Month: February 2020

“And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.” Mark‬ ‭8:24-25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Hello,

Ready for the weekend?

The verses above made me compare the way we look at life to the way God does. We look at ourselves, people, things, and situations and see the temporary states they are in and judge, while God sees the real form.

The blind man first saw men like trees walking. He went from not seeing at all to seeing at levels and then to perfection. We are all at different levels in our walk with God. Are you still judging things by the way they are now? Then you are blind. A physically blind person may judge a situation by hearing, smelling and feeling, and be wrong; a spiritually blind person judges by all these senses and is still in error.

Can you really blame us, though? We were brought up to see, accept, and make decisions accordingly. We were taught that our choices could kill or keep us alive, so most times, we judge out of fear. Let’s not forget the scientific results generated after proper research has been conducted. Analyze walking on water.

Let’s look at Joseph in prison and John the Baptist. One went from dreaming about greatness to slavery, servitude, and imprisonment. The other was born with a promise that he kept waiting to happen most of his life. At the right time, without social media following or advertisements on TV or billboards, people sought out John in the wilderness. Joseph was released, promoted, and placed far beyond his dreams.

Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes again and made him look upward. Truth/sight does not come from what you’ve always known, or after careful research, it comes from God. If we could take the time to ask the father before we judge ourselves, others, and situations, we would function as Jesus did. He was a man that fed 4000 people in the wilderness with seven loaves of bread. He could have decided it was impossible like his disciples did, but he could see and understood what others didn’t.

It’s time to take a back seat in the vehicle that is your life, let God drive. Go to God about every single decision and problem, whether it’s breakfast or the COVID-19. He made you, and he will bear, ask him for the manual, and rest.

Till next time, be transformed!!

‘All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. ‘ John 6:37

Hello,

I have a question. If Mr. Bloomberg, the millionaire, walks up to you and says, “don’t worry about anything from now on. I’ll take care of you,” how would you feel? He’s got a lot of cash and has promised to set you up for life. You’ll probably quit your job and retire forever. However, with everything human, there are downsides.

1. He is human and can change his mind
2. You would have to live according to his terms, no matter how they suit you or don’t suit
3. His goal is to take care of or provide for you, regardless of how you are doing. He doesn’t have to be your friend or worry about your problems. His connection to you is the promised paycheck.
4. If he dies, his promise may or may not die with him.

That’s a chaotic life right there.

On the other hand, Jesus said that if we come to him, that means we were given by the Father, and he will take care of us. God has led us into the sheepfold, and the shepherd of our souls has got us. What does that mean?

1. He is God and does not change his mind.
2. His terms are lighter than the ones we get from life.
3. The shepherd will provide the following (Psalm 23):
   1. For our needs
   2. Direction
   3. Peace
   4. Restoration
   5. Guidance
   6. Protection/Safety
   7. Promotion
   8. Empowerment
   9. Mercy
4. At his death, the promise was sealed to last for eternity. God’s promises are activated over our lives and the lives of future generations after us that also believe. It’s like a never-ending contract.

Here, there is peace because we know that God cannot lie, all we need to do is have faith. With Christ, there are no downsides, you’re going up all the way. No matter who or what we are, Jesus can take care of every aspect of our lives. Have faith and see.

Till next time, be transformed!!

“And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:9

Hello,

What a blessed week!

‘Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” Matthew 15:14

The enemy has filled our minds with all sorts of information that has magnified our view of it. Our real position has been so downplayed that like Eve we think we are the victims, the lesser ones, with no power and nobody to help. Man has always sought his good. How will we survive and live? What will we wear and eat? So, we strive to help ourselves. 

The doctrine of men is the look-to-yourself doctrine. God’s commandments had been watered down to the point where they were serving the cause of men, instead of glorifying God. The Pharisees and scribes told people what they had been told, and the people followed. Blind following the blind.

Can you blame them? They were doing what they were taught, no questions asked. God must have seemed so impossible to access, as he still seems to some, thank God for his grace. Jesus came to fulfill the law and introduce a new and living way, access to the Father. With him, the wisdom of men cannot work. We cannot jump over the wall into the sheepfold, there is a way in, one. The Jesus way is not broad either, it’s narrow. Doesn’t that make it seem harder?

