear to the Almighty

Could betray His love without blinking.

And then I was moved to realize that

God, in His abundance of mercy,

Still reached out to mankind

To give them another chance at being engulfed in His love;

Another chance to share in His supernatural,

Another chance to have access to His throne of grace.

Even between humans

It is most often a Herculean task,

To gain back trust after it has been betrayed once,

Not to talk about a second time.

Between God and man, this trust has been betrayed

More times than a mere man can contain.

How many more times

Shall we continue to put our hands to the plough and turn back?

Isn’t it high time our eyes stay single?

Focused on God alone?

The ninth verse of that scripture

Says that God left the people a remnant, a survivor

That would carry on the mantle of His goodness and grace

That would turn the world back to God,

So that His anger at the evil of the people

Does not grant them a similar end as Sodom

Or into a heap of ruins like the city of Gomorrah.

Will you be honest with an assessment of yourself?

Are you part of His remnant ?

Are you part of His end time army?

In the last days, will people cling to you

Persuading you to teach them the ways of God?

If you are one of remnants,

If you’re a survivor,

Live up to the task and follow through.

The world needs you!

Trust + Perfect ❤️ = God’s Help

A heart perfect toward the Lord Jesus Christ

One completely submerged in unfailing love,

One without an iota of evil or selfishness or bias

A perfect heart ❤️.

Reading through 2 Chronicles 16,

I was blessed to learn from the mistake of a King.

Yes, Kings did and still make mistakes.

A King who loved and trusted in His God

Is terribly disgraced when he misplaces that trust

And puts it in the hands of a man.

Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!

How dare a man forget the faithfulness of God

For years and years on

And start to put that faith in a man!?

There’s no way such a man finishes in glory.

Disgrace and shame and disgust clothe him

And he’s nowhere to be found in the sands of time.

Asa was the name of this King,

Who was fooled into demoting his trust from God to man

He forgot the victories God gave him in years past.

He neglected the advice a prophet gave him to repent.

He hang high on his pride and disease ended his ride!

This is the story of the King called Asa.

Dear child of God, do you remember God’s faithfulness?

Is your trust still in Him or now in your fellow man?

Are you giving way to the devil to have your perfect heart?

The verse in scripture writes that our own Lord Jesus

His eyes run to and fro

Searching the ends of the earth

Granting His unique and divine help to those of a perfect heart

No just perfect but perfect TOWARD HIM.

There’s nothing man can do more perfectly than God

Count those blessings of His faithfulness

Count those blessings of His continuity

Count those blessings of His steadfastness

Remember, your trust must ALWAYS REMAIN in the Lord

Jesus did it before

He can do it again

Let’s not insult His power

By trusting in man over God.

He can indeed do it again!!!

Glory!!!!!!!!!

The “Unique” in Me

I remember seeing that word, “unique” for the first time

On a small signboard,

While traveling in a small car with mum to work

And admiring the beauty outside the rolled up windows.

I turned to her and asked,

“What’s the meaning of “unique “?

She said it was a synonym of special,

But more distinctive.

Then immediately I said with me inner voice,

“I am unique!”.

And the thought swelled me up for that entire day!

Reading from Exodus 11, I noticed the man Moses

More particularly because his name was mentioned,

Set apart from the general Israelites

And then again, I read about his distinction from the others

Take a look:

Exodus 11:3

And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians.

Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt,

In the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.

My attention was drawn to God’s singling of Moses

He gave all the Israelites favor

But what made Him single Moses out for greatness beyond the favor?

Or how did Moses take advantage of that favor to become great?

I then understood that there was something unique about him

He had the humility

He had the vision

He had the drive

He had God

And he run his course!

There’s something unique in each one of God’s children

That will make us stand out in our generation.

But we need God to show us

And we need the Holy Spirit to guide us.

There’s a unique in me,

That the world is on edge to see…

There’s a unique in you

That is going to set you apart

And our names will be written in the sands of time

Are you ready to make use of the unique in you?

PROMISES THAT NEVER FAIL

Do you know the promises of God

Are the only ones that have 100% fulfillment policy?

After all, He’s not a man that He should lie.

His words to His children are always sure and true.

For the past year or so

I’ve had the privilege of being tutored

On what I call the faith therapy:

Repeatedly confessing scriptures

In effect to what’s troubling you,

Because you see, everything in life can be found in the Bible

Confessing scripture always

It’s so amazing how God considers

Every little detail of the lives of His children

And makes complete provision for us always.

Take a look at Isaiah 58:11

“And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not”.

What a sure promise of divine guidance and provision!

And this is only a tip of the iceberg.

There are endless promises of God to His own

Written in the pages of scripture,

Longing for you to find them and work them out.

Live with the mentality that you are provided for

In every way you need, whatever it is.

Search through His word for His promises

That relate with your current situation,

And repeat it to yourself as many times as you can

Till it is engraved deeply in your heart,

Till you believe it a 100%,

And watch as it comes to play in your life.

God is not the usual type of Father,

He’s the super kind of Father

Who has our interests, however little, at the front of His mind.

All you need to do is search, believe, and then receive.

God bless you!

Search through scripture

The Reality of the Comfort of the Holy Spirit

Depression, anxiety, paranoia….

These are just a few psychological issues

That the average person goes through everyday.

Being overwhelmed by daily activities,

Swamped with work, relationships and family needs.

These may be normal for unbelievers

But as a child of God,

This cannot be your story!