With the doctrine of men, it was about what you could do to save yourself. In Christ, it’s about grace, not by might nor by power, but by God. Jesus asks us to stop seeking our own and seek God’s kingdom first, the rest would be added. He asks that we bring our burden to him, to find rest. 

“the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” Ephesians‬ ‭1:18-19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The enemy wants us to stay buried in a haze, searching for nothingness. It wants us to remain ignorant of the following:

1. God’s hope for calling us
2. The riches of his inheritance in us
3. The power that is available for us to access

It is time to stop looking at ourselves and to look up. Like Peter, stand on the water and stay focused on him. Jesus is standing with you on the raging winds and turbulent waters, asking you to have faith.

Till next time, be transformed!!

‘Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord . His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.’ Hosea 6:3 

Hello,

It’s mid-week! God bless you as you continue to ask, seek, and knock.

There had never been any doubt about Dele’s identity in his mind, from an early age. He answered to who he was with clarity.

At five, he answered as his birthday mate celebrated in class, Dele’s parents couldn’t buy him a gift.

At ten, he answered, when he had to wait another year for secondary school, though he had qualified.

At eighteen, he answered when his fellow students walked about the campus well dressed, but he had to scrimp and save to feed.

When he was 22, Dele’s vision changed, his answer also changed. He decided that he was who and what he made of himself.

At thirty-five, Dele made partner at a prestigious law firm, he answered.

At forty, he married the daughter of a renowned industrialist, he answered.

At fifty, returning home from work aboard a jet owned by his friend, Dele suffered a heart attack, he was speechless.

Out of the darkness, through a mist, Dele walked. He looked around him, searching, waiting for anyone to help him understand his state.

He heard the question again. This time, it was asked out loud.

“Who are you?”

“Dele.” He replied.

Some minutes later.

“Who are you?”

Dele didn’t understand what the question required, he couldn’t answer.

His life flashed like a movie before him. He watched his childhood, his teenage years, and all he had gone through to become the adult he was. The pictures formed and phased out, and then Dele realized his mistake. There had been someone with him, that he had been blind to. He had been comforted in the times he thought he was alone, guided when all his strength was gone, pushed, when he faced the impossible. Pulsating with power, quiet, loving, and always available.

Dele hung his head. “I thought it was me.” He whispered. “I don’t know who I am.”

“Who are you?”

Dele raised his head and answered, “You tell me.”

From childhood, life told Dele who he was. In adulthood, Dele decided and did the telling. However, he had a more superior position, which he was not aware of and couldn’t care less about. We do not have to be at the point of death to be faced with our decisions in life, sometimes, change in our lives bring us full circle, and we are faced with ourselves.

Like Dele, we all search for meaning, and there is only one place to start and end our search. We begin to build pictures in our minds as children of who or what we are to be, but we can only find the right answers in Jesus Christ.

Have you started your search?

Till next time, be transformed!!

‘And after He had dismissed the multitudes, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was still there alone.’ Matthew 14:23

Hello,

May the God of comfort give you rest.

Find below a summary of a day in the life of Jesus:

Morning: He went about doing good

Before noon: He was informed that his cousin, the baptist, had been beheaded. He withdrew to a solitary place by himself.

Afternoon: Out of compassion, he healed the sick

Evening: Jesus fed 5000 people

Night: Withdrew alone to pray

Today, we emulate different people and their ways of life because of what they have achieved. So, I present Jesus. A man filled with the Spirit of God, the savior of humanity. He understood the reason for his birth, and on the day of John’s beheading, executed it to perfection. I noticed he needed time alone that day, he needed to be with God. For comfort, peace, wisdom, I can’t say, but he never said no to the people. He never looked away, even for a minute, no matter how difficult the situation. He was the life and the light.

His relationship with his father enabled him to live out the destiny for which he was created. We all have lives planned by God to bring Him glory, so we can choose to be like Jesus or to emulate others. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus walked the earth as God, though a man, and he calls us to continue in the light. That the eyes of the blind may be opened, that the deaf may hear, and the weak strengthened. All this, regardless of our own circumstances.

Jesus didn’t focus on himself, he had a job to do. We also cannot keep focusing on life, staying trapped in, and by it. We all have jobs to do for the kingdom, and God is waiting for his own. He never promised that life would be easy, but assures us of peace, grace, and mercy in our times of need.

What’s a day in your life like?

Till next time, be transformed!!

Hello,

Enjoy this story of hope for the weekend.

Jairus walked back and forth in the waiting room, where his only daughter lay. She was attended by her mother and the women. With his arms folded behind him, he continued to pace, ignoring the looks from his wife. Now, they had become tearful looks, pleading even.

Jairus remembered the shock he had received the night before, when she had walked into his office, interrupting his evening meditations, he had looked up at her, eyes wide. His wife had learned from the generations of Jewish women before her to be temperate. She had always been silent before him, obeying his every command, dutifully attending to the responsibilities of the woman of the house.

He shook his head, glancing at his wife, as he remembered how she had not waited for his permission, but had stepped in and sat at his feet. When he had regained his composure, he had asked,

“What’s this about woman, did you not see me meditating?”

She didn’t respond immediately, but knelt before him, looking down.

“I am sorry, my lord. I have a grave matter to discuss. It is important and has made me act without reason.”

Jairus sighed.

“What is this grave matter?”

She looked up and straight at him. His eyes had widened again at that.

“Our daughter, my lord. She is not getting better, and I believe it is time we take drastic steps. She is my only child.”

“Are you saying that we can do more than the learned doctors have done? We need to pray and hope that God hears, which is what I was doing before I was disturbed.” He said a frown on his face.

She sighed and looked down.

“What of the healer, the one they call rabbi— “

“Shut your mouth and leave this place. Do you know what you ask, what you speak? Are you asking me to go to the one nobody knows his lineage or background? A ruler of the synagogue? He bunched his hands into fists and looked at her with narrowed eyes. He got up to leave. She held his leg and cried.

“Mercy, my lord. She is our only child, please.”

Not looking at her, he had forced his legs away and left her there.

His daughter had started coughing again, he stopped pacing.

“My lord,” his wife called from the room. He dashed in as she wiped the last traces of blood from the girl’s mouth. His daughter’s skin paled like white-washed stones. She seemed to have coughed up the last blood in her body.

His wife, crying now, turned to him.

“She has lost consciousness; we are losing her!” She warned.

He looked away from the scene, a tear dropping from his eye. He thought he was ready for this; he thought the problem would only be his wife. The pain he felt in his chest as he remembered his child smiling at him in welcome, nearly robbed him of breath.

“No, no!” He shouted, running out of the house.

He would look for him, for the man they called Jesus, he thought. No matter what it cost him, nothing compared to his daughter. He tried to remember the houses Jesus had been spotted in last, Jairus had read the reports on him. Fear took over, what if she died before he reached him, what if…

A gathering, a distance away caught his attention. A crowd was moving forward, some people were trying to get into the middle of things, to reach something or someone. Jairus took off in a sprinting, hoping against hope that it was Jesus. He forced his way through the throng of people, and when he saw Jesus, almost wept with relief.  Pushing forward, he got to Jesus and catching his eye, fell at his feet.

“My daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay hands on her that she may be healed, and she will live.”

He saw the compassion in Jesus’ eyes as he nodded at him, and Jairus wept. They helped him up, and he led the crowd to his house, moving quickly, careful of the time, his daughter must not die. Rushing forward, he nearly missed the fact that the group had stopped following until he noted that the noise behind him seemed to be dying down.

He looked back and saw that the crowd and Jesus had stopped for a reason. Jairus rushed back to them and stood by, thinking of a way to hurry things along. Someone tapped his shoulder, it was his friend, a fellow ruler. The look on his face stopped Jairus, who was about to explain his reason for being there.

“Your daughter is dead, my friend. Why trouble the teacher any further?”

His friend immediately took his lifeless arm and started tugging him away. Jairus was without thought, as tears slid down his face. He felt cold. Led by his friend, Jairus turned back to the crowd and saw Jesus step out, looking at him. He stopped walking, looking at Jesus.

Do not be afraid; only believe.” Jesus said.