Jesus specifically put things in place

For God’s children to live above and beyond

The hurdles and issues life may throw at us.

Good Parents never want their children to be burdened

Or to struggle in life.

They want their children to be provided for in every way

To achieve their purpose in life successfully.

How much more our Heavenly Father

Who has unlimited supply to cater for our needs?

So when life seems stormy and burdensome,

Don’t forget that you have a Helper, a Comforter…

He is the Holy Spirit.

Just call on Him from the depth of your heart.

There’s this unexplainable thing the Holy Spirit does

When His child is overwhelmed or stressed:

He soothes the pain,

Relieves the stress,

And unburdens the mind.

It’s so touching how they all happen at once

And instantly, all the worry fades.

It feels like nothing was wrong a second ago.

Everything feels so light and liberty sets in.

Oh what a feeling!

However, this is only available to God’s children.

Because He promised us peace,

He sent the Holy Spirit to ensure we have it

All day long, all year round.

John 14:18 says

“No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you”.

Indeed, He did not leave us alone,

The Holy Spirit is real on the earth, just as Jesus was.

Don’t neglect the gifts you have been given

To soar in this temporary world.

Maximize everything God has made available to His children

And let your light shine on the earth!

You’re not permitted to be stressed!

You’re not permitted to be depressed!

You’re not permitted to be overwhelmed!

The Holy Spirit is here for you

When such negative feelings want to rear their ugly heads

Just remember what the Holy Spirit can do for you

He’s only a prayer away….

The Mistake of Ignorance of Scriptures

Our Savior, Jesus Christ really knew the entirety of His assignment

And the people to whom He was assigned.

His teachings are not ancient

Neither are they for the disciples of old alone.

I came across Matthew 22:29 and my heart broke.

Jesus was ambushed by some men to test Him.

They asked a question

That may have baffled an ordinary man

With an ordinary mind.

But Jesus’ response to them astonished not just them,

It shook the minds of the whole crowd.

And then He said in that verse of Matthew 22:29

“…..Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures,

Nor the power of God”.

Though this was not directed at the disciples of Jesus,

Unfortunately many of us today fall prey to this,

Not knowing the scriptures and living according to some cultural or tribal instinct

Or following some tradition of old that the scripture frowns upon.

People are in error…. because they don’t know.

How sad is that?

Christians need to know!

We need to know the scripture to live right!

We need to know so the devil cannot take undue advantage of us.

We need to know to have the upper hand,

To know the surge of power that runs through us.

To understand our roles on the earth

And to take dominion over the earth as it is our right!

Look, there is no such thing as careless living as a Christian;

Our lives must be purposeful and calculated.

Heading towards a glorious end.

So I charge you today,

Delve into scripture and be wise,

Read anointed books of God’s servant get knowledge

Commune with the Holy Spirit and gain understanding

It is not enough to just be!

Be the reflection of Christ in all glory.

Hand of God vs Arm of Flesh

Like my father in the Lord, Bishop Oyedepo usually says,

“Let them mock you so that God will make you”.

This was the case of King Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 32

When the King of Assyria wanted a hostile takeover of his kingdom.

Hezekiah told his people not to worry much

Because they had the Hand of God upon them.

Oh and when the King of Assyria heard his argument,

How he mocked them!

Telling tales of his generational takeovers

And making the mistake of thinking Hezekiah served a normal God.

That was the beginning of his downfall….

It’s no wonder Hezekiah did not bend

He did not falter in his stance of faith in the Supernatural God.

He was more than sure that the Hand of God

Superseded the arm of flesh!

In this case, the King of Assyria.

When the Hand of God is upon a man’s life

No evil can have victory,

No demon can cause confusion,

And no devil can assume authority!

The Hand of God triumphs every single time.

Look at how he disgraced the Assyrian king,

Allowing his death to be at the hands of his own sons.

The Bible referred to them as

“They that came forth of his own belly”

What a shame! A disgrace! A despicable thing!

Marvelous things occur at the presence

Of the Hand of God in one’s life.

So much so that mockers begin to celebrate you

And enemies run away shamefaced.

Dear, never despise the Hand of God on someone’s life

But pray for such upon your life

Because then, seemingly closed doors will begin to open

And favor will occur on every side for you.

Beware of pride though!

The Hand of God does not reside upon the proud.

Are My Prayers Being Heard?

I once heard someone say

That he wasn’t sure God listened to his prayers.

So I asked, “ how did you learn to pray?”,

And there was a deafening silence on the phone.

Most grownups who are Christians

Really learnt to pray on their own,

And after a while, they wondered if God was listening.

Well, even if you weren’t taught to pray,

You were taught to speak out correctly and to read.

Here’s my point:

Jeremiah 33:3 says

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

The NLT version reads

Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

This here tells me that God wants a conversation with you.

Conversation meaning He will talk back to you.

God says to us in Jeremiah 29:12

To call on Him and He will listen.

If He wasn’t interested in what you had to say,

He wouldn’t open a channel for you to talk to Him.

Which parent dreads to hear from their child?

Or is satisfied not knowing what happens in their child’s life?

I think none.

There’s a testimony of John:

1John 5:14-15 says

14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

If you have any more doubts that God is listening

Not just hearing, but listening attentively to you,

Just look up testimonies like that of John in the Bible.

And now that you have more confirmation on this today,

Actively and intentionally talk to Him.

He is listening.