He asked for Peter, James, and John alone to follow him as he walked away from the crowd and towards Jairus. Jairus’ heart was beating non-stop, hoping, but daring not to. Alive from the dead, how? As Jesus walked up to him, Jairus led the way, not needing his friend’s help any longer. The thought that there might be a chance strengthened him, and he walked faster.

He got home and stepped in. The noise of sorrow and wailing filled the air, and looking around, he saw the women holding his wife. She stood, facing down, rolling from side to side in her grief. His sorrow seemed to rise in his chest. Unable to speak, he looked back at Jesus, who had just entered his home, pleading.

“Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” Jesus said in a loud voice.

As people looked up, all from the synagogue, they laughed. Not just at Jesus, but at Jairus as well. Jairus looked at his wife, who had left the women to stand by his side. She was looking at Jesus, eyes shining with hope, and Jairus turned to Jesus as well, not knowing what to think.

Jesus turned to him, “Everyone should leave for a moment, except you two.”

His wife went to the women and told them what to do. In a matter of minutes, people left.

Jairus led them to where his daughter lay, lifeless. Jesus took her hand and said,

“Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

His daughter immediately got up, and his wife held on to Jairus for dear life. Mouths gaping open, they watched as their twelve-year-old daughter got up from the bed and walked towards them. They were speechless.

“Mama.” She said, calling to her mother, who wailed as she ran and enfolded her daughter in her arms.

Jairus was weeping as he looked at Jesus, he still had no words. He tried and said, “thank you, Rabbi.”

Jesus nodded, smiling at him.

“Tell no one what happened here today. Make sure the child gets something to eat.” He said and left with his disciples.

‘In Christ, live like there is nothing to fear.’

‘When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and told it in the town and in the country. And [people] went out to see what had occurred, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right (sound) mind; and they were seized with alarm and fear. And those [also] who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was restored [to health]. Then all the people of the country surrounding the Gerasenes’ district asked [Jesus] to depart from them, for they were possessed and suffering from dread and terror; so He entered a boat and returned [to the west side of the Sea of Galilee]. 

But the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging and praying that he might accompany Him and be with Him, but [Jesus] sent him away, saying, Return to your home, and recount [the story] of how many and great things God has done for you. And [the man] departed, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.’ Luke 8:34-39

Hello,

God bless you.

I read the story of the Gerasenes’ demoniac from the viewpoint of the Gerasenes people. Their reaction to Jesus was rather peculiar. Unlike the Samaritan woman, who believed and went to call the people of her town to see the Lord, the herdsmen ran to town to tell them about the catastrophe. At the time Jesus was with them, their city must have had the sick, lame, blind, and deaf, but they weren’t thinking about that. The Bible says they were possessed and suffering from fear. Fear, so great that it closed the minds of everybody in the town, and they asked Jesus to depart from them.

I read a Ted + Rachelle Dekker book last month. They wrote about the strength we give to fear when we yield to it. Allow me to paint a picture of the Gerasenes story drawing my analogy from their book.

Imagine Jesus as light, literally. He comes to the Gerasenes district, and it’s covered in darkness. He knows that the people are living in darkness, and he came to free them. He saves the demoniac, the real face of what was going on in the city. Now, a second light in place, but the people are blind, and they can’t see. Gripped by fear of the unknown, they chose to stay with what they knew, the darkness and bondage. Then I saw grace and mercy at work.

The lighted man(the former demoniac) knew he didn’t belong in the district any longer and begged Jesus to take him along; it makes sense, the same kind.

The Bible says that Jesus asked him to stay in the community and to tell them of the great things that God had done. I saw then that Jesus knew he had a light in the Gerasenes district, who would light up others. It may have seemed that Jesus had left them to their fate, but no.

Picture this, the lighted one goes about the city, proclaiming the Lord Jesus and what do you think happened next? People would have started lighting up in the town. They would be like light bulbs, coming on in one’s and two’s. God hadn’t forsaken the Gerasenes, he had left them with light.

The demoniac lived out his calling freely, probably the one least expected to bring salvation to his town, and I ask, what is stopping us?

People are bound by all sorts of fear, unable to live out their destinies in Christ, their light hidden under bowls. We would typically choose to stay bound (unknowingly) to what we know and are used to, rather than try a new and different way.

What did the demoniac get from being saved? Freedom to walk in his calling, to live without fear. No demons were tormenting his life with the different issues that beset, driving him mad and giving him sleepless nights. Sound familiar? This man was free to live, one day at a time, knowing that in Christ, he had found rest.

We may look at them and be all ‘churchous’ about it, but are we not living like the Gerasenes? Bound by the fears, we were introduced to as children, taught as teens, and acquired as we advanced in life. The more we give in to these fears, the more they take hold and grow to enormous proportions in us. We start to exhibit, teach our children, and mentor our juniors; the cycle continues. The light was meant to light others, not to be hidden, but to be put at the top of the mountain, declaring that Jesus is Lord.

The Bible says, NOW is the time of salvation. Freedom is available for us all; we only need to see, to understand, and to walk in it. Note, it is not for us alone, but mostly for those around us still held captive.

Wouldn’t it be glorious if we could live free of all the fears holding us back, as people, parents, employees, and business owners? The time to ask for it is now.

Till next time, be transformed!!!

“But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Matthew 13:16-17 NKJV

Hello,

What a blessed Monday.

‘The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” Luke 11:34-36 

Last weekend, I seemed to be in a dark place. I held on to God’s mercy and grace, unable to do anything but. I tried to remain calm until I heard the scripture from Luke in my spirit. From what Jesus said in the verses above, my system can be filled with darkness, and it will overpower me because of what I see. In the state of darkness, we read scripture without understanding. We judge and live without knowledge, merely surviving. I knew that all was not well within me, and I understood that to move forward from where I was, I had to see and hear beyond the natural.

Why did Jesus make it about the eye? He was referring to our access to wisdom, understanding, revelation. How we live depends on what we see. In Ephesians 1:17 and 18, Paul prayed for the spirit of wisdom and revelation, to enlighten us. We need to see beyond ourselves and our immediate environment.

With wisdom and revelation, the word of God comes alive, we gain understanding and build picture boards in our minds. We begin to piece together God’s plan as we live out each day, and as his plan becomes more apparent, we can walk, without error, in righteousness.

Christ also talked about hearing in Matthew 13. When we hear God, we can do his will. So, Jesus calls one blessed, who can see with understanding, as he/she hears from God. The Holy Spirit is required to show us the way, but we also need to focus and be alert in our spirits. There are many things available to distract us from the truth, they are loud and proud lies. How do we know the truth that sounds good from God’s truth?

We continually need to engage God in every aspect of our lives, to expose every part of our being to his scrutiny. He will help us understand our calling, the riches of our inheritance in God, and the power available to us, the immense power. May we seek to walk in wisdom and revelation more and more, to live beyond the natural.

Till next time, be transformed!!

‘The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. ‘ Matthew 8:8

Hello,

Thank God for February.

This morning as I studied scripture, I did so feeling physically weak. In Matthew, I noticed this centurion, this roman who was able to identify the true nature of the Lord. He told Jesus that he understood His lordship over principalities and powers of darkness. He knew that Jesus could command/say the word, and evil would be quenched. The Bible says that Jesus heard him and marveled.

What was different about the centurion? His perspective. Being a man of authority, he understood His power and knew how to use it. All he said to Jesus was out of the personal experience, and from what he had heard. He put all that together, and he believed that Jesus was powerful, and moreover, that He was God. Please note that Jesus was ready to go to his house and heal his servant, but this roman understood that the power Jesus had, disregarded time and space.

As I read these verses, I realized that for Christianity to make sense, our perspectives have to change. The way we see ourselves, others, life, and most of all, God. Who do we see God as? It’s our perspective that makes all the difference. I can sit and wait for healing or realize that I have the light of life, and the power that raised Christ from the dead is available inside of me, perspective.

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.’ Matthew 8:13 

Let it be done to you as you have believed, was the reply Jesus gave to him. God deals with us according to our faith. The way we choose to live either confirms or contradicts the truth about who we are in Christ. Believe it or not, we are identified by the way we think, speak, and act. Jesus was recognized as the son of God by the life He lived.

So, I made my choice, and though I was weak, I have been up and working. The truth is that Jesus Christ came to give us salvation, and by revelation, we are to live this out. This is the day of salvation, and I chose to walk in it. The question is, what is your perspective?

Till next time, be transformed!!!